Domain Archaea Class Methanomicrobia Scientific name Methanofollis Rank Genus | Kingdom Euryarchaeota Family Methanomicrobiaceae Phylum Euryarchaeota Order Methanomicrobiales | |
Similar Methanocorpusculum, Methanomicrobiales, Methanotorris, Methanolobus | ||
In taxonomy, Methanofollis is a genus of the Methanomicrobiaceae.
Contents
Description and significance
Methanofollis ("a methane-producing bag") is a non-motile, Gram-negative, obligately anaerobic, mesophilic archaeon that produces methane. It grows between the temperatures 20–45 °C (optimum 34–40 °C), and at the pH of around 7.
Genome structure
The genome of the archaeon has not yet sequenced. The G + C content of the DNA is determined to be 60.0%.
Cell structure and metabolism
The cells of Methanofollis are highly irregular cocci, with diameter of 1.25–2.0 µm. The major polar lipids are phospholipids, glycolipids, and phosphoglycolipids. It utilizes H2/CO2, formate, 2-propanol/CO2, and 2-butanol/CO2 for growth and methanogenesis. No growth has been observed on acetate, trimethylamine, methanol, ethanol, 2-propanol, isobutanol, or 2-butanol as catabolic substrates.
Ecology
Most species of the archaeon are isolated from anaerobic high-rate wastewater bioreactors or solfataric fields. For example, M. tationis was isolated from a solfataric field on Mount Tatio in the Atacama desert in northern Chile.