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vol. 19, nr. 2 (2012)
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pmoA based detection of methanotrophic bacteria in coal-bed rocks of the Lublin coal basin
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Anna Pytlak, Agnieszka Kuźniar, Zofia Stępniewska
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Department of Biochemistry and Environmental Chemistry, Institute of Biotechnology, The John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin, Al. Kraśnicka 102, 20-718 Lublin |
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vol. 19 (2012), nr. 2,
pp. 403-413
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abstract:
Methane is one of the most important greenhouse gases. In spite of its low mixing ratio (1775 ppbv), it is responsible for 20-30% of global warming. However, factors influencing methane fluxes to the atmosphere from different sources are still under debate. One of the most important elements of the methane cycle are methanotrophic bacteria. This unique group of Proteobacteria utilises methane at various levels, from atmospheric concentrations to several percentages, using molecular oxygen. Methanotrophs have been found in many terrestrial, aquatic and subsurface environments, there is however little information about methanotrophs connected with coal deposits. In the study, the presence of methanotrophic bacteria in coal–associated rocks of the Lublin Coal Basin (LCB) was confirmed by the methanotrophic activity tests of fresh and autoclaved samples from depths of 914 m and 997 m below the surface. Methanotrophs were also successfully enriched on nitrate minimal salts medium and identified based on the cloned pmoA sequences. It was found that methane-oxidising bacteria present in the LCB are highly similar to Methylosinus, Methylocystis and Methylocaldum species. It was assumed that biological oxidation may be one of the processes influencing methane concentrations in coal-beds and that rocks excavated with coal may serve e.g. as methanotrophically active covers preventing CH4 emission from landfills.
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keywords:
methanotrophs, methane, coal-bed rocks, particulate methane monooxygenase
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original in:
English
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