Methanomethylophilus

Methanomethylophilus
Scientific classification
Domain:	Archaea
Kingdom:	Methanobacteriati
Phylum:	Thermoplasmatota
Class:	Thermoplasmata
Order:	Methanomassiliicoccales
Family:	Methanomethylophilaceae
Genus:	Methanomethylophilus Borrel et al. 2023
Type species
Methanomethylophilus alvi corrig. Borrel et al. 2023
Species [1] [2]
M. alvi

Methanomethylophilus is a genus of strictly anaerobic, methanogenic archaea within the order Methanomassiliicoccales. This genus currently includes only one validly published species, Methanomethylophilus alvi , isolated from the human gastrointestinal tract. ^[3]

Etymology

The name Methanomethylophilus is derived from the Greek words methano (methane), methyl (methyl group), and philos (loving), indicating an archaeon that utilizes methyl compounds to produce methane. ^[3]

Characteristics

Members of Methanomethylophilus are coccoid archaea that produce methane through methyl-dependent hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis. They utilize methyl compounds such as methanol, monomethylamine, dimethylamine, and trimethylamine in combination with hydrogen (H_2) as electron donor. The optimal growth temperature for the type species is approximately 37°C, suitable for human gut conditions. ^[3]

Species

The genus contains a single validly published species:

• Methanomethylophilus alvi – isolated from human gut microbiota. ^[3]

See also

• List of Archaea genera

References

1. Methanomethylophilus in LPSN; Meier-Kolthoff, Jan P.; Sardà Carbasse, Joaquim; Peinado-Olarte, Rosa L.; Göker, Markus (7 January 2022). "TYGS and LPSN: a database tandem for fast and reliable genome-based classification and nomenclature of prokaryotes". Nucleic Acids Research. 50 (D1): D801 –D807. doi: 10.1093/nar/gkab902 .
2. C.L. Schoch; et al. "Methanomethylophilus". National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) taxonomy database. Retrieved 2025-02-28.
3. Borrel, G.; Fadhlaoui, K.; Ben Hania, W.; Gaci, N.; Pehau-Arnaudet, G.; Chaudhary, P.P.; Vandekerckove, P.; Ballet, N.; Alric, M.; O'Toole, P.W.; Fardeau, M.L.; Ollivier, B.; Brugère, J.F. (2023-11-17). "Methanomethylophilus alvi gen. nov., sp. nov., a Novel Hydrogenotrophic Methyl-Reducing Methanogenic Archaea of the Order Methanomassiliicoccales Isolated from the Human Gut and Proposal of the Novel Family Methanomethylophilaceae fam. nov". Microorganisms. 11 (11): 2794. doi: 10.3390/microorganisms11112794 . PMC   10673518 . PMID   38004804.