Methylotrophs are a diverse group of microorganisms that can use reduced one-carbon compounds, such as methanol or methane, as the carbon source for their growth; and multi-carbon compounds that contain no carbon-carbon bonds, such as dimethyl ether and dimethylamine. This group of microorganisms also includes those capable of assimilating reduced one-carbon compounds by way of carbon dioxide using the ribulose bisphosphate pathway. These organisms should not be confused with methanogens which on the contrary produce methane as a by-product from various one-carbon compounds such as carbon dioxide. Some methylotrophs can degrade the greenhouse gas methane, and in this case they are called methanotrophs. The abundance, purity, and low price of methanol compared to commonly used sugars make methylotrophs competent organisms for production of amino acids, vitamins, recombinant proteins, single-cell proteins, co-enzymes and cytochromes.
Pink-Pigmented Facultative Methylotrophs, commonly abbreviated to PPFMs, are bacteria that are members of the genus Methylobacterium and are commonly found in soil, dust, various fresh water supplies and on plant surfaces. Although Gram negative, Methylobacteria often stain gram variable and are easily isolated using methanol-based mineral medium. Their pigmentation, which is frequently pink but may also be yellow or orange, is thought to provide protection from solar UV radiation which damages the DNA of bacteria at low doses because of their small cell size. This color is present due to the carotenoid pigments within the cell.
Methylobacillus flagellatus is a species of aerobic bacteria.
The genus Methylophaga consists of halophilic methylotrophic members of the Gammaproteobacteria, all of which were isolated from marine or otherwise low water activity environments, such as the surface of marble or hypersaline lakes. The cells are rod-shaped. and are motile by a single polar flagellum.
Methylocella silvestris is a bacterium from the genus Methylocella spp which are found in many acidic soils and wetlands. Historically, Methylocella silvestris was originally isolated from acidic forest soils in Germany, and it is described as Gram-negative, aerobic, non-pigmented, non-motile, rod-shaped and methane-oxidizing facultative methanotroph. As an aerobic methanotrophic bacteria, Methylocella spp use methane (CH4), and methanol as their main carbon and energy source, as well as multi compounds acetate, pyruvate, succinate, malate, and ethanol. They were known to survive in the cold temperature from 4° to 30° degree of Celsius with the optimum at around 15° to 25 °C, but no more than 36 °C. They grow better in the pH scale between 4.5 to 7.0. It lacks intracytoplasmic membranes common to all methane-oxidizing bacteria except Methylocella, but contain a vesicular membrane system connected to the cytoplasmic membrane. BL2T (=DSM 15510T=NCIMB 13906T) is the type strain.
Chelativorans is a genus of Gram-negative, strictly aerobic, non-motile bacteria.
Chelativorans multitrophicus is a Gram-negative, aerobic, non-motile bacteria from the genus of Chelativorans which was isolated from soil of activated sludge from industrial wastewater treatment plants in Switzerland. Chelativorans multitrophicus has the ability to degrade EDTA.
Chelativorans oligotrophicus is a Gram-negative, aerobic, non-motile bacteria from the genus of Chelativorans.
Methylophaga marina is an obligately methylotrophic, Gram-negative, strictly aerobic, motile, rod-shaped bacteria, the type species of its genus. Its type strain is ATCC 35842.
Methylophaga thalassica is an obligately methylotrophic, Gram-negative, strictly aerobic, motile, rod-shaped bacteria. Its type strain is ATCC 33146.
Methylovirgula ligni is a Gram-negative, aerobic, non-motile bacteria from the genus of Methylovirgula which was isolated from the fungus Hypholoma fasciculare in Veluwe in the Netherlands.
Ancylobacter dichloromethanicus is an aerobic, Gram-negative bacteria from the family of Xanthobacteraceae which has been isolated from dichloromethane contaminated soil in Volgograd in Russia. Ancylobacter dichloromethanicus can use dichloromethane, methanol, formate and formaldehyde for its metabolism.
Xanthobacter aminoxidans is a bacterium from the family of Xanthobacteraceae which has been isolated from activated sludge in Russia.
Methylorubrum suomiense is a facultatively methylotrophic and aerobic bacteria from the genus Methylorubrum which has been isolated from forest soil in Finland.
Hansschlegelia plantiphila is a Gram-negative, aerobic and non-motile bacterium species from the genus of Hansschlegelia. Hansschlegelia plantiphila can utilize methanol.
Methylopila jiangsuensis is a Gram-negative, aerobic, facultatively methanotrophic and non-spore-forming bacterium species from the genus Methylopila which has been isolated from activated sludge from a waste water treatment plant from Yangzhou in the Jiangsu Province in China.
Methylopila musalis is a Gram-negative, aerobic, facultatively methanotrophic, rod-shaped non-spore-forming and motile bacterium species from the genus Methylopila which has been isolated from the banana from the tree Musa paradisiaca var. sapientum in Ecuador.
Methylopila oligotropha is a bacterium species from the genus Methylopila which has been isolated from soil from a salt mine in Solikamsk in Russia.
Methylophaga thiooxydans is a methylotrophic bacterium that requires high salt concentrations for growth. It was originally isolated from a culture of the algae Emiliania huxleyi, where it grows by breaking down dimethylsulfoniopropionate from E. hexleyi into dimethylsulfide and acrylate. M. thiooxydans has been implicated as a dominant organism in phytoplankton blooms, where it consumes dimethylsulfide, methanol and methyl bromide released by dying phytoplankton. It was also identified as one of the dominant organisms present in the plume following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and was identified as a major player in the breakdown of methanol in coastal surface water in the English channel.
Pleomorphomonadaceae is a family of Alphaproteobacteria.
