Methane oxidation linked to chlorite dismutation

Frontiers in Microbiology
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Abstract

We examined the potential for CH4 oxidation to be coupled with oxygen derived from the dissimilatory reduction of perchlorate, chlorate, or via chlorite (ClO2) dismutation. Although dissimilatory reduction of ClO4 and ClO3 could be inferred from the accumulation of chloride ions either in spent media or in soil slurries prepared from exposed freshwater lake sediment, neither of these oxyanions evoked methane oxidation when added to either anaerobic mixed cultures or soil enriched in methanotrophs. In contrast, ClO2 amendment elicited such activity. Methane (0.2 kPa) was completely removed within several days from the headspace of cell suspensions of Dechloromonas agitata CKB incubated with either Methylococcus capsulatus Bath or Methylomicrobium album BG8 in the presence of 5 mM ClO2. We also observed complete removal of 0.2 kPa CH4 in bottles containing soil enriched in methanotrophs when co-incubated with D. agitata CKB and 10 mM ClO2. However, to be effective these experiments required physical separation of soil from D. agitata CKB to allow for the partitioning of O2 liberated from chlorite dismutation into the shared headspace. Although a link between ClO2 and CH4 consumption was established in soils and cultures, no upstream connection with either ClO4 or ClO3 was discerned. This result suggests that the release of O2 during enzymatic perchlorate reduction was negligible, and that the oxygen produced was unavailable to the aerobic methanotrophs.
Publication type Article
Publication Subtype Journal Article
Title Methane oxidation linked to chlorite dismutation
Series title Frontiers in Microbiology
DOI 10.3389/fmicb.2014.00275
Volume 5
Year Published 2014
Language English
Publisher Frontiers Research Foundation
Publisher location Lausanne, Switzerland
Contributing office(s) National Research Program - Western Branch
Description 8 p.
Larger Work Type Article
Larger Work Subtype Journal Article
Larger Work Title Frontiers in Microbiology
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