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Taxonomic composition and gene content of a methane-producing microbial community isolated from a biogas reactor

Authors :
Holger Krömeke
Robert Edwards
Karl-Heinz Gartemann
Jens Stoye
Lutz Krause
Andreas Schlüter
Andreas Tauch
Alexander Goesmann
Naryttza N. Diaz
Kai J. Runte
Rafael Szczepanowski
Heiko Neuweger
Alfred Pühler
Source :
Journal of Biotechnology. 136:91-101
Publication Year :
2008
Publisher :
Elsevier BV, 2008.

Abstract

A total community DNA sample from an agricultural biogas reactor continuously fed with maize silage, green rye, and small proportions of chicken manure has recently been sequenced using massively parallel pyrosequencing. In this Study, the sample was computationally characterized without a prior assembly step, providing quantitative insights into the taxonomic composition and gene content of the underlying microbial community. Clostridiales from the phylum Firmicutes is the most prevalent phylogenetic order, Methanomicrobiales are dominant among methanogenic archaea. An analysis of Operational Taxonomic Units (OTUs) revealed that the entire microbial community is only partially covered by the sequenced sample, despite that estimates suggest only a moderate overall diversity of the community. Furthermore, the results strongly indicate that archaea related to the genus Methanoculleus, using CO2 as electron acceptor and H-2 as electron donor, are the main producers of methane in the analyzed biogas reactor sample. A phylogenetic analysis of glycosyl hydrolase protein families suggests that Clostridia play an important role in the digestion of polysaccharides and oligosaccharides. Finally, the results unveiled that most of the organisms constituting the sample are still unexplored. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Details

ISSN :
01681656
Volume :
136
Database :
OpenAIRE
Journal :
Journal of Biotechnology
Accession number :
edsair.doi.dedup.....08ef9f59acb0b974e46299243a80f0dd