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Detection and classification of atmospheric methane oxidizing bacteria in soil

Nature volume 405, pages 175–178 (2000)Cite this article

Abstract

Well-drained non-agricultural soils mediate the oxidation of methane directly from the atmosphere, contributing 5 to 10% towards the global methane sink1,2. Studies of methane oxidation kinetics in soil infer the activity of two methanotrophic populations: one that is only active at high methane concentrations (low affinity) and another that tolerates atmospheric levels of methane (high affinity). The activity of the latter has not been demonstrated by cultured laboratory strains of methanotrophs, leaving the microbiology of methane oxidation at atmospheric concentrations unclear3,4. Here we describe a new pulse-chase experiment using long-term enrichment with 12CH4 followed by short-term exposure to 13CH4 to isotopically label methanotrophs in a soil from a temperate forest. Analysis of labelled phospholipid fatty acids (PLFAs) provided unambiguous evidence of methane assimilation at true atmospheric concentrations (1.8–3.6 p.p.m.v.). High proportions of 13C-labelled C18 fatty acids and the co-occurrence of a labelled, branched C17 fatty acid indicated that a new methanotroph, similar at the PLFA level to known type II methanotrophs, was the predominant soil micro-organism responsible for atmospheric methane oxidation.

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Figure 1: Rates of methane oxidation between 1.5 and 250 p.p.m.v. by forest soil from the mineral and buried organic layers.
Figure 2: A partial gas chromatogram of the methylated phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) fraction derived from the buried organic soil exposed to an atmospheric (1.8–3.6 p.p.m.v.) concentration of methane.
Figure 3: A plot of δ13C values of PLFAs from soils after incubation and 13CH4 pulse-labelling.

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Acknowledgements

We thank J. Carter and A. Gledhill for their help with GC/MS and GCC/IRMS analyses and C. Davies for setting up the long-term enrichment experiment. This study was supported by the Natural Environment Research Council through the CEH Integrated Fund (N.R.P., P.I., G.H.H.) and through a Non-thematic Research Grant (P.I. and R.P.E.).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Cantock's Close, Bristol, BS8 1TS, UK

    Ian D. Bull & Richard P. Evershed

  2. Institute of Terrestrial Ecology, Merlewood Research Station, Grange-over-Sands, LA11 6JU, Cumbria, UK

    Nisha R. Parekh

  3. Institute of Freshwater Ecology, Far Sawrey, Ambleside, LA22 0LP, Cumbria, UK

    Grahame H. Hall

  4. Department of Biology, University of York, P.O. Box 373, York, YO10 5YW, UK

    Philip Ineson

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  1. Ian D. Bull
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Correspondence to Richard P. Evershed.

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Bull, I., Parekh, N., Hall, G. et al. Detection and classification of atmospheric methane oxidizing bacteria in soil. Nature 405, 175–178 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1038/35012061

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