This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Reprints and Permissions Copyright Information Books from ASM Press MicrobeWorld Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Murray, P. A. Articles by Zinder, S. H. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Murray, P. A. Articles by Zinder, S. H. Agricola Articles by Murray, P. A. Articles by Zinder, S. H.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Appl Environ Microbiol. 1985 July; 50(1): 49-55
Copyright © 1985, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Nutritional Requirements of Methanosarcina sp. Strain TM-1

Patti A. Murray and Stephen H. Zinder^*

Department of Microbiology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853

ABSTRACT

Methanosarcina sp. strain TM-1, an acetotrophic, thermophilic methanogen isolated from an anaerobic sludge digestor, was originally reported to require an anaerobic sludge supernatant for growth. It was found that the sludge supernatant could be replaced with yeast extract (1 g/liter), 6 mM bicarbonate-30% CO₂, and trace metals, with a doubling time on methanol of 14 h. For growth on either methanol or acetate, yeast extract could be replaced with CaCl₂ · 2H₂O (13.6 µM minimum) and the vitamin p-aminobenzoic acid (PABA, ca. 3 nM minimum), with a doubling time on methanol of 8 to 9 h. Filter-sterilized folic acid at 0.3 µM could not replace PABA. The antimetabolite sulfanilamide (20 mM) inhibited growth of and methanogenesis by Methanosarcina sp. strain TM-1, and this inhibition was reversed by the addition of 0.3 µM PABA. When a defined medium buffered with 20 mM N,N-bis(2-hydroxyethyl)-2-aminoethanesulfonic acid was used, it was shown that Methanosarcina sp. strain TM-1 required 6 mM bicarbonate-30% CO₂ for optimal growth and methanogenesis from methanol. Cells growing on acetate were less dependent on bicarbonate-CO₂. When we used a defined medium in which the only organic compounds present were methanol or acetate, nitrilotriacetic acid (0.2 mM), and PABA, it was possible to limit batch cultures of Methanosarcina sp. strain TM-1 for nitrogen at NH₄⁺ concentrations at or below 2.0 mM, in marked contrast with Methanosarcina barkeri 227, which fixes dinitrogen when grown under NH₄⁺ limitation.

^* Corresponding author.

Present address: Department of Microbiology and Public Health, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824.

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Chien, Y.-T., Auerbuch, V., Brabban, A. D., Zinder, S. H. (2000). Analysis of Genes Encoding an Alternative Nitrogenase in the Archaeon Methanosarcina barkeri 227. J. Bacteriol. 182: 3247-3253 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Brabban, A. D., Orcutt, E. N., Zinder, S. H. (1999). Interactions between Nitrogen Fixation and Osmoregulation in the Methanogenic Archaeon Methanosarcina barkeri 227. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 65: 1222-1227 [Abstract] [Full Text]