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Applied and Environmental Microbiology, June 2001, p. 2718-2722, Vol. 67, No. 6
0099-2240/01/$04.00+0   DOI: 10.1128/AEM.67.6.2718-2722.2001
Copyright © 2001, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.

Bacteria Mediate Methylation of Iodine in Marine and Terrestrial Environments

Seigo Amachi,1,dagger Yoichi Kamagata,1,* Takahiro Kanagawa,1 and Yasuyuki Muramatsu2

National Institute of Bioscience and Human Technology, Agency of Industrial Science and Technology, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8566,1 and National Institute of Radiological Sciences, Chiba-shi, Chiba 263-8555,2 Japan

Received 22 December 2000/Accepted 28 March 2001

Methyl iodide (CH3I) plays an important role in the natural iodine cycle and participates in atmospheric ozone destruction. However, the main source of this compound in nature is still unclear. Here we report that a wide variety of bacteria including terrestrial and marine bacteria are capable of methylating the environmental level of iodide (0.1 µM). Of the strains tested, Rhizobium sp. strain MRCD 19 was chosen for further analysis, and it was found that the cell extract catalyzed the methylation of iodide with S-adenosyl-L-methionine as the methyl donor. These results strongly indicate that bacteria contribute to iodine transfer from the terrestrial and marine ecosystems into the atmosphere.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: National Institute of Bioscience and Human Technology, Agency of Industrial Science and Technology, Ibaraki 305-8566, Japan. Phone: (81) 298-61-6591. Fax: (81) 298-61-6587. E-mail: kamagata{at}nibh.go.jp.

dagger Present address: Department of Bioresources Chemistry, Chiba University, 648 Matsudo, Matsudo-shi, Chiba 271-8510, Japan.

Applied and Environmental Microbiology, June 2001, p. 2718-2722, Vol. 67, No. 6
0099-2240/01/$04.00+0   DOI: 10.1128/AEM.67.6.2718-2722.2001
Copyright © 2001, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.


This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Amachi, S., Kimura, K., Muramatsu, Y., Shinoyama, H., Fujii, T. (2007). Hydrogen Peroxide-Dependent Uptake of Iodine by Marine Flavobacteriaceae Bacterium Strain C-21. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 73: 7536-7541 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Amachi, S., Mishima, Y., Shinoyama, H., Muramatsu, Y., Fujii, T. (2005). Active Transport and Accumulation of Iodide by Newly Isolated Marine Bacteria. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 71: 741-745 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Wingenter, O. W., Haase, K. B., Strutton, P., Friederich, G., Meinardi, S., Blake, D. R., Rowland, F. S. (2004). Changing concentrations of CO, CH4, C5H8, CH3Br, CH3I, and dimethyl sulfide during the Southern Ocean Iron Enrichment Experiments. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 101: 8537-8541 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Wackett, L. P., Dodge, A. G., Ellis, L. B. M. (2004). Microbial Genomics and the Periodic Table. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 70: 647-655 [Full Text]  


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