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Methanol utilization by a novel thermophilic homoacetogenic bacterium, Moorella mulderi sp. nov., isolated from a bioreactor

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Abstract

A thermophilic, anaerobic, spore-forming bacterium (strain TMS) was isolated from a thermophilic bioreactor operated at 65 °C with methanol as the energy source. Cells were gram-positive straight rods, 0.4–0.6 µm×2–8 μm, growing as single cells or in pairs. The temperature range for growth was 40–70 °C with an optimum at 65 °C. Growth was observed from pH 5.5 to 8.5, and the optimum pH was around 7. The salinity range for growth was 0–45 g NaCl l−1 with an optimum at 10 g l−1. The isolate was able to grow on methanol, H2-CO2 (80/20%, v/v), formate, lactate, pyruvate, glucose, fructose, cellobiose and pectin. The bacterium reduced thiosulfate to sulfide. The G+C content of the DNA was 53 mol%. Comparison of 16S rRNA genes revealed that strain TMS is related to Moorella glycerini (96%, sequence similarity), Moorella thermoacetica (92%) and Moorella thermoautotrophica (92%). On the basis of physiological and phylogenetic differences, strain TMS is proposed as a new species within the genus Moorella, Moorella mulderi sp. nov. (=DSM 14980, =ATCC BAA-608).

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Abbreviations

D :

Decimal reduction time

D 10 -time :

Time required to reduce viable counts to 10%

AQDS :

Anthraquinone-2,6-disulfonate

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank A. Lysenko for the determination of the G+C content analysis at the Institute of Microbiology of the Russian Academy of Sciences in Moscow and C.M. Plugge for her help with the construction of the phylogenetic tree.

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  1. Melike Balk

    Present address: Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University, Hesselink van Suchtelenweg 4, 6703 CT , Wageningen, The Netherlands

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University, Hesselink van Suchtelenweg 4, 6703 CT , Wageningen, The Netherlands

    Melike Balk & Alfons J. M. Stams

  2. Sub-department of Environmental Technology, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 8129, 6700 EV , Wageningen, The Netherlands

    Jan Weijma

  3. Max-Planck-Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Karl-von-Frisch Straße, 35043 , Marburg, Germany

    Michael W. Friedrich

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  1. Melike Balk
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  4. Alfons J. M. Stams
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Correspondence to Melike Balk.

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Balk, M., Weijma, J., Friedrich, M.W. et al. Methanol utilization by a novel thermophilic homoacetogenic bacterium, Moorella mulderi sp. nov., isolated from a bioreactor. Arch Microbiol 179, 315–320 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00203-003-0523-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00203-003-0523-x

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