Abstract
Methanogenic archaea are the only organisms that produce CH4 as part of their energy-generating metabolism. They are ubiquitous in oxidant-depleted, anoxic environments such as aquatic sediments, anaerobic digesters, inundated agricultural fields, the rumen of cattle, and the hindgut of termites, where they catalyze the terminal reactions in the degradation of organic matter. Methanogenesis is the only metabolism that is restricted to members of the domain Archaea. Here, we discuss the importance of model organisms in the history of methanogen research, including their role in the discovery of the archaea and in the biochemical and genetic characterization of methanogenesis. We also discuss outstanding questions in the field and newly emerging model systems that will expand our understanding of this uniquely archaeal metabolism.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Journal | Journal of bacteriology |
| Volume | 205 |
| Issue number | 8 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Aug 2023 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:Work in K.C.C.’s laboratory is funded by grants from the U.S. Department of Energy (DESC0019148) and the U.S. National Science Foundation (MCB-2148165). Work in W.B.W.’s laboratory is funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Energy (DE-SC0018028).
Publisher Copyright:
Copyright © 2023 American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.
Keywords
- archaea
- methanogenesis
- model organisms
PubMed: MeSH publication types
- Journal Article
- Review
- Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.