Emendation of Methylobacillus Yordy and Weaver 1977, a Genus for Methanol-Utilizing Bacteria

Abstract

The group 1 methanol-utilizing bacteria examined in this study are gram-negative, nonsporeforming, rod-shaped organisms which use the ribulose monophosphate pathway for methanol utilization. These Previously (29, 30, 34), we described the grouping of gram-negative, methanol-utilizing bacteria on the basis of morphological characteristics, utilization of carbon compounds, cellular fatty acid composition, ubiquinone system, and electrophoretic properties of enzymes. The group 1 bacteria that we described (29, 30) are obligately methanolutilizing, nonsporeforming, gram-negative, rod-shaped organisms that have a Q-8 ubiquinone system and a cellular fatty acid composition consisting of large amounts of c16:o acid and c 1 6 : 1 acid (type A). The ribulose monophosphate pathway is supposed for methanol utilization based on detection of hexose phosphate synthetase and the lack of Phydrox ypyruvate reductase (30).Kouno and Ozaki (21) divided the gram-negative methanol-utilizing bacteria into seven major groups. These authors included the obligately methylotrophic, nonsporeforming, gram-negative, rod-shaped organisms in their group 2 and named them "Methylomonas methylovora;" these organisms were previously named "Methanomonas methylovora" (20).However, taxonomic studies of such bacteria have not clarified their taxonomic status, and different generic names and specific names have been applied to the same or very similar organisms.The genus Methylobacillus (Approved Lists 1980) was proposed by Yordy and Weaver (39) for a certain newly isolated gram-negative, nonmotile, obligately methylotrophic bacterium. This genus contains only one validly published species, Methylobacillus glycogenes, and the description of this species is based on a single strain of Methylobacillus glycogenes, strain T-UT (= ATCC 29475T == JCM 2850T = NCIB 11375T) (T = type strain).In a previous paper, we (33) reported the heterogeneity of the group 1 methanol-utilizing bacteria based on deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) base composition and DNA-DNA homologies.

Isolation and phenotypic characterization of methanol oxidation mutants of the restricted facultative methylotroph Methylophaga marina

“…Originally described under various names, they are now (Urakami & Komagata, 1986) and Methylophilus (Jenkins et al, 1987). These two genera and Methylophaga unambiguously belong to distinct taxonomic groups as evidenced by their different G + C content and by the absence of hybridization of their respective DNAs (Janvier et al, 1985).…”

Methylobacillus methanolivorans sp. nov., a novel non-pigmented obligately methylotrophic bacterium

“…On the other hand, members of the family are defined by some chemotaxonomic and biochemical properties, such as specific phospholipids and enzymes, which are used for the delineation of genera [1]. The genus Methylobacillus comprises five recognized species: Methylobacillus glycogenes [2,3], Methylobacillus flagellatus [4], Methylobacillus pratensis [5], Methylobacillus arboreus and Methylobacillus gramineus [6]. In addition, another species of the genus, 'Methylobacillus rhizosphaerae', has not been validly published at the time of writing [7].…”

Phylogenetic position and emended description of the genus Methylovorus

“…To date, four genera have been described for the group of obligately and restricted facultatively methylotrophic bacteria (methylobacteria) with the ribulose monophosphate (RuMP) pathway of C 1 assimilation: Methylophaga (Janvier et al, 1985;de Zwart et al, 1996;Doronina et al, 2003a, b), Methylobacillus (Yordy & Weaver, 1977;Urakami & Komagata, 1986), Methylophilus (Jenkins et al, 1987) and Methylovorus (Govorukhina & Trotsenko, 1991).…”

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The genus Methylovorus, currently represented by the restricted facultative methylotroph Methylovorus glucosotrophus Govorukhina and Trotsenko 1991 and the obligate methylotroph Methylovorus mays Doronina et al 2001, is here established by direct sequencing of amplified 16S rRNA genes and DNA-DNA hybridization to be clearly separated from the extant ribulose monophosphate (RuMP) pathway methylobacteria and to form a distinct branch within the b-Proteobacteria.To date, four genera have been described for the group of obligately and restricted facultatively methylotrophic bacteria (methylobacteria) with the ribulose monophosphate (RuMP) pathway of C 1 assimilation: Methylophaga (Janvier et al, 1985;de Zwart et al, 1996; Doronina et al, 2003a, b), Methylobacillus (Yordy & Weaver, 1977;Urakami & Komagata, 1986), Methylophilus (Jenkins et al, 1987) and Methylovorus (Govorukhina & Trotsenko, 1991).The genus Methylovorus was proposed for restricted facultative methylobacteria isolated from activated sludge, mud, soil and pond water. On the basis of some phenetic characteristics and DNA-DNA relatedness, five isolates were described as one species, Methylovorus glucosotrophus.

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