Non-syntrophic methanogenic hydrocarbon degradation by an archaeal species

Zhuo Zhou, Cui-jing Zhang, Peng-fei Liu, Lin Fu, Rafael Laso-Pérez, Lu Yang, Li-ping Bai, Jiang Li, Min Yang, Jun-zhang Lin, Wei-dong Wang, Gunter Wegener (), Meng Li () and Lei Cheng ()
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Zhuo Zhou: Biogas Institute of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs
Cui-jing Zhang: Shenzhen University
Peng-fei Liu: Biogas Institute of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs
Lin Fu: Biogas Institute of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs
Rafael Laso-Pérez: University Bremen
Lu Yang: Biogas Institute of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs
Li-ping Bai: Biogas Institute of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs
Jiang Li: Biogas Institute of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs
Min Yang: Biogas Institute of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs
Jun-zhang Lin: SINOPEC
Wei-dong Wang: SINOPEC
Gunter Wegener: University Bremen
Meng Li: Shenzhen University
Lei Cheng: Biogas Institute of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs

Nature, 2022, vol. 601, issue 7892, 257-262

Abstract: Abstract The methanogenic degradation of oil hydrocarbons can proceed through syntrophic partnerships of hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria and methanogenic archaea1–3. However, recent culture-independent studies have suggested that the archaeon ‘Candidatus Methanoliparum’ alone can combine the degradation of long-chain alkanes with methanogenesis4,5. Here we cultured Ca. Methanoliparum from a subsurface oil reservoir. Molecular analyses revealed that Ca. Methanoliparum contains and overexpresses genes encoding alkyl-coenzyme M reductases and methyl-coenzyme M reductases, the marker genes for archaeal multicarbon alkane and methane metabolism. Incubation experiments with different substrates and mass spectrometric detection of coenzyme-M-bound intermediates confirm that Ca. Methanoliparum thrives not only on a variety of long-chain alkanes, but also on n-alkylcyclohexanes and n-alkylbenzenes with long n-alkyl (C≥13) moieties. By contrast, short-chain alkanes (such as ethane to octane) or aromatics with short alkyl chains (C≤12) were not consumed. The wide distribution of Ca. Methanoliparum4–6 in oil-rich environments indicates that this alkylotrophic methanogen may have a crucial role in the transformation of hydrocarbons into methane.

Date: 2022
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DOI: 10.1038/s41586-021-04235-2

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