Methanogenic archaea

Methanogenic Archaea and human periodontal disease.

Archaea have been isolated from the human colon, vagina, and oral cavity, but have not been established as causes of human disease. In this study, we reveal a relationship between the severity of periodontal disease and the relative abundance of archaeal small subunit ribosomal RNA genes (SSU rDNA) in the subgingival crevice by using quantitative PCR. Furthermore, the relative abundance of arch...

A Versatile Medium for Cultivating Methanogenic Archaea

BACKGROUND Methanobrevibacter smithii, Methanobrevibacter oralis, Methanosphaera stadtmanae, Methanomassilicoccus luminyensis and Methanobrevibacter arboriphilicus have been cultured from human digestive microbiota. Each one of these fastidious methanogenic archaea requires a specific medium for its growth, hampering their routine isolation and the culture. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS A ne...

Effects of antimicrobial peptides on methanogenic archaea.

As members of the indigenous human microbiota found on several mucosal tissues, Methanobrevibacter smithii and Methanosphaera stadtmanae are exposed to the effects of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) secreted by these epithelia. Although antimicrobial and molecular effects of AMPs on bacteria are well described, data for archaea are not available yet. Besides, it is not clear whether AMPs affect t...

Evolution of Na(+) and H(+) bioenergetics in methanogenic archaea.

Methanogenic archaea live at the thermodynamic limit of life and use sophisticated mechanisms for ATP synthesis and energy coupling. The group of methanogens without cytochromes use an Na(+) current across the membrane for ATP synthesis, whereas the cytochrome-containing methanogens have additional coupling sites that also translocate protons. The ATP synthase in this group is promiscuous and u...

Methanogenic archaea in Arctic soils from Spitsbergen, Norway (78°N)