Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • In Brief
  • Published:

Archaeal genomics

A new phylum for methanogens

Nature Reviews Microbiology volume 13, page 739 (2015)Cite this article

Subjects

Previously, methanogenic organisms had only been described in the Euryarchaeota. Now, Evans et al. report two near-complete genomes that provide strong evidence for methanogenesis in a second archaeal phylum, the Bathyarchaeota. The genomes — obtained from an Australian methane well — contain genes indicative of methylotrophic methanogenesis using a diverse set of methylated compounds. Interestingly, one of the genomes also contains genes for complex fermentation and the other also contains genes for β-oxidation; neither of these processes have previously been seen in methanogens. By contrast, structural prediction suggested that both genomes encode a functional methyl-coenzyme M reductase complex (MCR), a universal feature of methanogens. A survey of metagenomes from geographically disparate high-methane- flux environments identified additional non-euryarchaeotal examples of genes encoding MCR components. The authors propose that methanogenesis arose in a common ancestor of the two phyla, rather than in the Euryarchaeota, and thus has a more ancient origin than has sometimes been suggested.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on SpringerLink
  • Instant access to the full article PDF.

USD 39.95

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

References

  1. Evans, P. N. et al. Methane metabolism in the archaeal phylum Bathyarchaeota revealed by genome-centric metagenomics. Science 350, 434–438 (2015)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Authors
  1. Naomi Attar
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Attar, N. A new phylum for methanogens. Nat Rev Microbiol 13, 739 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrmicro3589

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nrmicro3589

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing Microbiology

Sign up for the Nature Briefing: Microbiology newsletter — what matters in microbiology research, free to your inbox weekly.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing: Microbiology