Genetic, physiological and biochemical features of the methanogenic strain Methanosarcina spelaei LB-BZ-1 isolated from oil-saturated bottom sediments of Lake Baikal

Abstract

A culture of irregular cocci with a diameter of 0.7-1.5 μm, capable of producing methane when growing on a mixture of H₂/CO₂ gases, methanol, mono-, di- and trimethylamines, was isolated from the bottom sediments of the Bolshaya Zelenovskaya oil-methane seep. On the basis of physiological-biochemical, phenotypic and genetic characteristics, it was found that the microorganism obtained in pure culture is a new strain of Methanosarcina spelaei LB-BZ-1, which has differences from the type strain in a number of parameters, including the ability to produce methane from acetate