ISOLATION OF ACIDOPHILIC METHANE-OXIDIZING BACTERIA FROM NORTHERN PEAT WETLANDS

Acidic northern wetlands are an important source of methane, one of th e gases that contributes to global warming. Methane oxidation in the s urface of these acidic wetlands can reduce the methane flux to the atm osphere up to 90 percent. Here the isolation of three methanotrophic m icroorganisms from three boreal forest sites is reported. They are mod erately acidophilic organisms and have a soluble methane monooxygenase , In contrast to the known groups of methanotrophs, 16S ribosomal DNA sequence analysis shows that they are affiliated with the acidophilic heterotrophic bacterium Beijerinckia indica subsp. indica.