Methane monooxygenase gene expression mediated by methanobactin in the presence of mineral copper sources.

ABSTRACT: Methane is a major greenhouse gas linked to global warming; however, patterns of in situ methane oxidation by methane-oxidizing bacteria (methanotrophs), nature's main biological mechanism for methane suppression, are often inconsistent with laboratory predictions. For example, one would expect a strong relationship between methanotroph ecology and Cu level because methanotrophs require Cu to sustain particulate methane monooxygenase (pMMO), the most efficient enzyme for methane oxidation. However, no correlation has been observed in nature, which is surprising because methane monooxygenase (MMO) gene expression has been unequivocally linked to Cu availability. Here we provide a fundamental explanation for this lack of correlation. We propose that MMO expression in nature is largely contro

SUBMITTER: Knapp CW 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1907314 | biostudies-literature | 2007 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature