Termite mounds contain soil-derived methanotroph communities kinetically adapted to elevated methane concentrations.

ABSTRACT: Termite mounds have recently been confirmed to mitigate approximately half of termite methane (CH₄) emissions, but the aerobic CH₄ oxidising bacteria (methanotrophs) responsible for this consumption have not been resolved. Here, we describe the abundance, composition and CH₄ oxidation kinetics of the methanotroph communities in the mounds of three distinct termite species sampled from Northern Australia. Results from three independent methods employed show that methanotrophs are rare members of microbial communities in termite mounds, with a comparable abundance but distinct composition to those of adjoining soil samples. Across all mounds, the most abundant and prevalent methane monooxygenase sequences were affiliated with upland soil cluster α (USCα), wit

SUBMITTER: Chiri E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7784690 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature