The role of methanotrophy in the microbial carbon metabolism of temperate lakes.

ABSTRACT: Previous stable isotope and biomarker evidence has indicated that methanotrophy is an important pathway in the microbial loop of freshwater ecosystems, despite the low cell abundance of methane-oxidizing bacteria (MOB) and the low methane concentrations relative to the more abundant dissolved organic carbon (DOC). However, quantitative estimations of the relative contribution of methanotrophy to the microbial carbon metabolism of lakes are scarce, and the mechanism allowing methanotrophy to be of comparable importance to DOC-consuming heterotrophy remained elusive. Using incubation experiments, microscopy, and multiple water column profiles in six temperate lakes, we show that MOB play a much larger role than their abundances alone suggest because of their larger cell size and higher speci

SUBMITTER: Reis PCJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8748455 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature