''Methylorubrum extorquens'' is a

Gram-negative bacterium Gram-negative bacteria are bacteria that, unlike gram-positive bacteria, do not retain the crystal violet stain used in the Gram staining method of bacterial differentiation. Their defining characteristic is that their cell envelope consists of ...

. '' Methylorubrum'' species often appear pink, and are classified as pink-pigmented facultative methylotrophs, or PPFMs. The

wild type The wild type (WT) is the phenotype of the typical form of a species as it occurs in nature. Originally, the wild type was conceptualized as a product of the standard "normal" allele at a locus, in contrast to that produced by a non-standard, " ...

has been known to use both methane and multiple carbon compounds as energy sources. Specifically, ''M. extorquens'' has been observed to use primarily methanol an
C₁ compounds
as substrates in their energy cycles. It has been also observed that use

lanthanide The lanthanide () or lanthanoid () series of chemical elements comprises at least the 14 metallic chemical elements with atomic numbers 57–70, from lanthanum through ytterbium. In the periodic table, they fill the 4f orbitals. Lutetium (el ...

s as a cofactor to increase its

methanol dehydrogenase In enzymology, a methanol dehydrogenase (MDH) is an enzyme that catalyzes the chemical reaction: : CH3OH \rightleftharpoons CH2O + 2 electrons + 2H+ How the electrons are captured and transported depends upon the kind of methanol dehydrogenase. T ...

activity

Genetic structure

After isolation from soil, ''M. extorquens'' was found to have a single

chromosome A chromosome is a package of DNA containing part or all of the genetic material of an organism. In most chromosomes, the very long thin DNA fibers are coated with nucleosome-forming packaging proteins; in eukaryotic cells, the most import ...

measuring 5.71- Mb. The bacterium itself contains 70

gene In biology, the word gene has two meanings. The Mendelian gene is a basic unit of heredity. The molecular gene is a sequence of nucleotides in DNA that is transcribed to produce a functional RNA. There are two types of molecular genes: protei ...

s over eight

regions In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as areas, zones, lands or territories, are portions of the Earth's surface that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and ...

of the chromosome that are used for its metabolism of methanol. Within a section of the chromosome, of ''M. extorquens'' AM1 are tw
xoxF
genes that enable it to grow in methanol. ''M. extorquens'' AM1 genome encodes a 47.5 kb gene of unknown function. This gene encodes an over 15,000 residue-long polypeptide along with three unique compounds that are not expressed. The microbe uses the ''mxa'' gene as a way to dehydrogenate methanol and use it as an energy source.

Chemical use

''Methylorubrum extorquens'' uses primarily C₁ and C₂ compounds to grow. Utilizing compounds with few carbon-carbon bonds allows the bacterium to successfully grow in environments with methanol, such as on the surface of leaves whose stomata emit methanol. The ability to use methanol as both a carbon and energy source was show to be advantageous when colonizing ''

Medicago truncatula ''Medicago truncatula'', the barrelclover, strong-spined medick, barrel medic, or barrel medick, is a small annual legume native to the Mediterranean region that is used in genomic research. It is a low-growing, clover-like plant tall with trif ...

''. H₄MPT-dependent formaldehyde oxidation was first isolated in ''M. extroquens'' AM1 and has been used to define if an organism is utilizing methylotrophic metabolism.

Relationships with other organisms

Many bacteria within the family ''Methylobacteriaceae'' live in differen
biotic
environments such as soils, dust, and plant leaves. Some of these bacteria have been found in

symbiotic Symbiosis (Ancient Greek : living with, companionship < : together; and ''bíōsis'': living) is any type of a close and long-term biolo ...

relationships with the plants they inhabit in which they provide fixed nitrogen or produce vitamin B₁₂. ''M. extorquens'' also produce
PhyR
which plants use to regulate

stress response The fight-or-flight or the fight-flight-freeze-or-fawn (also called hyperarousal or the acute stress response) is a physiological reaction that occurs in response to a perceived harmful event, attack, or threat to survival. It was first describ ...

, allowing the plant to survive in different conditions. In addition to PhyR, the bacterium can produce a hormone related to overall plant and root growth. ''M. extorquens'' has been found to have a mutualistic relationship with strawberries. Ultimately, ''M. extorquens'' is used to oxidize

1,2-propanediol Propylene glycol (IUPAC name: propane-1,2-diol) is a viscous, colorless liquid. It is almost odorless and has a faintly sweet taste. Its chemical formula is CH3CH(OH)CH2OH. As it contains two alcohol groups, it is classified as a diol. An aliph ...

to lactaldehyde, which is later used in chemical reactions. If introduced to blooming plants,

furaneol Furaneol, or strawberry furanone, is an organic compound used in the flavor and perfume industry. It is formally a derivative of furan. It is a white or colorless solid that is soluble in water and organic solvents. Odor and occurrence Although ...

production increases, changing the way the strawberry tastes.

References

External links

''Methylorubrum''
J.P. Euzéby: List of Prokaryotic names with Standing in Nomenclature
''Methylobacterium extorquens''
NCBI
Type strain of ''Methylobacterium extorquens'' at Bac''Dive'' - the Bacterial Diversity Metadatabase
{{Taxonbar, from=Q6824039 Hyphomicrobiales Bacteria described in 1985 Formatotrophs

Genetic structure

Chemical use

Relationships with other organisms

See also

References

External links