Methanosarcinaceae Explained

In taxonomy, the Methanosarcinaceae are a family of the Methanosarcinales.

Phylogeny

The currently accepted taxonomy is based on the List of Prokaryotic names with Standing in Nomenclature (LPSN)^[1] and National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI)^[2]

Biochemistry

A notable trait of Methanosarcinaceae is that they are methanogens that incorporate the unusual amino acid pyrrolysine into their enzymes.^[9] The enzyme monomethylamine methyltransferase catalyzes the reaction of monomethylamine to methane. This enzyme includes pyrrolysine. The unusual amino acid is inserted using a unique tRNA, the anticodon of which is UAG. In most organisms, and in most Methanosarcinaceae proteins, UAG is a stop codon. However in this enzyme, and anywhere else pyrrolysine is incorporated, likely through contextual markers on the mRNA, the pyrrolysine-loaded tRNA is inserted instead of the release factor. They also have a unique aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase to specifically load this tRNA with pyrrolysine. This unique adaptation is still the subject of significant study.

See also

• List of Archaea genera

Further reading

Scientific journals

• Cavalier-Smith . T . 2002 . The neomuran origin of archaebacteria, the negibacterial root of the universal tree and bacterial megaclassification . Int. J. Syst. Evol. Microbiol. . 52 . 7 - 76 . 11837318 . Pt 1 . 10.1099/00207713-52-1-7. free .
• Springer E . Sachs MS . Woese CR . Boone DR . 1995 . Partial gene sequences for the A subunit of methyl-coenzyme M reductase (mcrI) as a phylogenetic tool for the family Methanosarcinaceae . Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol. . 45 . 554 - 559 . 8590683 . 10.1099/00207713-45-3-554 . 3. free .
• Cavalier-Smith . T . 1986 . The kingdoms of organisms . Nature . 324 . 416 - 417 . 2431320 . 10.1038/324416a0 . 6096. 1986Natur.324..416C . 5242667 .
• Sowers KR . Johnson JL . Ferry JG . 1984 . Phylogenic relationships among the methylotrophic methane-producing bacteria and emendation of the family Methanosarcinaceae . Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol. . 34 . 444 - 450 . 10.1099/00207713-34-4-444 . 4 . free .
• Balch WE . Fox GE . Magrum LJ . Woses CR . 4 . Wolfe RS . 1979 . Methanogens: reevaluation of a unique biological group . Microbiol. Rev. . 43 . 260 - 296 . 390357 . 2 . 281474 . 10.1128/MMBR.43.2.260-296.1979.

Scientific books

• Book: Boone DR . Whitman WB . Koga Y . 2001 . Order III. Methanosarcinales ord. nov. . Bergey's Manual of Systematic Bacteriology Volume 1: The Archaea and the deeply branching and phototrophic Bacteria . 2nd . DR Boone . RW Castenholz . 169 . . New York . 978-0-387-98771-2 . https://archive.org/details/bergeysmanualofs00boon/page/169 .
• Book: Grant WD . Kamekura M . McGenity TJ . Ventosa A . 2001 . Class III. Halobacteria class. nov. . Bergey's Manual of Systematic Bacteriology Volume 1: The Archaea and the deeply branching and phototrophic Bacteria . 2nd . DR Boone . RW Castenholz . 169 . Springer Verlag . New York . 978-0-387-98771-2 . https://archive.org/details/bergeysmanualofs00boon/page/169 .

Notes and References

1. Web site: J.P. Euzéby . Methanosarcinaceae . 2021-11-17 . List of Prokaryotic names with Standing in Nomenclature (LPSN).
2. Web site: Sayers. etal. Methanosarcinaceae . 2022-06-05 . National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) taxonomy database.
3. Web site: The LTP . 23 February 2022.
4. Web site: LTP_all tree in newick format. 23 February 2022.
5. Web site: LTP_01_2022 Release Notes. 23 February 2022.
6. Web site: GTDB release 07-RS207 . Genome Taxonomy Database. 20 June 2022.
7. Web site: ar53_r207.sp_labels . Genome Taxonomy Database. 20 June 2022.
8. Web site: Taxon History . Genome Taxonomy Database. 20 June 2022.
9. Lehninger A, Nelson D, Cox M. Lehninger principles of biochemistry. 6th ed. New York: W.H. Freeman; 2013 p. 1124-1126.