In no case was any evidence of contamination found. Furthermore, real-time PCR assays showed increases of the mmoX gene (encoding for the large hydroxylase subunit of the sMMO) that very closely corresponded with direct microscopic cell counts. Thus, for the first time, clear conclusive proof for the reality of facultative methanotrophy was provided. Remarkably, M. silvestris displayed higher yields, carbon conversion efficiency, Selleckchem Ku-0059436 and growth rates on acetate than on methane. Specifically,

the growth rate of M. silvestris was 0.053 and 0.033 h−1 on acetate and on methane, respectively, suggesting that acetate may be the preferred growth substrate for this microorganism. Shortly thereafter, another acidophilic methanotroph, Methylocapsa aurea, was also identified that could utilize acetate as the sole growth substrate (maximum OD600 nm=0.3, μ=0.006 h−1). As shown in Table 1, neither larger organic acids (citrate, oxalate, malate) nor any tested sugar (glucose, fructose, maltose) could be used as a sole growth substrate (Dunfield et al.,

2010). In contrast to M. silvestris, however, M. aurea only expresses pMMO. Strain purity was determined via: (1) phase-contrast and electron microscopy of acetate-grown cultures; (2) sequencing of more than 21 16S rRNA gene clones from both acetate- and methane-grown cultures; and (3) streaking onto medium with yeast extract and growing cultures with Vincristine ic50 acetate in the absence of methane. In contrast to M. silvestris, however, M. aurea grew best on methane, with a maximum OD600 nm of 1.2 and μ=0.018 h−1. It is interesting to note that all these facultative methanotrophic species are not only acidophilic, but also members of the Beijerinckiaceae family known to include species with broad substrate

ranges. It could thus be hypothesized that facultative methanotrophy will only thrive in a small subset of acidophilic methanotrophs of this family, in environments where organic acids such as acetate are found primarily in the protonated form due to the prevailing low pH, and are thereby more readily taken up (Axe & Bailey, 1995). Facultative methanotrophy, however, does not extend to all acidophilic fantofarone methanotrophs of the Beijerinckiaceae family. For example, Methylocapsa acidophila cannot grow on multicarbon compounds such as malate, acetate, ethanol, succinate, or pyruvate (Dedysh et al., 2002, 2005; Dunfield et al., 2010). As a result of these findings, more effort has been spent to find other facultative methanotrophs, and in the past year, other acidophilic methanotrophs of the genus Methylocystis (family Methylocystaceae) were found that could grow on either methane or acetate (Belova et al., 2011). Specifically, Methylocystis strain H2s, a mild acidophile (optimal growth pH of 6.0–6.