Isolation and Characterization of a Halophilic Methanogen from Great Salt Lake

Abstract

A halophilic methanogenic microorganism isolated from sediments collected from the southern arm of Great Salt Lake, Utah, is described. Cells were irregular, nonmotile cocci approximately 1.0 μm in diameter and stained gram negative. Colonies from anaerobic plates and roll tubes were foamy, circular, and cream-yellow. Methanol, methylamine, dimethylamine, and trimethylamine supported growth and methanogenesis. Hydrogen-carbon dioxide, formate, and acetate were not utilized. Sodium and magnesium were required for growth; the optimum NaCl concentration ranged between 1.0 and 2.0 M, with the minimum doubling time occurring at 2.0 M. The optimum growth temperature was 35°C, with maximum growth rate occurring at pH 7.5. The DNA base composition was 48.5 mol% guanine + cytosine. SLP is the type strain designation (= ATCC 35705). Images