A methane-oxidizing synthetic microbial community coupling Cr(VI) reduction to division of labor and extracellular electron transfer.
Taxonomy
| Taxon | Ontology ID | Functional Roles | Abundance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Methylocystis sp. — ontology label: Methylocystis | NCBITaxon:133 · TaxonMech · TraitMech |
PRIMARY_DEGRADER
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N/A |
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| Hyphomicrobium sp. | NCBITaxon:82 · TaxonMech · TraitMech |
CROSS_FEEDER
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N/A |
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| Thiobacillus sp. — ontology label: Thiobacillus | NCBITaxon:919 · TaxonMech · TraitMech |
CROSS_FEEDER
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N/A |
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Ecological Interactions
The graph shows only explicitly linked interaction participants. Community members without an asserted participant link are omitted; membership alone does not imply an interaction.
Methylocystis Hypoxic Methane Oxidation
MAG analysis assigned Methylocystis, reported at 6.30% abundance, as the methane-oxidizing core under hypoxic conditions. This is the source's taxon assignment, not an isolated-strain electron-flux measurement or proof that only this genus oxidizes methane. Hypoxia does not make this an established oxygen-independent methane pathway; the study describes aerobic methanotrophs under low oxygen.
Participating Taxa: Methylocystis sp.
Metabolites: methane (CHEBI:16183 · MediaIngredientMech · CMMMech)
Biological Processes:
- methane metabolic process (GO:0015947 · PathwayMech)
PARTIAL - methane oxidation can supply reducing equivalents for the proposed EET routes. Inhibiting oxidation reduced Cr(VI) reduction, supporting functional coupling, but the abstract does not resolve how much reaches chromium through Methylocystis cytochromes/pili versus partner-associated routes.
Evidence
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PMID:41932525 - PARTIAL (COMPUTATIONAL)"under hypoxic conditions, Methylocystis (6.30%) was the core microorganism driving methane oxidation"
Extracellular Electron Transfer to Cr(VI)
The source proposes Methylocystis EET via multiheme c-type cytochromes and conductive pili, or jointly with dominant Hyphomicrobium and Thiobacillus. Preserve these alternative route assignments from MAG/multi-omics analysis, not a single demonstrated serial transfer chain, obligatory syntrophy, measured metabolite exchange or selective proof of each protein and partner. The three named genera are a reported subset of the enrichment, not its complete composition or a verified three-isolate coculture.
Participating Taxa: Methylocystis sp., Hyphomicrobium sp., Thiobacillus sp.
Metabolites: methane (CHEBI:16183 · MediaIngredientMech · CMMMech), chromate(2-) (CHEBI:35404 · MediaIngredientMech · CMMMech)
Biological Processes:
- electron transport chain (GO:0022900 · PathwayMech)
- methane metabolic process (GO:0015947 · PathwayMech)
PARTIAL - proposed extracellular transfer could deliver methane-derived electrons to Cr(VI). Positive removal and the methane-inhibition result support coupling, not selective demonstration that this EET route is the sole mediator; inhibitor specificity and route-specific controls require the unavailable Methods.
Evidence
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PMID:41932525 - PARTIAL (IN_VITRO)"It achieved extracellular electron transfer (EET) through multiheme c-type cytochromes and conductive pili, or jointly with dominant genera such as Hyphomicrobium and Thiobacillus, to couple methane oxidation with Cr(VI) reduction."
Methane-Driven Chromium Reduction
The enrichment reached a maximum reported Cr(VI) removal load of 20.63 mg/L/d. Inhibiting methane oxidation reduced Cr(VI)-reduction efficiency, a positive perturbation result supporting coupling. Omics associated the system with quorum-sensing and methane-metabolism proteins, ABC substrate-binding protein and porin expression; these are not selectively established mediators. The abstract does not resolve inhibitor off-target effects, chromium mass balance, exact reduced-product speciation, or each genus' share. Named participants are a subset, not a tested minimal consortium.
Participating Taxa: Methylocystis sp., Hyphomicrobium sp., Thiobacillus sp.
Metabolites: methane (CHEBI:16183 · MediaIngredientMech · CMMMech), chromate(2-) (CHEBI:35404 · MediaIngredientMech · CMMMech)
Biological Processes:
- methane metabolic process (GO:0015947 · PathwayMech)
- electron transport chain (GO:0022900 · PathwayMech)
Evidence
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PMID:41932525 - SUPPORT (IN_VITRO)"to couple methane oxidation with Cr(VI) reduction"
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PMID:41932525 - PARTIAL (IN_VITRO)"significant enrichment of differentially expressed proteins involved in quorum sensing and methane metabolism"
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PMID:41932525 - SUPPORT (IN_VITRO)"inhibiting the methane oxidation would directly reduce the efficiency of Cr(VI) reduction"
Knowledge gaps & discussions (1)
KNOWLEDGE_GAP OPEN Which EET route mediates methane-linked chromium reduction?
Retain positive Cr(VI) removal and methane-oxidation inhibition results, with two PARTIAL pathway arrows. MAGs and protein expression do not establish exclusive electron flux through pili, cytochromes or each partner; quorum-sensing enrichment is not a perturbation. Full primary Methods, control specificity, exact chromium chemistry and taxon-specific roles remain unavailable after public publisher requests failed. #1599 repairs existing structure; #1600 retains non-graph enrichment/composition claims and the unresolved canonical Hyphomicrobium grounding. Canonical labels/IDs are preserved, not independently recertified.
Attaches to: ecological_interactions#Methylocystis Hypoxic Methane Oxidation, ecological_interactions#Extracellular Electron Transfer to Cr(VI), ecological_interactions#Methane-Driven Chromium Reduction
Environmental Factors
| Factor | Value | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| defined synthetic community design | SynCom was constructed by controlling methane concentration and chromium load, enriching Methylocystis with Hyphomicrobium and Thiobacillus partners. | N/A |
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Growth Media
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