Natural thaw-gradient peat microbial communities from Stordalen Mire in Arctic Sweden, curated around genome-resolved multi-omics evidence for direct and indirect methylotrophic routes to methane production. The study expanded genomic representation of native methanogens, identified methanogenic MAGs with methylotrophic potential and transcriptional activity, detected broad bacterial anaerobic methylotrophic potential, and observed active methylotrophy across palsa, bog, and fen stages of permafrost thaw. The community is DOE-relevant through USDOE Office of Science BER, PNNL EMSL, and JGI involvement and links permafrost thaw, wetland carbon cycling, and methane emissions.
Taxonomy
| Taxon | Ontology ID | Functional Roles | Abundance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stordalen Mire thaw-gradient microbiome — ontology label: cellular organisms | NCBITaxon:131567 · TaxonMech · TraitMech |
PRIMARY_DEGRADER
SECONDARY_FERMENTER
SYNTROPHIC_PARTNER
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N/A |
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| Stordalen Mire methanogenic archaea — ontology label: Archaea | NCBITaxon:2157 · TaxonMech · TraitMech |
SYNTROPHIC_PARTNER
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COMMON |
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| Stordalen Mire anaerobic methylotrophic bacteria — ontology label: Bacteria | NCBITaxon:2 · TaxonMech · TraitMech |
PRIMARY_DEGRADER
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.
Methanogenic Methylotrophic Potential and Expression
Methanogen MAGs encode methylotrophic potential and express associated genes in Stordalen Mire. Integrated field omics support a methylotrophic contribution alongside other methanogenesis routes, but do not quantify pathway-specific methane flux. These observations do not establish syntrophic product-removal feedback between partners.
Participating Taxa: Stordalen Mire methanogenic archaea
Metabolites: methane (CHEBI:16183 · MediaIngredientMech · CMMMech), methanol (CHEBI:17790 · MediaIngredientMech · CMMMech)
Biological Processes:
- methanogenesis (GO:0015948 · PathwayMech)
Evidence
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PMID:38063415 - SUPPORT (COMPUTATIONAL)"Of the 36 methanogen MAGs identified as being active in this data set, 10 expressed genes for methylotrophy"
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PMID:38063415 - PARTIAL (COMPUTATIONAL)"co-occurrence of methylotrophy throughout"
Bacterial Anaerobic Methylotrophic Potential and Expression
Bacterial MAGs encode anaerobic methylotrophic potential and associated transcripts occur across the mire. Preserve the broad genomic and expression evidence without asserting traced cross-feeding. The removed acetate-to-methylotrophic-methanogenesis arrow named the wrong recipient route; no replacement exchange mechanism or recipient node is added.
Participating Taxa: Stordalen Mire anaerobic methylotrophic bacteria
Metabolites: methanol (CHEBI:17790 · MediaIngredientMech · CMMMech)
Biological Processes:
- organic substance catabolic process (GO:0009056 · PathwayMech)
Evidence
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PMID:38063415 - SUPPORT (COMPUTATIONAL)">1,700 bacterial MAGs across 19 phyla encoded anaerobic methylotrophic potential"
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PMID:38063415 - SUPPORT (COMPUTATIONAL)"with expression across 12 phyla"
Proposed Methylated-Substrate Niche Partitioning
NICHE_PARTITIONINGHYPOTHESIZED/PARTIAL: metabolite detection and differing methyltransferase expression led the authors to propose methylated-substrate niche partitioning in the fen. Retain this source proposal, not demonstrated substrate uptake, reduced competition or an established bog-and-fen partitioning mechanism.
Participating Taxa: Stordalen Mire methanogenic archaea
Metabolites: methanol (CHEBI:17790 · MediaIngredientMech · CMMMech)
HYPOTHESIZED/PARTIAL: differing inferred substrate preferences could support co-occurring methylotrophic pathways among fen methanogens. The expression and metabolite evidence motivates this existing direction but does not isolate niche partitioning as its cause, measure substrate-specific flux or demonstrate reduced competition.
Evidence
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PMID:38063415 - SUPPORT (COMPUTATIONAL)"Metabolomic analyses revealed the presence of diverse methylated compounds in the Mire"
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PMID:38063415 - PARTIAL (COMPUTATIONAL)"Our expression data also hint at methylotrophic niche partitioning that may occur in the fen"
Thaw-Stage Methylotrophic Expression Patterns
Field omics support bacterial methylotrophic expression in palsa and both bacterial and methanogenic methylotrophic expression in bog and fen. This is a habitat-associated expression pattern, not measured pathway-specific production rates or evidence that the pattern itself causes the same activities. No niche-partitioning classification is assigned to this gradient observation.
Evidence
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PMID:38063415 - SUPPORT (COMPUTATIONAL)"the most frozen non-methanogenic palsa found to host bacterial methylotrophy"
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PMID:38063415 - SUPPORT (COMPUTATIONAL)"partially thawed bog and fully thawed fen seen to house both methanogenic and bacterial methylotrophic activities"
Knowledge gaps & discussions (1)
KNOWLEDGE_GAP OPEN How much methane is attributable to each inferred pathway, and which proposed transfers are demonstrated?
Preserve genomic, transcript and metabolite observations and the qualified fen niche proposal. The source assigns acetate to acetoclastic methanogenesis, not the methylotrophic target of the removed arrow. Neither omics co-occurrence nor the broad 2018 catalog establishes product-removal feedback or traced partner exchange. Habitat patterns remain observations without redundant arrows. Quantitative pathway contribution remains a stated source gap.
Attaches to: ecological_interactions#Methanogenic Methylotrophic Potential and Expression, ecological_interactions#Bacterial Anaerobic Methylotrophic Potential and Expression, ecological_interactions#Proposed Methylated-Substrate Niche Partitioning, ecological_interactions#Thaw-Stage Methylotrophic Expression Patterns
2 evidence item(s)
which are substrates for acetoclastic and hydrogenotrophic methanogens, respectively.
In the preceding source sentence these substrates are acetate and carbon dioxide, respectively; this bounds the removed route claim.
experimentation is needed to resolve the question of the comparative kinetics of
The source explicitly identifies unresolved pathway kinetics and production contributions.
External Resources
| Name | Repository | Resource ID |
|---|---|---|
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Primary publication for Stordalen Mire methylotrophic methanogenesis
PubMed record for the mSystems paper reporting genome-resolved multi-omics of methylotrophic methanogenesis and bacterial methylotrophy in Stordalen Mire. |
OTHER | PMID:38063415 |
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DOI landing page
DOI for the mSystems publication on methylotrophic methane production in Stordalen Mire. |
OTHER | doi:10.1128/msystems.00698-23 |
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DOE OSTI record
DOE PAGES/OSTI record listing PNNL EMSL, USDOE JGI, and BER support for the Stordalen Mire methylotrophy study. |
OTHER | OSTI:2377155 |
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Environmental Factors
| Factor | Value | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| Permafrost thaw stage | palsa, bog, and fen thaw-gradient habitats | N/A |
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| Methylated compounds | diverse methylated compounds, including known methylotrophic substrates | N/A |
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| Methane emissions | wetland methane emissions under climate change | N/A |
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