A pmoA-based study reveals dominance of yet uncultured Type I methanotrophs in rhizospheres of an organically fertilized rice field in India

• DOI: 10.1007/s13205-016-0453-3
• Publication Date: 2016-06-16T13:41:27Z
• Authors: Pranitha S. Pandit; Dilip R. Ranade; Prashant K. Dhake...; Monali C. Rahalkar
• Keywords: Dominance (genetics); Paddy field

Rice fields are one of the important sources anthropogenic methane. Methanotrophs can oxidize up to 30 % produced methane and thus have a pivotal environmental role in mitigation. India occupies largest region under rice cultivation; however, most studies done on methanotrophic communities focused Northern region. We studied community flooded, organically fertilized field using pmoA clone library approach. Organic impose more serious threat as they produce gene is main functional which primarily used for taxonomical analysis methanotrophs. Our results showed that libraries from two growth stages were dominated by sequences very distant cultivated Type Ia genera (80–82 nucleotide similarity) indicative presence putatively novel genus. designated this group clones 'rice clones' also includes many originating other fields. Thus, our current knowledge methanotroph diversity Indian has been expanded revealing substantial portion unexplored.