Genetic and metabolic engineering of Methanococcus spp

Abstract

Methanococcus is a genus of well-characterized mesophilic and hydrogenotrophic methanogens with a robust genetic system. Commonly found in tidal marshes, they compete with sulfate- and iron-reducing bacteria for hydrogen gas (H2) and formate, their two major energy sources. They are characterized by rapid growth in mineral medium and requirements for marine levels of salts for optimal growth. Genetic tools developed over the last twenty years include improvements in shuttle vectors for production of recombinant proteins and CRISPR systems for mutagenesis as well as a variety of marker proteins for studies of gene expression. These tools have enabled functional characterization of the genome, including regulation of the transcriptome and proteome, mapping of transcription start and termination sites, and identification of essential genes. Metabolic and gene regulatory network models have been created. This foundation in the basic biology of Methanococcus provides an opportunity for development of biotechnological applications of these hydrogenotrophic methanogens.