Analysis of methanotroph community structure using a pmoA-based microarray.

The analysis of methanotroph community composition is relevant to studies of methane oxidation in a number of environments where methane is a significant carbon source. The development and application of a microarray targeting the particulate methane monooxygenase gene (pmoA) have allowed a high-throughput, semiquantitative analysis of the major methanotroph groups in a number of different environments. Here we describe the use of a pmoA-based short oligo array for the analysis of methanotroph populations in sediment samples. The method is suitable for analysis of any type of environmental sample from which DNA can be extracted.