Characterization of the first rice paddy cluster I isolate, Methyloterricola oryzae gen. nov., sp. nov. and amended description of Methylomagnum ishizawai.

Three gammaproteobacterial methanotrophic strains (73aT, 175 and 114) were isolated from stems of rice plants. All strains are Gram-negative, motile and grow on methane or methanol as sole carbon sources. They oxidize methane using the particulate methane monooxygenase. Strains 114 and 175 possess additionally a soluble methane monooxygenase. All strains contain significant amounts of the cellular fatty acids C16 : 0, C16 : 1ω6c and C16 : 1ω7c, typical for type Ib methanotrophs. Characteristic for strains 114 and 175 are high amounts of C14 : 0 and C16 : 1ω6c , while strain 73aT contains high quantities of C16 : 1ω5c. 16S rRNA gene sequence analyses showed that strains 114 and 175 are most closely related to Methylomagnum ishizawai (≥99.6 % sequence identity). Strain 73aT is representing a new genus within the family Methylococcaceae, most closely related to Methylococcus capsulatus (94.3 % sequence identity). Phylogenetic analysis of the PmoA sequence indicates that strain 73aT represents rice paddy cluster I (RPCI), which has almost exclusively been detected in rice ecosystems. The G+C content of strain 73aT is 61.0 mol%, while strains 114 and 175 have a G+C content of 63.3 mol%. Strain 73aT (=LMG 29185T, =VKM B-2986T) represents the type strain of a novel species and genus, for which the name Methyloterricola oryzae gen. nov., sp. nov. is proposed and a description is provided. Strains 175 (=LMG 28717, VKM B-2989) and 114 are members of the species Methylomagnum ishizawai. This genus was so far only represented by one isolate, so an amended description of the species is given.