Cultivated methanotrophs associated with rhizospheres of traditional rice landraces from Western India belong to Methylocaldum and Methylocystis.

Aerobic methanotrophs associated with Indian rice plants have rarely been cultivated. In the present study, we cultured aerobic methanotrophic bacteria from the rhizosphere regions of rice plants. Rhizospheric soils from seven rice landraces traditionally grown and maintained by tribal people in Jawhar region belonging to part of the Western Ghats in India, were used. Seven methanotrophic cultures were isolated from the last positive dilution (10- 4). Methanotrophs were identified by analyzing the partial methane monooxygenase gene, pmoA gene and three of these belonged to the genus Methylocaldum (gammaproteobacterial, Type I methanotrophs) and four belonged to the genus Methylocystis (alphaproteobacterial, Type II methanotrophs). We present here the first report on the cultivation of methanotrophs from Indian traditional rice landraces originating from a biodiversity hotspot.