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. 1988 Dec;54(12):3039–3042. doi: 10.1128/aem.54.12.3039-3042.1988

Pressure and Temperature Effects on Growth and Methane Production of the Extreme Thermophile Methanococcus jannaschii

Jay F Miller 1, Nilesh N Shah 1, Chad M Nelson 1, Jan M Ludlow 1, Douglas S Clark 1,*
PMCID: PMC204424  PMID: 16347794

Abstract

The marine archaebacterium Methanococcus jannaschii was studied at high temperatures and hyperbaric pressures of helium to investigate the effect of pressure on the behavior of a deep-sea thermophile. Methanogenesis and growth (as measured by protein production) at both 86 and 90°C were accelerated by pressure up to 750 atm (1 atm = 101.29kPa), but growth was not observed above 90°C at either 7.8 or 250 atm. However, growth and methanogenesis were uncoupled above 90°C, and the high-temperature limit for methanogenesis was increased by pressure. Substantial methane formation was evident at 98°C and 250 atm, whereas no methane formation was observed at 94°C and 7.8 atm. In contrast, when argon was substituted for helium as the pressurizing gas at 250 atm, no methane was produced at 86°C. Methanogenesis was also suppressed at 86°C and 250 atm when the culture was pressurized with a 4:1 mix of H2 and CO2, although limited methanogenesis did occur when the culture was pressurized with H2.

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Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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