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Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America logoLink to Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
. 1979 Jan;76(1):494–498. doi: 10.1073/pnas.76.1.494

Utilization of trimethylamine and other N-methyl compounds for growth and methane formation by Methanosarcina barkeri.

H Hippe, D Caspari, K Fiebig, G Gottschalk
PMCID: PMC382968  PMID: 284366

Abstract

A number of N-methyl compounds, including several methylamines, creatine, sarcosine, choline, and betaine, were readily fermented by enrichment cultures yielding methane as a major product. Methylamine, dimethylamine, trimethylamine, and ethyldimethylamine were fermented by pure cultures of Methanosarcina barkeri; except for ethyldimethylamine, these amines are considered important substrates of this methanogenic microorganism. Creatine, sarcosine, choline, and betaine were fermented to methane only by mixed cultures. During growth of M. barkeri on methyl-, dimethyl-, or trimethylamine, methanol was not excreted into the medium. The fermentation of trimethylamine gave rise to an intermediary accumulation of methyl- and dimethylamine in the medium. An accumulation of methylamine during the fermentation of dimethylamine was not observed. Methane and ammonia were produced from the three methylamines by M. barkeri in amounts expected on the basis of the appropriate fermentation equations. The growth yield was 5.8 mg of cells (dry weight) per mmol of methane and was not dependent on the kind of methyl compound used as substrate.

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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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