The Methylococcaceae are a family of

bacteria Bacteria (; singular: bacterium) are ubiquitous, mostly free-living organisms often consisting of one biological cell. They constitute a large domain of prokaryotic microorganisms. Typically a few micrometres in length, bacteria were am ...

that obtain their

carbon Carbon () is a chemical element with the symbol C and atomic number 6. It is nonmetallic and tetravalent—its atom making four electrons available to form covalent chemical bonds. It belongs to group 14 of the periodic table. Carbon ma ...

and energy from

methane Methane ( , ) is a chemical compound with the chemical formula (one carbon atom bonded to four hydrogen atoms). It is a group-14 hydride, the simplest alkane, and the main constituent of natural gas. The relative abundance of methane ...

, called methanotrophs.. They comprise the type I methanotrophs, in contrast to the

Methylocystaceae The Methylocystaceae are a family of bacteria that are capable of obtaining carbon and energy from methane. Such bacteria are called methanotrophs, and in particular the Methylocystaceae comprise the type II methanotrophs, which are structura ...

or type II methanotrophs. They belong to

Gammaproteobacteria Gammaproteobacteria is a class of bacteria in the phylum Pseudomonadota (synonym Proteobacteria). It contains about 250 genera, which makes it the most genera-rich taxon of the Prokaryotes. Several medically, ecologically, and scientifically imp ...

, and are typically given their own

order Order, ORDER or Orders may refer to: * Categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated, and understood * Heterarchy, a system of organization wherein the elements have the potential to be ranked a number of ...

. The Methylococcaceae have internal membranes in the form of flattened discs, perpendicular to the

cell wall A cell wall is a structural layer surrounding some types of cells, just outside the cell membrane. It can be tough, flexible, and sometimes rigid. It provides the cell with both structural support and protection, and also acts as a filtering mec ...

. Methane is oxidized to give

formaldehyde Formaldehyde ( , ) ( systematic name methanal) is a naturally occurring organic compound with the formula and structure . The pure compound is a pungent, colourless gas that polymerises spontaneously into paraformaldehyde (refer to section ...

, which is fixed by a process called the ribulose monophosphate (RuMP) cycle. Here

is combined with sugar ribulose, producing hexulose. This, in turn, is broken down to produce

glyceraldehyde Glyceraldehyde (glyceral) is a triose monosaccharide with chemical formula C3 H6 O3. It is the simplest of all common aldoses. It is a sweet, colorless, crystalline solid that is an intermediate compound in carbohydrate metabolism. The word comes ...

, which is used to produce new ribulose and other organic compounds.

Catabolism Catabolism () is the set of metabolic pathways that breaks down molecules into smaller units that are either oxidized to release energy or used in other anabolic reactions. Catabolism breaks down large molecules (such as polysaccharides, li ...

does not involve a complete

citric acid cycle The citric acid cycle (CAC)—also known as the Krebs cycle or the TCA cycle (tricarboxylic acid cycle)—is a series of chemical reactions to release stored energy through the oxidation of acetyl-CoA derived from carbohydrates, fats, and prot ...

.George M. Garrity: ''

Bergey's Manual of Systematic Bacteriology ''Bergey's Manual of Systematic Bacteriology'' is the main resource for determining the identity of prokaryotic organisms, emphasizing bacterial species, using every characterizing aspect. The manual was published subsequent to the ''Bergey's Manu ...

''. 2. Auflage. Springer, New York, 2005, Volume 2: ''The Proteobacteria, Part B: The Gammaproteobacteria'' Some species of the Methylococcaceae have formed with certain marine mussels endosymbiotic relationships.

References

External links

Methylococcaceae
J.P. Euzéby: List of Prokaryotic names with Standing in Nomenclature Gammaproteobacteria {{gammaproteobacteria-stub