''Methylobacterium'' is a genus of bacteria, also designated as Pink-Pigmented Facultative Methylotrophs (PPFMs). ''Methylobacterium'' is commonly found in soil, water, and particularly in association with the phyllosphere, the aerial part of plants. ''Methylobacterium'' is characterized by its ability to metabolize one-carbon compounds like methanol released by plant leaves. ''Methylobacterium'' plays key roles in nutrient cycling and plant-microbe interactions, often promoting plant growth and resilience through hormone production and stress mitigation. ''Methylobacterium'' is a model in biotechnology, already used commercially for protein production, bioremediation, and as a biostimulant in agriculture. ''Methylobacterium'' has also been identified as a contaminant of DNA extraction kit reagents, which may lead to its erroneous appearance in microbiota or metagenomic datasets. In March 2021, a new species, named '' Methylobacterium ajmalii'',

LPSN List of Prokaryotic names with Standing in Nomenclature (LPSN) is an online database that maintains information on the naming and taxonomy image:Hierarchical clustering diagram.png, 280px, Generalized scheme of taxonomy Taxonomy is a practi ...

Species ''Methylobacterium ajmalii''
Bijlani ''et al''. 2021 associated with three new strains, designated IF7SW-B2^T, IIF1SW-B5, and IIF4SW-B5, were reported to have been discovered, for the first time, on the

International Space Station The International Space Station (ISS) is a large space station that was Assembly of the International Space Station, assembled and is maintained in low Earth orbit by a collaboration of five space agencies and their contractors: NASA (United ...

Debate on ''Methylobacterium'' taxonomy

In 2018, 11 ''Methylobacterium'' species, including '' Methylobacterium extorquens'', were transferred to '' Methylorubrum''. This emendation mostly relied on the

16S rRNA gene 16S ribosomal RNA (or 16 S rRNA) is the RNA component of the 30S subunit of a prokaryotic ribosome (SSU rRNA). It binds to the Shine-Dalgarno sequence and provides most of the SSU structure. The genes coding for it are referred to as 16S rRN ...

phylogeny A phylogenetic tree or phylogeny is a graphical representation which shows the evolutionary history between a set of species or Taxon, taxa during a specific time.Felsenstein J. (2004). ''Inferring Phylogenies'' Sinauer Associates: Sunderland, M ...

. In 2021 and 2022, two studies based on

phylogenomic Phylogenomics is the intersection of the fields of evolution and genomics. The term has been used in multiple ways to refer to analysis that involves genome data and evolutionary reconstructions. It is a group of techniques within the larger fields ...

and

phenotypic In genetics, the phenotype () is the set of observable characteristics or traits of an organism. The term covers the organism's morphology (physical form and structure), its developmental processes, its biochemical and physiological propert ...

data independently pointed the lack of support for ''Methylorubrum'' as a distinct genus, calling for its abandonment and the reinstatement of the former ''Methylobacterium'' taxonomy. In 2025, despite controversy, and its emendation back to the original ''Methylobacterium'' taxonomy, ''Methylorubrum'' was still a valid genus name in some databases like

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and in the

List of Prokaryotic names with Standing in Nomenclature List of Prokaryotic names with Standing in Nomenclature (LPSN) is an online database that maintains information on the naming and taxonomy of prokaryotes, following the taxonomy requirements and rulings of the International Code of Nomenclatu ...

Natural genetic transformation

Natural genetic transformation in bacteria is a process involving transfer of DNA from one cell to another through the intervening medium, and the integration of the donor sequence into the recipient genome by

homologous recombination Homologous recombination is a type of genetic recombination in which genetic information is exchanged between two similar or identical molecules of double-stranded or single-stranded nucleic acids (usually DNA as in Cell (biology), cellular organi ...

. '' Methylobacterium organophilum'' cells are able to undergo genetic transformation and become competent for DNA uptake near the end of the exponential growth phase.

Species

''Methylobacterium'' comprises the following species (excluding species reclassified in '' Methylorubrum''): * '' Methylobacterium adhaesivum'' Gallego ''et al''. 2006 * '' Methylobacterium aerolatum'' Weon ''et al''. 2008 * '' Methylobacterium ajmalii'' Bijlani ''et al''. 2021, * '' Methylobacterium aquaticum'' Gallego ''et al''. 2005 * '' Methylobacterium brachiatum'' Kato ''et al''. 2008 * '' Methylobacterium brachythecii'' Tani and Sahin 2013 * '' Methylobacterium bullatum'' Hoppe ''et al''. 2012 * '' Methylobacterium cerastii'' Wellner ''et al''. 2012 * '' Methylobacterium crusticola'' Jia ''et al''. 2020 * '' Methylobacterium currus'' Park ''et al''. 2018 * '' Methylobacterium dankookense'' Lee ''et al''. 2013 * '' Methylobacterium durans'' Kim ''et al''. 2020 * '' Methylobacterium frigidaeris'' Lee and Jeon 2018 * '' Methylobacterium fujisawaense'' Green ''et al''. 1988 * "'' Methylobacterium funariae''" Schauer and Kutschera 2011 * '' Methylobacterium gnaphalii'' Tani ''et al''. 2012 * '' Methylobacterium goesingense'' Idris ''et al''. 2012 * '' Methylobacterium gossipiicola'' Madhaiyan ''et al''. 2012 * '' Methylobacterium gregans'' Kato ''et al''. 2008 * '' Methylobacterium haplocladii'' Tani and Sahin 2013 * '' Methylobacterium hispanicum'' Gallego ''et al''. 2005 * "'' Methylobacterium indicum''" Chaudhry ''et al''. 2016 * '' Methylobacterium iners'' Weon ''et al''. 2008 * '' Methylobacterium isbiliense'' Gallego ''et al''. 2005 * '' Methylobacterium jeotgali'' Aslam ''et al''. 2007 * '' Methylobacterium komagatae'' Kato ''et al''. 2008 * '' Methylobacterium longum'' Knief ''et al''. 2012 * '' Methylobacterium marchantiae'' Schauer ''et al''. 2011 * '' Methylobacterium mesophilicum'' (Austin and Goodfellow 1979) Green and Bousfield 1983 * '' Methylobacterium nodulans'' Jourand ''et al''. 2004 * '' Methylobacterium nonmethylotrophicum'' Feng ''et al''. 2020 * '' Methylobacterium organophilum'' Patt ''et al''. 1976 (Approved Lists 1980) * '' Methylobacterium oryzae'' Madhaiyan ''et al''. 2007 * '' Methylobacterium oryzihabitans'' Chen ''et al''. 2019 * '' Methylobacterium oxalidis'' Tani ''et al''. 2012 * '' Methylobacterium persicinum'' Kato ''et al''. 2008 * '' Methylobacterium phyllosphaerae'' Madhaiyan ''et al''. 2009 * '' Methylobacterium phyllostachyos'' Madhaiyan and Poonguzhali 2014 * "'' Methylobacterium planium''" Jiang ''et al''. 2020 * '' Methylobacterium platani'' Kang ''et al''. 2007 * '' Methylobacterium pseudosasicola'' Madhaiyan and Poonguzhali 2014 * '' Methylobacterium radiotolerans'' corrig. (Ito and Iizuka 1971) Green and Bousfield 1983 * '' Methylobacterium segetis'' Ten ''et al''. 2020 * '' Methylobacterium soli'' Cao ''et al''. 2013 * '' Methylobacterium symbioticum'' Pascual ''et al''. 2021 * '' Methylobacterium tardum'' Kato ''et al''. 2008 * '' Methylobacterium tarhaniae'' Veyisoglu ''et al''. 2013 * "'' Methylobacterium terrae''" Kim ''et al''. 2019 * '' Methylobacterium terricola'' Kim ''et al''. 2020 * '' Methylobacterium thuringiense'' Wellner ''et al''. 2013 * '' Methylobacterium trifolii'' Wellner ''et al''. 2013 * '' Methylobacterium variabile'' Gallego ''et al''. 2005

References

External links

MicrobeWiki
{{Authority control Hyphomicrobiales Bacteria genera