Gene expression analysis of anaerobic syntrophic cocultures grown on formate.

In methanogenic ecosystems, bacteria and methanogens cooperatively degrade organic compounds by syntrophic interaction mainly mediated by molecular hydrogen and acetate. Previous studies have reported such syntropy involving hydrogenotrophic and aceticlastic methanogens. However, the contribution of methylotrophic methanogens to syntrophic organics degradation remains unknown. In this study, we perform the transcriptome analysis of mono- and co-culture of two prokaryotes: a formate utilizer, Zhaonella formicivorans and a methylotrophic methanogen, Methermicoccus shengliensis, using formate as the substrate to elucidate their syntrophic metabolism.