High-throughput RNA sequencing of methanosarcina grown on methylated sulfur compounds

Methylated sulfur compounds, including dimethylsulfide (DMS), methylmercaptopropionic acid (MMPA) and methylsulfide (MeSH), are well-documented to play roles in global sulfur cycle and climate homeostasis, yet the molecular mechanisms of how they are metabolized by methanogens remain largely uncharacterized. Here, using high-throughtput sequencing of RNA (RNA-seq), we gained insight into how methanogens respond to methylated sulfur compounds at the transcriptional level. Overall design: The mRNA from wild-type of Methanosarcina acetivorans C2A grown on methylated sulfur compounds were harvested, sequenced and mapped to the genome. Then, we compared RNA-seq profiles to that grown on MeOH in search of unque genes.