Ecology of methyl-coenzyme M reductase encoding Thermoproteota

Abstract

The recent demonstration that members of at least three classes of archaea affiliated with the Thermoproteota superphylum are involved in the production of the climate-active gas methane has sparked discussions into how well we understand the diversity of methanogens. Here we show that members of all three of these lineages, as well as several other, yet uncultured and physiologically uncharacterized groups within the Thermoproteota that encode the key enzyme of anaerobic methane cycling, methyl-coenzyme M reductase (MCR), are widely distributed in anoxic ecosystems. We postulate that the taxonomic, metabolic, and ecological diversity of MCR-encoding Thermoproteota is poorly understood, and that the contribution of methylotrophic and thermoproteotal methanogenesis to methane production is largely unknown. We hypothesize that thermoproteotal methanogens contribute, potentially substantially, to methane emissions in many anoxic environments that harbor methylated precursors, including wetlands, sediments, peat, rice paddies, wastewater sludge, and geothermal systems. We highlight the necessity to experimentally test the (eco)physiology of these widely distributed archaea using both culture-dependent (in vitro) and culture-independent (in situ) approaches to assess their potential contribution to methane emissions. Last, we stress the importance of remaining agnostic about the physiology of MCR-encoding Thermoproteota in the absence of experimental data because most of these archaea also carry the genetic potential to grow non-methanogenically.