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Encyclopedia of Metagenomics pp 1–4Cite as

Methanogenic Archaea in the Human Microbiome

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Synonyms

Methanogens

Definition

Methanogenic archaea are obligate anaerobic archaea that produce methane as a metabolic by-product in anoxic conditions. Methanogens are usually coccoid (spherical) or bacilli (rod shaped). There are over 50 described species of methanogens, and they do not form a monophyletic group. There are three main metabolisms of methanogenesis: (1) acetate reduction, (2) methanol or methylamine reduction, and (3) H2 oxidation and CO2 reduction. In the human gut, methanogenic archaea rely on methanol and H2/CO2 metabolisms.

Introduction

The human digestive tract contains variable amounts of gases, of which only H2 and CH4 are produced by microorganisms. Methane is mainly produced in the colon and is evacuated in flatus and breath through blood circulation. However, CH4 production varies significantly between individuals as not everyone will have detectable CH4 (>1 ppm) in their breath. Methane production is dependent on fermentative production of H2, which...

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References

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Food Science, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, USA

    Franck Carbonero

  2. Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, University of Illinois Cancer Center, 1207 W. Gregory Drive, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA

    H. Rex Gaskins

Authors
  1. Franck Carbonero
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  2. H. Rex Gaskins
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Franck Carbonero .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. J. Craig Venter Institute (JCVI), Rockville, Maryland, USA

    Karen E. Nelson

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Carbonero, F., Gaskins, H.R. (2013). Methanogenic Archaea in the Human Microbiome. In: Nelson, K. (eds) Encyclopedia of Metagenomics. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6418-1_755-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6418-1_755-2

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4614-6418-1

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference Biomedicine and Life SciencesReference Module Biomedical and Life Sciences

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