Methanobrevibacter Smithii
A Microbial Biorealm page on the genus Methanobrevibacter Smithii
Classification
Archaea; Euryarchaeota; Methanobacteria; Methanobacteriales; Methanobacteriaceae; Methanobrevibacter
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NCBI: Taxonomy |
Description and significance
Methanobrevibacter smithii is a methanogenic Euryarchaeote. It makes up 10% of all anaerobes in the colons of healthy adults, making it the dominant archaeon in the human gut ecosystem. Metagenomic studies compared gut microbial communities of genetically obese mice with lean mice and found that obese mice contain a higher representation of genes involved in polysaccharide degradation and have more archaea. Methanobrevibacter smithii affects specificity and efficiency of bacterial digestion of dietary polysaccharides, influencing the person’s calorie harvest and body fat. This suggests that Methanobrevibacter smithii may be a therapeutic target for reducing energy harvest in obese humans (3).
Genome structure
Describe the size and content of the genome. How many chromosomes and plasmids? Circular or linear? Other interesting features? What is known about its sequence?
Cell structure, metabolism & life cycle
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Ecology (including pathogenesis)
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Interesting feature
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