Methanosarcinales is anorder ofArchaea in the classMethanomicrobia, phylumMethanobacteriota.[1] The orderMethanosarcinales contains bothmethanogenic andmethanotrophic lineages, although the latter have so far no pure culture representatives.[2] Methanotrophic lineages of the orderMethanosarcinales were initially abbreviated as ANME (anaerobicmethanotrophs) to distinguich from aerobic methanotrophic bacteria. Currently, those lineages receive their own names such as Ca. Methanoperedens, Ca. Methanocomedens (ANME-2a), Ca.Methanomarinus (ANME-2b), Ca. Methanogaster (ANME-2c), Ca. Methanovorans (ANME-3).[3] The order contains archaeon with one of the largest genome,Methanosarcina acetivorans C2A, genome size 5,75 Mbp.[4]
The organisms placed within the order can be found in freshwater, saltwater, salt-rich sediments, anaerobic digestors, and animal digestive systems. The order consist of mesophiles or moderately thermophillic, neutrophilic or alkaliphilic species with some able to grow at high salt concentrations (generaMethanohalobium,Methanohalophilus, andMethanosalsum).[5][6] Most of the species in the order were isolated or detected in marine and freshwater sediments, soil with only a few specialized lineages adapted to the digestive tract of animals - generaMethanimicrococcus,Methanolapillus, andCa. Methanofrustulum that can be found in termites/cockroaches, millipedes, and ruminants, respectively.[7][8]
Most cells havecell walls that lackpeptidoglycan andpseudomurein with notable presence of methanochondroitin inMethanosarcina genus.[9] As all other methanogens,Methanosarcinales representatives are strictly anaerobic and utilizemethanogenesis pathway as the only path forATP production. However, besides common among other methanogens substrates H2/CO2, Methanosarcinales characterized by the ability to utilize acetate (aceticlastic methanogenesis), methylated compounds such as methanol or methnylamines (methylotrophic methanogenesis), or even methoxyalted aromatic compounds (methoxydotrophic methanogenesis).[10][11]
Grant WD; Kamekura M; McGenity TJ; Ventosa A (2001)."Class III. Halobacteria class. nov.". In DR Boone; RW Castenholz (eds.).Bergey's Manual of Systematic Bacteriology Volume 1: The Archaea and the deeply branching and phototrophic Bacteria (2nd ed.). New York: Springer Verlag. pp. 169.ISBN978-0-387-98771-2.
Garrity GM; Bell JA; Lilburn TG (2004). "Taxonomic Outline of the Prokaryotes".Bergey's Manual of Systematic Bacteriology, release 4.0 (2nd ed.). New York: Springer Verlag.doi:10.1007/bergeysoutline200310 (inactive 12 July 2025).{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: DOI inactive as of July 2025 (link)Version 5.0.
