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J. Bacteriol. doi:10.1128/JB.01382-07
Copyright (c) 2007, American Society for Microbiology and/or the Listed Authors/Institutions. All Rights Reserved.

Evolution of Acetoclastic Methanogenesis in Methanosarcina via Horizontal Gene Transfer from Cellulolytic Clostridia

Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut 06269-31258, USA

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed. Email: gogarten{at}uconn.edu.

	Abstract

Phylogenetic analysis confirms that two genes required for acetoclastic methanogenesis, ackA and pta, were horizontally transferred to the ancestor of Methanosarcina from a derived cellulolytic organism within the class Clostridia. This event likely occurred within the last 475 million years, causing profound changes in planetary methane biogeochemistry.