Structure and functions of a methanotrophic microbial food chain

在湿地稻田中，甲烷氧化活跃在缺氧-缺氧边界层，对控制甲烷向大气排放起着至关重要的作用。利用稳定同位素探针法进行的研究表明，土壤原生动物立即对甲烷营养生物量进行了放牧。土壤原生动物，包括从稻田土壤中分离的新型阿米巴，以优先选择某一类群的甲烷营养细菌为食。我们的结果表明，原生动物是控制甲烷营养生物量的最重要的生物因素之一。

In a wetland rice field, methane oxidation is active at the oxic-anoxic boundary layer, which plays a crucial role controlling methane emission to the atmosphere. The present study using stable isotope probing approach demonstrated that methanotrophic biomass is immediately grazed by soil protozoa. Soil protozoa including novel amoeba isolated from a rice field soil grazed on methanotrophic bacteria with preferential selection on a certain group. Our results suggested that protozoa is one of the most important biological factors controlling methanotrophic biomass.