Methylobacterium
Methylobacterium is a genus of bacteria, also designated as Pink-Pigmented Facultative Methylotrophs. Methylobacterium is commonly found in soil, water, and particularly in association with the phyllosphere, the aerial part of plants. Methylobacterium is characterized by its ability to metabolize one-carbon compounds like methanol released by plant leaves. Methylobacterium plays key roles in nutrient cycling and plant-microbe interactions, often promoting plant growth and resilience through hormone production and stress mitigation. Methylobacterium is a model in biotechnology, already used commercially for protein production, bioremediation, and as a biostimulant in agriculture.
Methylobacterium has also been identified as a contaminant of DNA extraction kit reagents, which may lead to its erroneous appearance in microbiota or metagenomic datasets. In March 2021, a new species, named Methylobacterium ajmalii, associated with three new strains, designated IF7SW-B2T, IIF1SW-B5, and IIF4SW-B5, were reported to have been discovered, for the first time, on the International Space Station.
Debate on ''Methylobacterium'' taxonomy
In 2018, 11 Methylobacterium species, including Methylobacterium extorquens, were transferred to Methylorubrum. This emendation mostly relied on the 16S rRNA gene phylogeny. In 2021 and 2022, two studies based on phylogenomic and phenotypic data independently pointed the lack of support for Methylorubrum as a distinct genus, calling for its abandonment and the reinstatement of the former Methylobacterium taxonomy. In 2025, despite controversy, and its emendation back to the original Methylobacterium taxonomy, Methylorubrum was still a valid genus name in some databases like NCBI and in the List of Prokaryotic names with Standing in Nomenclature.Natural genetic transformation
Natural genetic transformation in bacteria is a process involving transfer of DNA from one cell to another through the intervening medium, and the integration of the donor sequence into the recipient genome by homologous recombination. Methylobacterium organophilum cells are able to undergo genetic transformation and become competent for DNA uptake near the end of the exponential growth phase.Species
Methylobacterium comprises the following species :Methylobacterium adhaesivum Gallego et al. 2006Methylobacterium aerolatum Weon et al. 2008Methylobacterium ajmalii Bijlani et al. 2021,Methylobacterium aquaticum Gallego et al. 2005Methylobacterium brachiatum Kato et al. 2008Methylobacterium brachythecii Tani and Sahin 2013Methylobacterium bullatum Hoppe et al. 2012Methylobacterium cerastii Wellner et al. 2012Methylobacterium crusticola Jia et al. 2020Methylobacterium currus Park et al. 2018Methylobacterium dankookense Lee et al. 2013Methylobacterium durans Kim et al. 2020Methylobacterium frigidaeris Lee and Jeon 2018Methylobacterium fujisawaense Green et al. 1988- "Methylobacterium funariae" Schauer and Kutschera 2011Methylobacterium gnaphalii Tani et al. 2012Methylobacterium goesingense Idris et al. 2012Methylobacterium gossipiicola Madhaiyan et al. 2012Methylobacterium gregans Kato et al. 2008Methylobacterium haplocladii Tani and Sahin 2013Methylobacterium hispanicum Gallego et al. 2005
- "Methylobacterium indicum" Chaudhry et al. 2016Methylobacterium iners Weon et al. 2008Methylobacterium isbiliense Gallego et al. 2005Methylobacterium jeotgali Aslam et al. 2007Methylobacterium komagatae Kato et al. 2008Methylobacterium longum Knief et al. 2012Methylobacterium marchantiae Schauer et al. 2011Methylobacterium mesophilicum Green and Bousfield 1983Methylobacterium nodulans Jourand et al. 2004Methylobacterium nonmethylotrophicum Feng et al. 2020Methylobacterium organophilum Patt et al. 1976 Methylobacterium oryzae Madhaiyan et al. 2007Methylobacterium oryzihabitans Chen et al. 2019Methylobacterium oxalidis Tani et al. 2012Methylobacterium persicinum Kato et al. 2008Methylobacterium phyllosphaerae Madhaiyan et al. 2009Methylobacterium phyllostachyos Madhaiyan and Poonguzhali 2014
- "Methylobacterium planium" Jiang et al. 2020Methylobacterium platani Kang et al. 2007Methylobacterium pseudosasicola Madhaiyan and Poonguzhali 2014Methylobacterium radiotolerans corrig. Green and Bousfield 1983Methylobacterium segetis Ten et al. 2020Methylobacterium soli Cao et al. 2013Methylobacterium symbioticum Pascual et al. 2021Methylobacterium tardum Kato et al. 2008Methylobacterium tarhaniae Veyisoglu et al. 2013
- "Methylobacterium terrae" Kim et al. 2019Methylobacterium terricola Kim et al. 2020Methylobacterium thuringiense Wellner et al. 2013Methylobacterium trifolii Wellner et al. 2013Methylobacterium variabile Gallego et al. 2005