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In Vitro Studies on Methanogenic Rumen Bacteria

Laboratory of Bacteriology, Department of Dairy Science, University of Illinois, Urbana

ABSTRACT

Large quantities of methane are produced in the forestomach of the ruminant, but few data are available on rumen methane-producing bacteria. Methane bacteria from mud and sewage have been studied extensively (5, 12). Some of the substrates utilized by bacteria from the latter sources for methane production are also the products of carbohydrate dissimilation in the rumen. They include volatile fatty acids (14) and hydrogen and carbon dioxide (10). Low molecular weight alcohols (2) and carbon monoxide (7) also serve as substrates. Some higher fatty acids, carbohydrates, and other compounds such as succinic acid (5) are utilized for methane production by impure sewage cultures. Carbohydrates do not serve as substrates for those methane bacteria which have been studied in pure culture (2, 13, 16). In addition to the substrate limitations of the methane bacteria as a group, the individual species exhibit a rather high degree of substrate specificity. Indeed, some species characteristically may be restricted to the utilization of one or two compounds (15).

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