science

Methylorubrum extorquens

Methylorubrum extorquens is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Methylorubrum extorquens rather than just read about it. In short: Methylorubrum extorquens (Methylobacterium extorquens, see below) is a species of Gram-negative bacterium from the family Methylobacteriaceae. Methylorubrum species often appear pink, and are classified as pink-pigmented facultative methylotrophs, or PPFMs.

Key takeaways

Methylorubrum extorquens belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Methylorubrum extorquens to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Methylorubrum extorquens from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Methylorubrum extorquens (Methylobacterium extorquens, see below) is a species of Gram-negative bacterium from the family Methylobacteriaceae. Methylorubrum species often appear pink, and are classified as pink-pigmented facultative methylotrophs, or PPFMs. The wild type has been known to use both methane and multiple carbon compounds as energy sources. Specifically, M. extorquens has been observed to use primarily methanol and C1 compounds as substrates in their energy cycles. It has been also observed to use lanthanides as a cofactor to increase its methanol dehydrogenase activity

Nomenclature As described on the Methylobacterium page, M. extorquens and all other Methylorubrum have been reclassified as Methylobacterium. This reclassification was based upon phylogenomics, gene content, synteny, and lack of distinguishing phenotypes.

Genetic structure After isolation from soil, M. extorquens TK 001 was found to have a single chromosome measuring 5.71-Mb. The bacterium itself contains 70 genes over eight regions of the chromosome that are used for its metabolism of methanol. M. extorquens AM1 contains two xoxF genes that enable it to grow on methanol with lanthanides as a cofactor. On the other hand, the mxa gene cluster encodes the classical calcium-dependent methanol dehydrogenase. M. extorquens AM1 genome encodes a 47.5 kb gene of unknown function. This gene encodes an over 15,000 residue-long polypeptide along with three unique compounds that are not expressed.

Chemical use Methylorubrum extorquens uses primarily C1 and C2 compounds to grow. Utilizing compounds with few carbon-carbon bonds allows the bacterium to successfully grow in environments with methanol, such as on the surface of leaves whose stomata emit methanol. The ability to use methanol as both a carbon and energy source was show to be advantageous when colonizing Medicago truncatula. H4MPT-dependent formaldehyde oxidation was first isolated in M. extroquens AM1 and has been used to define if an organism is utilizing methylotrophic metabolism.

Relationships with other organisms Many bacteria within the family Methylobacteriaceae live in different biotic environments such as soils, dust, and plant leaves. Some of these bacteria have been found in symbiotic relationships with the plants they inhabit in which they provide fixed nitrogen or produce vitamin B12. M. extorquens also produces PhyR which plants use to regulate stress response, allowing the plant to survive in different conditions. In addition to PhyR, the bacterium can produce a hormone related to overall plant and root growth. M. extorquens has been found to have a mutualistic relationship with strawberries. Ultimately, M. extorquens is used to oxidize 1,2-propanediol to lactaldehyde, which is later used in chemical reactions. If introduced to blooming plants, furaneol production increases, changing the way the strawberry tastes.

Pathogenesis Methylobacterium extorquens is considered to have low virulence properties in humans. The species is occasionally isolated from sterile body sites and attributed to healthcare associated infections.

See also Methylacidiphilum fumariolicum Methylobacterium radiotolerans

References

External links Methylorubrum J.P. Euzéby: List of Prokaryotic names with Standing in Nomenclature Methylobacterium extorquens NCBI Type strain of Methylobacterium extorquens at BacDive - the Bacterial Diversity Metadatabase

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Methylorubrum extorquens

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Methylorubrum extorquens claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Methylorubrum extorquens before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Methylorubrum extorquens ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Methylorubrum extorquens

In research: Methylorubrum extorquens appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Methylorubrum extorquens in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Methylorubrum extorquens is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Bacteria described in 1985, Formatotrophs, Gram-negative bacteria, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Methylorubrum extorquens outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

Ask Teacher Smith questions about this articleOpens your AI tutor with a question about “Methylorubrum extorquens” →

Affiliate

Preply — study more efficiently by working with a personal tutor. 50% off.

How to study Methylorubrum extorquens in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Methylorubrum extorquens means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Methylorubrum extorquens out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Methylorubrum extorquens in simple terms?

Why does Methylorubrum extorquens matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Methylorubrum extorquens?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Methylorubrum extorquens.