Arsenate reduction coupled to anaerobic oxidation of methane by members of the Methanoperedenaceae.

Members of Ca. Methanoperedenaceae can couple anaerobic oxidation of methane to arsenate reduction, with Ca. M. nitroreducens directly responsible, confirmed by enrichment cultures.

• Why it matters: Understanding microbial processes that link methane oxidation to arsenic mobilization is crucial for managing methane emissions and arsenic contamination in freshwater environments.
• What they did: Researchers used enrichment cultures of Ca. M. nitroreducens and meta-omics to demonstrate stoichiometric coupling of arsenate reduction to methane oxidation, with arsenate oxidoreductases encoded and upregulated by this species.
• The result: This work reveals a microbial mechanism for arsenic mobilization in freshwater systems, with implications for climate change and public health management.