The cutC and cutD genes clustered with genes that encode structural components of bacterial microcompartment proteins.

Screens of metagenomic data using the protein domains of choline trimethylamine lyase (CutC), and activator protein (CutD) found good matches only to Olsenella umbonata and to Caecibacter, while the Hungate1000 genomes and metagenome assembled genomes from the cattle rumen found bacteria within the phyla Actinobacteria, Firmicutes and Proteobacteria. We also describe the enrichment of pectin-degrading and methane-forming microbes from sheep rumen contents and the analysis of their genomes via metagenomic assembly. We have screened rumen metagenomic and metatranscriptomic datasets, metagenome assembled genomes, and the Hungate1000 genomes to identify organisms capable of producing methyl-compounds. Methylamines are produced from plant phosphatidylcholine degradation, by choline trimethylamine lyase, while methanol comes from demethoxylation of dietary pectins via pectin methylesterase activity. Digestive processes in the rumen lead to the release of methyl-compounds, mainly methanol and methylamines, which are used by methyltrophic methanogens to form methane, an important agricultural greenhouse gas.

Hunsn rm02