Name: Methanococcus Kluyver and van Niel 1936 (Approved Lists 1980)

Category: Genus

Proposed as: gen. nov.

Etymology: Me.tha.no.coc.cus. N.L. neut. n. methanum, methane; from French masc. n. méthyle; from Chem. neut. suff. -ane; N.L. pref. methano-, pertaining to methane; N.L. masc. n. coccus, coccus; from Gr. masc. n. kokkos, grain, seed; N.L. masc. n. Methanococcus, methane coccus

Gender: masculine (stem: Methanococc-)

Type species: Methanococcus vannielii Stadtman and Barker 1951 (Approved Lists 1980)

Conduct genome-based taxonomy of genus at TYGS

16S rRNA gene: Analyse FASTA

Effective publication: Kluyver AJ, van Niel CB. Prospects for a natural system of classification of bacteria. Zentralblatt fur Bakteriologie, Parasitenkunde, Infektionskrankheiten und Hygiene. Abteilung II. 1936; 94:369-403.

IJSEM list: Skerman VBD, McGowan V, Sneath PHA. Approved lists of bacterial names. Int J Syst Bacteriol 1980; 30:225-420.

Nomenclatural status: validly published under the ICNP

Taxonomic status: correct name

• Emendations:
  • Barker 1936 Barker HA. Studies upon the methane-producing bacteria. Archiv für Mikrobiologie 1936; 7:420-438. Skerman VBD, McGowan V, Sneath PHA. Approved lists of bacterial names. Int J Syst Bacteriol 1980; 30:225-420.
    Notes:
    • Emendation accompanied by the proposal of 1 new species in the genus.
  • Mah and Kuhn 1984 Mah RA, Kuhn DA. Transfer of the type species of the genus Methanococcus to the genus Methanosarcina naming it Methanosarcina mazei (Barker 1936) comb. nov. et emend. and conservation of the genus Methanococcus (Approved Lists, 1980) with Methanococcus vannielii (Approved Lists, 1980) as the type species. Request for an opinion. Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol. 1984; 34:263-265.
    Notes:
    • Emendation accompanied by the removal of 1 species from the genus.

• Notes:
  • Nomenclatural type of the family Methanococcaceae Balch and Wolfe 1981. Publication: Balch WE, Fox GE, Magrum LJ, Woese CR, Wolfe RS. Methanogens: reevaluation of a unique biological group. Microbiol Rev 1979; 43:260-296.
  • Nomenclatural type of the order Methanococcales Balch and Wolfe 1981. Publication: Balch WE, Fox GE, Magrum LJ, Woese CR, Wolfe RS. Methanogens: reevaluation of a unique biological group. Microbiol Rev 1979; 43:260-296.
  • Breed et al. (1957) assigned this genus to the family Micrococcaceae Pribram 1929 (Approved Lists 1980). Publication: Parker CD. Genus V. Thiobacillus Beijerinck 1904. In: Breed RS, Murray EGD, Smith NR (eds), Bergey's Manual of Determinative Bacteriology, 7th edition, The Williams & Wilkins Co, Baltimore, 1957, p. 83-88.
  • Kluyver and Van Niel (1936) assigned this genus to the tribe "Micrococceae". Publication: Kluyver AJ, Van Niel CB. Prospects for a natural system of classification of bacteria. Zentralblatt für Bakteriologie, Parasitenkunde, Infektionskrankheiten und Hygiene, Abteilung II 1936; 94:369-403.
  • This taxon name is occasionally misprinted in some sources as: "Hethanococcus"; "Melhanococcus"; "Methanacaccus"; "Methancoccus"; "Methanoccocus"; "Methanocoacus"; "Methanococeus"; "Methanocoecus"; "Methanocoeeus"; "Methanoeoccus"; "Methanoeoceus"; "Methanoeoecus"; "Methanoeoeeus"; "Methanoroccus"; "Methanovoccus"; "Methonococcus"; "Methonococous"; "Methonococrus"; "Methrmococcus"; "Methunococcus"; "Metlianococcus"; "Mothanococcus"; "Wethanococcus".
  • Minimal standards for the description of new taxa in this group were published in 1988. Publication: Boone DR, Whitman WB. Proposal of Minimal Standards for Describing New Taxa of Methanogenic Bacteria. International Journal of Systematic Bacteriology 1988; 38:212-219.
  • Minimal standards for the description of new taxa in this group were published in 1988. Publication: D.r. Boone WBW. Proposal of Minimal Standards for Describing New Taxa of Methanogenic Bacteria. Int. J. Syst. Evol. Microbiol. 1988; 38:212-219.
  • Taxonomists who have recently focused on this group are the corresponding authors of Jeanthon et al. (1999). Editors in search of reviewers are advised to consider additional criteria such as whether a taxon is covered by one of the ICSP subcommittees.
  • The BRCs most frequently used for deposits in this group are: DSM: 14; ATCC: 9; JCM: 7; NBRC: 3; VKM: 1; CIP: 1.
  • Pittman et al. (1991) suggested the abbreviation "MECO" for this genus name but this does not appear to be of practical relevance any longer. Publication: Pittman KF, Walczak CA, Lock CM. Codes and abbreviations for approved of effectively published names of genera of bacteria published from January 1980 to December 1990. Int J Syst Bacteriol 1991; 41:571-579.

Subdivision:

Number of child taxa with a validly published and correct name: 4
Number of child taxa with a validly published name, including synonyms: 14
Total number of child taxa: 15

• Child taxa:

  • Name	Nomenclatural status	Taxonomic status
    Methanococcus aeolicus Kendall et al. 2006	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Methanococcus deltae Corder et al. 1988	validly published under the ICNP	synonym
    Methanococcus fervens Jeanthon et al. 1999	validly published under the ICNP	synonym
    Methanococcus frisius Blotevogel et al. 1986	validly published under the ICNP	synonym
    Methanococcus halophilus Zhilina 1984	validly published under the ICNP	synonym
    Methanococcus igneus Burggraf et al. 1990	validly published under the ICNP	synonym
    Methanococcus infernus Jeanthon et al. 1998	validly published under the ICNP	synonym
    Methanococcus jannaschii Jones et al. 1984	validly published under the ICNP	synonym
    Methanococcus maripaludis Jones et al. 1984	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Methanococcus mazei Barker 1936 (Approved Lists 1980)	validly published under the ICNP	synonym
    Methanococcus thermolithotrophicus Huber et al. 1984	validly published under the ICNP	synonym
    "Methanococcus thermophila" Howell and White 1997	not validly published
    Methanococcus vannielii Stadtman and Barker 1951 (Approved Lists 1980)	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Methanococcus voltae Balch and Wolfe 1981	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Methanococcus vulcanius Jeanthon et al. 1999	validly published under the ICNP	synonym

Parent taxon: Methanococcaceae Balch and Wolfe 1981

Assigned by: Balch WE, Fox GE, Magrum LJ, Woese CR, Wolfe RS. Methanogens: reevaluation of a unique biological group. Microbiol Rev 1979; 43:260-296.

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Record number: 517068