Name: Methanococcus mazei Barker 1936 (Approved Lists 1980)

Category: Species

Proposed as: sp. nov.

Etymology: ma’ze.i. N.L. gen. masc. n. mazei, of Mazé, named for P. Mazé, the French bacteriologist who first studied the organism

Gender: masculine

Type strain: DSM 2053; not cultivated originally; OCM 26; S-6; VKM B-1636

See detailed strain information at

Conduct genome-based taxonomy at

16S rRNA gene: AB973358 Analyse FASTA

Effective publication: Barker HA. Studies upon the methane-producing bacteria. Archiv für Mikrobiologie 1936; 7:420-438.

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: synonym

Correct name: Methanosarcina mazei corrig. (Barker 1936) Mah and Kuhn 1984

Risk group: 1

• Synonyms:

  • Name	Kind
    Methanosarcina frisia (Blotevogel et al. 1986) Blotevogel and Fischer 1989	heterotypic synonym, validly published under the ICNP
    Methanosarcina mazei corrig. (Barker 1936) Mah and Kuhn 1984	homotypic synonym, validly published under the ICNP
    Methanosarcina mazeii (Barker 1936) Mah and Kuhn 1984	homotypic synonym, inaccurate spelling
    Methanococcus frisius Blotevogel et al. 1986	heterotypic synonym, validly published under the ICNP

• Notes:
  • ⏰ According to Maestrojuan et al. (1992), this species is an earlier heterotypic synonym of Methanococcus frisius Blotevogel et al. 1986. Publication: Maestrojuán GM, Boone JE, Mah RA, Menaia JAGF, Sachs MS, Boone DR. Taxonomy and halotolerance of mesophilic Methanosarcina strains, assignment of strains to species, and synonymy of Methanosarcina mazei and Methanosarcina frisia. Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol. 1992; 42:561-567.
  • ⏰ According to Maestrojuan et al. (1992), this species is an earlier heterotypic synonym of Methanosarcina frisia (Blotevogel et al. 1986) Blotevogel and Fischer 1989. Publication: Maestrojuán GM, Boone JE, Mah RA, Menaia JAGF, Sachs MS, Boone DR. Taxonomy and halotolerance of mesophilic Methanosarcina strains, assignment of strains to species, and synonymy of Methanosarcina mazei and Methanosarcina frisia. Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol. 1992; 42:561-567.
  • ❗ Methanococcus mazei is the correct name instead if this species is regarded as a separate species (i.e., if its nomenclatural type is not assigned to another species whose name is validly published, legitimate and not rejected and has priority) within a separate genus Methanococcus.
  • 😷 The risk group for Canada has been imported on 2024-02-27. The full classification is: risk group = 1, note = "Animal classification RG: 1 - Security sensitive biological agent: No - Terrestrial animal pathogen under Canadian Food Inspection Agency authority: No - Containment level: Containment Level 1". — The risk group for Swiss Confederation has been imported on 2024-02-01. The full classification is: risk group = 1. — The risk group for Germany has been imported on 2023-10-29. The full classification is: risk group = 1.
  • 🎓 Name mentioned 4 times in PubMed until 2024-03-27.
  • 🧍 After the publication of the Approved Lists of Bacterial Names, Methanococcus mazei was available in pure culture. Upon analysis of the partial sequence of the 16S rRNA of methanogens it became apparent that the pure culture of Methanococcus mazei was related to the genus Methanosarcina Kluyver and van Niel 1936 emend. Barker 1956. 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.

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

Assigned by: Barker HA. Studies upon the methane-producing bacteria. Archiv für Mikrobiologie 1936; 7:420-438.

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Record number: 777854