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

Category: Species

Proposed as: sp. nov.

Etymology: van.nie’li.i. N.L. gen. masc. n. vannielii, of van Niel, named for C.B. van Niel, the bacteriologist who developed the carbon dioxide reduction theory of methane formation

Pronunciation, gender: wan-NIE-li-i, masculine

Type strain: ATCC 35089; DSM 1224; JCM 13029; OCM 148; SB

See detailed strain information at

Conduct genome-based taxonomy at

16S rRNA gene: AY196675 Analyse FASTA

Effective publication: Stadtman TC, Barker HA. Studies on the methane fermentation. X. A new formate-decomposing bacterium, Methanococcus vannielii. J Bacteriol 1951; 62:269-280.

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

Risk group: 1

• Notes:
  • 🥇 Nomenclatural type of the genus Methanococcus Kluyver and van Niel 1936 (Approved Lists 1980). 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.
  • 😷 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. — If in doubt, use the risk group given in the regulations for your country and, if these are not available, use the risk group given in the catalogue of the culture collection from which you have obtained or intend to obtain the strain.
  • 🎓 Name mentioned 117 times in PubMed until 2025-06-04.
  • 🧍 Methanococcus vannielii Stadtman and Barker 1951 (Approved Lists 1980) is the new type species of the genus Methanococcus Kluyver and van Niel 1936 emend. Barker 1936 (Approved Lists 1980) emend. Mah and Kuhn 1984. Publication: 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.

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

Assigned by: Stadtman TC, Barker HA. Studies on the methane fermentation. X. A new formate-decomposing bacterium, Methanococcus vannielii. J Bacteriol 1951; 62:269-280.

Linking: To permanently link to this page, use https://lpsn.dsmz.de/species/methanococcus-vannieliiCopy to clipboardLink copied to clipboard

Record number: 777857