Name: Methanosarcina acetivorans Sowers et al. 1986

Category: Species

Proposed as: sp. nov.

Etymology: a.ce.ti’vo.rans. L. neut. n. acetum, vinegar; L. pres. part. vorans, devouring, consuming; N.L. fem. part. adj. acetivorans, consuming acetic acid

Pronunciation (Latin), gender: me-t^ha-no-SAR-ki-na a-ke-TI-wo-rans, feminine

Type strain: ATCC 35395; C2A; DSM 2834; JCM 12185; NBRC 100939; OCM 95

See detailed strain information at

Conduct genome-based taxonomy at

16S rRNA gene: M59137 Analyse FASTA

Effective publication: Sowers KR, Baron SF, Ferry JG. Methanosarcina acetivorans sp. nov., an Acetotrophic Methane-Producing Bacterium Isolated from Marine Sediments. Appl Environ Microbiol 1984; 47:971-978. 🇺🇸

IJSEM list: Anonymous. Validation list no. 20. Validation of publication of new names and new combinations previously effectively published outside the IJSB. Int J Syst Bacteriol 1986; 36:354-356.

Nomenclatural status: validly published under the ICNP

Taxonomic status: correct name

Risk group: 1

• Notes:
  • 🧬 The phylogenomic assignment score of this taxon is 0.11427 (N = 4).
  • 😷 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 2026-08-13. 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 332 times in PubMed until 2026-06-11.

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

Assigned by: Sowers KR, Baron SF, Ferry JG. Methanosarcina acetivorans sp. nov., an Acetotrophic Methane-Producing Bacterium Isolated from Marine Sediments. Appl Environ Microbiol 1984; 47:971-978. 🇺🇸

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Record number: 777925