Name: Methanothrix soehngenii Huser et al. 1983

Category: Species

Proposed as: sp. nov.

Etymology: soehn.ge’ni.i. N.L. gen. masc. n. soehngenii, of Söhngen, named after N.L. Söhngen, who firts described this organism in his thesis (1906)

Gender: feminine

Type strain: BCRC 16173; CCRC 16173; DSM 2139; Opfikon

See detailed strain information at

16S rRNA gene: X51423 Analyse FASTA

Effective publication: Huser BA, Wuhrmann K, Zehnder AJB. Methanothrix soehngenii gen. nov., sp. nov., a new acetotrophic non-hydrogen-oxidizing methane bacterium. Arch. Microbiol. 1982; 132:1-9.

IJSEM list: Anonymous. Validation list no. 10. Validation of publication of new names and new combinations previously effectively published outside the IJSB. Int J Syst Bacteriol 1983; 33:438-440.

Nomenclatural status: validly published under the ICNP

Taxonomic status: correct name

Risk group: 1

• Synonyms:

  • Name	Kind
    Methanothrix concilii Patel 1985	heterotypic synonym, validly published under the ICNP
    Methanosaeta concilii (Patel 1985) Patel and Sprott 1990	heterotypic synonym, validly published under the ICNP, illegitimate name

• Notes:
  • 🥇 Nomenclatural type of the genus Methanothrix Huser et al. 1983. Publication: Huser BA, Wuhrmann K, Zehnder AJB. Methanothrix soehngenii gen. nov., sp. nov., a new acetotrophic non-hydrogen-oxidizing methane bacterium. Arch. Microbiol. 1982; 132:1-9.
  • ⏰ According to Touzel et al. (1988), this species is an earlier heterotypic synonym of Methanosaeta concilii (Patel 1985) Patel and Sprott 1990. Publication: Touzel JP, Prensier G, Roustan JL, Thomas I, Dubourguier HC, Albagnac G. Description of a new strain of Methanothrix soehngenii and rejection of Methanothrix concilii as a synonym of Methanothrix soehngenii. Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol. 1988; 38:30-36.
  • ⏰ According to Touzel et al. (1988), this species is an earlier heterotypic synonym of Methanothrix concilii Patel 1985. Publication: Touzel JP, Prensier G, Roustan JL, Thomas I, Dubourguier HC, Albagnac G. Description of a new strain of Methanothrix soehngenii and rejection of Methanothrix concilii as a synonym of Methanothrix soehngenii. Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol. 1988; 38:30-36.
  • 😷 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 42 times in PubMed until 2024-03-27.
  • 🧍 See also the file Some problems with the genera Methanothrix and Methanosaeta. Publication: Euzeby JP. List of Bacterial Names with Standing in Nomenclature: a folder available on the Internet. Int J Syst Bacteriol 1997; 47:590-592.
  • 🧍 Illegitimate, since not based on pure culture IJSB 40:79; objection: IJSB 41:588; Judicial Commission 2014: the species combination Methanothrix soehngenii Huser et al. 1983 do not contravene Rule 31a and is not to be considered as rejected name (Supplementary information to Opinion 75; IJSEM 64:3597-3598). Publication: Patel GB, Sprott GD. Methanosaeta concilii gen. nov., sp. nov. ("Methanothrix concilii") and Methanosaeta thermoacetophila nom. rev., comb. nov. Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol. 1990; 40:79-82.
  • 🧍 In a Request for an Opinion, Boone 1991 [1] proposed that strain GP6 = NRC 2989 = ATCC 35969 = DSM 3671 = OCM 69, the type strain of Methanosaeta (Methanothrix) concilii, be adopted as the neotype of Methanothrix soehngenii. This would have the effect of reducing Methanosaeta (Methanothrix) concilii to a synonym, rendering it invalid. Patel 1992 [2] has published a counterargument to this proposal. The Judicial Commission [3] concluded that the interests of clarity and stability would be served best by denying the Request for an Opinion. Strain GP6 remains the type of Methanosaeta (Methanothrix) concilii; there does not appear to be an extant type strain for Methanothrix soehngenii, which remains a species of doubtful validity. Publication: Boone DR. Strain GP6 is proposed as the neotype strain of Methanothrix soehngeniiVP pro synon. Methanothrix conciliiVP and Methanosaeta conciliiVP. Request for an Opinion. Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol. 1991; 41:588-589.
  • 🧍 The type strain of Methanothrix soehngenii Huser et al. 1983 is contaminated by two morphologically distinct bacteria. According to the "old Rule 31a" (i.e. before January 2001), Methanothrix soehngenii is invalid. Publication: Patel GB, Sprott GD. Methanosaeta concilii gen. nov., sp. nov. ("Methanothrix concilii") and Methanosaeta thermoacetophila nom. rev., comb. nov. Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol. 1990; 40:79-82.

Parent taxon: Methanothrix Huser et al. 1983

Assigned by: Huser BA, Wuhrmann K, Zehnder AJB. Methanothrix soehngenii gen. nov., sp. nov., a new acetotrophic non-hydrogen-oxidizing methane bacterium. Arch. Microbiol. 1982; 132:1-9.

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Record number: 777954