Selective stimulation in a natural community of methane oxidizing bacteria: Effects of copper on pmoA transcription and activity

Copper is an essential element, but often not readily available to microorganisms potentially causing copper limitation in situ. In most methane oxidizing bacteria (methanotrophs), the copper-containing membrane bound methane monooxygenase (pMMO) catalyzes the first step in methane oxidation. We focused on the response of methanotrophic activity to a copper amendment in a rice paddy soil, measuring methane oxidation rates and following changes...