Culturing clinical Methanobrevibacter smithii using GG medium in a minimal anaerobe atmosphere

Abstract

Methanobrevibacter smithii (M. smithii), the most prevalent and abundant gut methanogen, detoxifies hydrogen into methane and is, therefore, of paramount importance for the equilibrium of the gut microbiota. The isolation by culture of M. smithii has routinely relied upon hydrogen‑carbon dioxide-enriched, oxygen-deprived atmospheres. In this study, we developed a medium referred to as "GG", which allowed for M. smithii growth and isolation by culture in an oxygen-deprived atmosphere, with no supply of either hydrogen or carbon dioxide, making it easier to detect M. smithii by culture in clinical microbiology laboratories.

Keywords: Atmosphere; Clinical microbiology; GG medium; Methanobrevibacter smithii; Methanogens.