MethylobacteriaceaeRANK: FamilyTAXONOMY: cellular organisms -> Bacteria -> Proteobacteria -> Alphaproteobacteria -> Rhizobiales -> Methylobacteriaceae OVERVIEW: The 'Methylobacteriaceae' are a family of Rhizobiales. Methylobacterium are extremely important because they can use methanol and methylamine as well as C2, C3 and C4 compounds to grow. These bacteria, which generally have a distinctive pink pigmentation, utilize methanol that's emitted by the stomata of plants and have been shown to stimulate seed germination and plant development, perhaps by producing phytohormones. Some Methylobacterium strains are suggested to be part of the natural human foot flora and others have even been suggested to add to the flavor of strawberries. This bacterium can be found mostly in soils, on leaves, and in other parts of plants and, even though its mechanisms aren't fully understood, is highly studied, important organism (Lidstrom and Christoserdova 2002). One species, Methylobacterium podarium, is thought to be part of the natural human foot microflora. Methylobacterium have even been found living inside the human mouth. Samples have been isolated from the tounge, supra- and subgingival plaques that have shown growth of Methylobacterium, especially M. thiocyanatum.
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