TITLE:
Analysis of the Alkane Hydroxylase Gene and Long-Chain Cyclic Alkane Degradation in Rhodococcus
AUTHORS:
Taiki Kawagoe, Kenzo Kubota, Kiwako S. Araki, Motoki Kubo
KEYWORDS:
Alkane Hydroxylase, alkB, Bioremediation, Long-Chain c-Alkane, Rhodococcus
JOURNAL NAME:
Advances in Microbiology,
Vol.9 No.3,
March
5,
2019
ABSTRACT: To characterize the long-chain cyclic alkane (c-alkane) degradation of bacteria in Rhodococcus, we analyzed the relationship between the alkane hydroxylase gene (alkB) and long-chain c-alkane degradation in 19 species. Eleven strains which were isolated from nature using long-chain c-alkane as a substrate were identified as R. erythropolisc, and all were shown to carry the alkB [alkB R2 type]. This gene type was also carried by two other species, R. rhodochrous and R. baikonurensis. In total, 17 species of the genus Rhodococcus carried alkB, but the gene types differed from each other. The two species R. rhodnii and R. coprophilus did not carry alkB, and their long-chain c-alkane degradation levels were low.