A Review on the Genetics of Aliphatic and Aromatic Hydrocarbon Degradation

CATEGORY: HYDROCARBON DEGRADATION
A Review on the Genetics of Aliphatic and Aromatic Hydrocarbon Degradation

Type	Journal Article
Author	Firouz Abbasian
Author	Robin Lockington
URL	http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12010-015-1881-y
Volume	178
Issue	2
Pages	224-250
Publication	Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology
Date	2015/10/19
Abstract	Due to the complexity of hydrocarbons, degradation of each class of such compounds is activated by a specific enzyme. However, most of other downstream enzymes necessary for complete degradation of hydrocarbons may be common between different hydrocarbons. The genes encoding proteins for degradation of hydrocarbons, including the proteins required for the uptake of these molecules, the specific enzyme used for the initial activation of the molecules and other necessary degrading enzymes are usually arranged as an operon. While the corresponding genes in many phylogenetic groups of microbial species exhibit differing levels of diversity in terms of the gene sequence, the organization of the genes in the genome or on plasmids and the activation mode, some organisms show identical hydrocarbon-degrading genes as a result of horizontal gene transfer between microorganisms.