Abstract:
The ability to reduce atmospheric nitrogen to ammonia (N2 fixation) is well known in a diversity of prokaryotes, yet only a limited number of bacterial species is known to combine this activity with the ability to oxidize hydrocarbons ranging from methane to longer-chain n-alkanes, alkenes and aromatics. Whereas these activities can occur simultaneously in some methane-oxidizing bacteria (methanotrophs), very few reports have conclusively demonstrated simultaneous N2 fixation and growth on hydrocarbons larger than methane or ethane. This phenomenon may result from incompatibilities in physiology and/or gene regulation. More commonly, consortia of bacteria have been found to support hydrocarbon degradation through N2 fixation, leading to speculation that phytoremediation (the use of living plants to ameliorate hydrocarbon contamination) may be a valuable option for oil spill cleanup, particularly in N-limited soils.
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Foght, J. (2010). Nitrogen Fixation and Hydrocarbon-Oxidizing Bacteria. In: Timmis, K.N. (eds) Handbook of Hydrocarbon and Lipid Microbiology. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-77587-4_117
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-77587-4_117
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