Abstract
Rhodococcus sp. TMP2 is an alkane-degrading strain that can grow with a branched alkane as a sole carbon source. TMP2 degrades considerable amounts of pristane at 20°C but not at 30°C. In order to gain insights into microbial alkane degradation, we characterized one of the key enzymes for alkane degradation. TMP2 contains at least five genes for membrane-bound, non-heme iron, alkane hydroxylase, known as AlkB (alkB1–5). Phylogenetical analysis using bacterial alkB genes indicates that TMP2 is a close relative of the alkane-degrading bacteria, such as Rhodococcus erythropolis NRRL B-16531 and Q15. RT-PCR analysis showed that expressions of the genes for AlkB1 and AlkB2 were apparently induced by the addition of pristane at a low temperature. The results suggest that TMP2 recruits certain alkane hydroxylase systems to utilize a branched alkane under low temperature conditions.
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Acknowledgements
This work was supported by New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO), Institute for Fermentation, Osaka (IFO), and a Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research from Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) to MM.
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Takei, D., Washio, K. & Morikawa, M. Identification of alkane hydroxylase genes in Rhodococcus sp. strain TMP2 that degrades a branched alkane. Biotechnol Lett 30, 1447–1452 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10529-008-9710-9
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10529-008-9710-9