Biodegradation and Rhodococcus--masters of catabolic versatility.
The genus Rhodococcus is a very diverse group of bacteria that possesses the ability to degrade a large number of organic compounds, including some of the most difficult compounds with regard to recalcitrance and toxicity. They achieve this through their capacity to acquire a remarkable range of diverse catabolic genes and their robust cellular physiology. Rhodococcus appear to have adopted a strategy of hyper-recombination associated with a large genome. Notably, they harbour large linear plasmids that contribute to their catabolic diversity by acting as 'mass storage' for a large number of catabolic genes. In addition, there is increasing evidence that multiple pathways and gene homologues are present that further increase the catabolic versatility and efficiency of Rhodococcus.
Larkin
Michael J
MJ
School of Biology and Biochemistry and The QUESTOR Centre, The Queen's University of Belfast, Belfast BT9 5AG, Northern Ireland, UK. m.larkin@qub.ac.uk
Kulakov
Leonid A
LA
Allen
Christopher C R
CC
D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D017124:Conserved Sequence; D003577:Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System / Q000378:metabolism; D049308:Dioxygenases / Q000378:metabolism; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000378:metabolism; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; D022761:Gene Transfer, Horizontal; D016680:Genome, Bacterial; D012240:Rhodococcus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism
D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D003577:Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System; D049308:Dioxygenases