title: Alkane-degrading properties of Dietzia sp. H0B, a key player in the Prestige oil spill biodegradation (NW Spain).
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Investigation of the alkane-degrading properties of Dietzia sp. H0B, one of the isolated Corynebacterineae strains that became dominant after the Prestige oil spill.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Using molecular and chemical analyses, the alkane-degrading properties of strain Dietzia sp. H0B were analysed. This Grampositive isolate was able to grow on n-alkanes ranging from C₁₂ to C₃₈ and branched alkanes (pristane and phytane). 8-Hexadecene was detected as an intermediate of hexadecane degradation by Dietzia H0B, suggesting a novel alkane-degrading pathway in this strain. Three putative alkane hydroxylase genes (one alkB homologue and two CYP153 gene homologues of cytochrome P450 family) were PCR-amplified from Dietzia H0B and differed from previously known hydroxylase genes, which might be related to the novel degrading activity observed on Dietzia H0B. The alkane degradation activity and the alkB and CYP153 gene expression were observed constitutively regardless of the presence of the substrate, suggesting additional, novel pathways for alkane degradation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results from this study suggest novel alkane-degrading pathways in Dietzia H0B and a genetic background coding for two different putative oil-degrading enzymes, which is mostly unexplored and worth to be subject of further functional analysis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study increases the scarce information available about the genetic background of alkane degradation in genus Dietzia and suggests new pathways and novel expression mechanisms of alkane degradation.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas, CSIC, Vigo, Spain. jorgealonso@iim.csic.es
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Alonso-Gutiérrez
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Teramoto
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yamazoe
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Harayama
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Figueras
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Novoa
mesh_terms: D000192:Actinomycetales / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics; D000473:Alkanes / Q000378:metabolism*; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D042926:Cytochrome P-450 CYP4A / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D003577:Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D059392:Petroleum Pollution; D010802:Phylogeny; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D013030:Spain
chemical_list: D000473:Alkanes; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D003577:Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System; C435228:cytochrome P-450 CYP153 (Acinetobacter); D042926:Cytochrome P-450 CYP4A; C007932:n-hexadecane