title: The detection and phylogenetic analysis of the alkane 1-monooxygenase gene of members of the genus Rhodococcus.
abstract: Naturally occurring and anthropogenic petroleum hydrocarbons are potential carbon sources for many bacteria. The AlkB-related alkane hydroxylases, which are integral membrane non-heme iron enzymes, play a key role in the microbial degradation of many of these hydrocarbons. Several members of the genus Rhodococcus are well-known alkane degraders and are known to harbor multiple alkB genes encoding for different alkane 1-monooxygenases. In the present study, 48 Rhodococcus strains, representing 35 species of the genus, were investigated to find out whether there was a dominant type of alkB gene widespread among species of the genus that could be used as a phylogenetic marker. Phylogenetic analysis of rhodococcal alkB gene sequences indicated that a certain type of alkB gene was present in almost every member of the genus Rhodococcus. These alkB genes were common in a unique nucleotide sequence stretch absent from other types of rhodococcal alkB genes that encoded a conserved amino acid motif: WLG(I/V/L)D(G/D)GL. The sequence identity of the targeted alkB gene in Rhodococcus ranged from 78.5 to 99.2% and showed higher nucleotide sequence variation at the inter-species level compared to the 16S rRNA gene (93.9-99.8%). The results indicated that the alkB gene type investigated might be applicable for: (i) differentiating closely related Rhodococcus species, (ii) properly assigning environmental isolates to existing Rhodococcus species, and finally (iii) assessing whether a new Rhodococcus isolate represents a novel species of the genus.
authors.affiliation: Regional University Center of Excellence in Environmental Industry, Szent István University, Gödöllő, Hungary. Electronic address: tancsics.andras@fh.szie.hu.
authors.forename: András
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Táncsics
authors.affiliation: Regional University Center of Excellence in Environmental Industry, Szent István University, Gödöllő, Hungary.
authors.forename: Tibor
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Benedek
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Protection and Environmental Safety, Szent István University, Gödöllő, Hungary.
authors.forename: Sándor
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Szoboszlay
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Protection and Environmental Safety, Szent István University, Gödöllő, Hungary.
authors.forename: Péter G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Veres
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Protection and Environmental Safety, Szent István University, Gödöllő, Hungary.
authors.forename: Milán
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Farkas
authors.affiliation: Bioengineering Department, Sapientia Hungarian University of Transylvania, Miercurea Ciuc, Romania.
authors.forename: István
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Máthé
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary.
authors.forename: Károly
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Márialigeti
authors.affiliation: Department of Applied and Environmental Microbiology, Research Institute of Agro-Environmental Sciences, National Agricultural Research and Innovation Centre, Budapest, Hungary.
authors.forename: József
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kukolya
authors.affiliation: Bioengineering Department, Sapientia Hungarian University of Transylvania, Miercurea Ciuc, Romania.
authors.forename: Szabolcs
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lányi
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Protection and Environmental Safety, Szent István University, Gödöllő, Hungary.
authors.forename: Balázs
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kriszt
mesh_terms: D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D042926:Cytochrome P-450 CYP4A / Q000235:genetics*; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D005819:Genetic Markers; D058889:Molecular Typing; D010802:Phylogeny; D012240:Rhodococcus / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D005819:Genetic Markers; D042926:Cytochrome P-450 CYP4A
keywords: Alkane 1-monooxygenase; Phylogenetic marker gene.; Rhodococcus