Xanthobacter wiegelii NCIMB11399
Xanthobacter wiegelii NCIMB11399 was isolated for its ability to utilize cyclohexane as a sole carbon and energy source. This project aims to identify genes involved in cyclohexane oxidation to elucidate the metabolic and regulatory mechanisms underlying the oxidation of relatively inert alkanes in aerobic bacteria. Cyclohexane-degrading bacteria are rarely found in nature, and the characterization of their enzymes is expected to provide important insights into the molecular evolution and substrate adaptation of alkane monooxygenases, as well as to contribute to the development of biocatalytic processes for value-added compound production via cyclohexane hydroxylation.