TY - JOUR

T1 - Alcanivorax borkumensis gen. nov., sp. nov., a new, hydrocarbon-degrading and surfactant-producing marine bacterium

AU - Yakimov, M M

AU - Golyshin, P N

AU - Lang, S

AU - Moore, E R

AU - Abraham, W R

AU - Lünsdorf, H

AU - Timmis, K N

PY - 1998/4

Y1 - 1998/4

N2 - During screening for biosurfactant-producing, n-alkane-degrading marine bacteria, six heterotrophic bacterial strains were isolated from enriched mixed cultures, obtained from sea water/sediment samples collected near the isle of Borkum (North Sea), using Mihagol-S (C14,15-n-alkanes) as principal carbon source. These Gram-negative, aerobic, rod-shaped bacteria use a limited number of organic compounds, including aliphatic hydrocarbons, volatile fatty acids, and pyruvate and its methyl ether. During cultivation on n-alkanes as sole source of carbon and energy, all strains produced both extracellular and cell-bound surface-active glucose lipids which reduced the surface tension of water from 72 to 29 mN m-1 (16). This novel class of glycolipids was found to be produced only by these strains. The 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis showed that these strains are all members of the gamma-subclass of the Proteobacteria. Their phospholipids ester-linked fatty acid composition was shown to be similar to that of members of the genus Halmonas, although they did not demonstrate a close phylogenetic relationship to any previously described species. On the basis of the information summarized above, a new genus and species, Alcanivorax borkumensis, is described to include these bacteria. Strain SK2T is the type strain of A. borkumensis.

AB - During screening for biosurfactant-producing, n-alkane-degrading marine bacteria, six heterotrophic bacterial strains were isolated from enriched mixed cultures, obtained from sea water/sediment samples collected near the isle of Borkum (North Sea), using Mihagol-S (C14,15-n-alkanes) as principal carbon source. These Gram-negative, aerobic, rod-shaped bacteria use a limited number of organic compounds, including aliphatic hydrocarbons, volatile fatty acids, and pyruvate and its methyl ether. During cultivation on n-alkanes as sole source of carbon and energy, all strains produced both extracellular and cell-bound surface-active glucose lipids which reduced the surface tension of water from 72 to 29 mN m-1 (16). This novel class of glycolipids was found to be produced only by these strains. The 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis showed that these strains are all members of the gamma-subclass of the Proteobacteria. Their phospholipids ester-linked fatty acid composition was shown to be similar to that of members of the genus Halmonas, although they did not demonstrate a close phylogenetic relationship to any previously described species. On the basis of the information summarized above, a new genus and species, Alcanivorax borkumensis, is described to include these bacteria. Strain SK2T is the type strain of A. borkumensis.

KW - Base Composition

KW - Base Sequence

KW - DNA, Bacterial

KW - Gram-Negative Bacteria/classification

KW - Molecular Sequence Data

KW - Phenotype

KW - Phylogeny

KW - Seawater/microbiology

KW - Surface-Active Agents/metabolism

U2 - 10.1099/00207713-48-2-339

DO - 10.1099/00207713-48-2-339

M3 - Article

C2 - 9731272

VL - 48 Pt 2

SP - 339

EP - 348

JO - International journal of systematic bacteriology

JF - International journal of systematic bacteriology

SN - 0020-7713

ER -