Prince, Roger C and Amande, Tivkaa J and McGenity, Terry J (2018) Prokaryotic Hydrocarbon Degraders. In: Taxonomy, Genomics and Ecophysiology of Hydrocarbon-Degrading Microbes. Springer International Publishing, Cham, pp. 1-41. ISBN 978-3-319-60053-6. Official URL: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-60053-6_15-1
Prince, Roger C and Amande, Tivkaa J and McGenity, Terry J (2018) Prokaryotic Hydrocarbon Degraders. In: Taxonomy, Genomics and Ecophysiology of Hydrocarbon-Degrading Microbes. Springer International Publishing, Cham, pp. 1-41. ISBN 978-3-319-60053-6. Official URL: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-60053-6_15-1
Prince, Roger C and Amande, Tivkaa J and McGenity, Terry J (2018) Prokaryotic Hydrocarbon Degraders. In: Taxonomy, Genomics and Ecophysiology of Hydrocarbon-Degrading Microbes. Springer International Publishing, Cham, pp. 1-41. ISBN 978-3-319-60053-6. Official URL: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-60053-6_15-1
Abstract
Hydrocarbons have been part of the biosphere for millions of years, and a diverse group of prokaryotes has evolved to use them as a source of carbon and energy. To date, the vast majority of formally defined genera are eubacterial, in 7 of the 24 major phyla currently formally recognized by taxonomists (Tree of Life, http://tolweb.org/Eubacteria. Accessed 1 Sept 2017, 2017); principally in the Actinobacteria, the Bacteroidetes, the Firmicutes, and the Proteobacteria. Some Cyanobacteria have been shown to degrade hydrocarbons on a limited scale, but whether this is of any ecological significance remains to be seen – it is likely that all aerobic organisms show some basal metabolism of hydrocarbons by nonspecific oxygenases, and similar “universal” metabolism may occur in anaerobes. This chapter focuses on the now quite large number of named microbial genera where there is reasonably convincing evidence for hydrocarbon metabolism. We have found more than 320 genera of Eubacteria, and 12 genera of Archaea. Molecular methods are revealing a vastly greater diversity of currently uncultured organisms – Hug et al. (Nat Microbiol 1:16048, 2016) claim 92 named bacterial phyla, many with almost totally unknown physiology – and it seems reasonable to believe that the catalog of genera reported here will be substantially expanded in the future.
Item Type: | Book Section |
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Subjects: | Q Science > QR Microbiology |
Divisions: | Faculty of Science and Health Faculty of Science and Health > Life Sciences, School of |
SWORD Depositor: | Unnamed user with email elements@essex.ac.uk |
Depositing User: | Unnamed user with email elements@essex.ac.uk |
Date Deposited: | 02 Jan 2019 10:51 |
Last Modified: | 16 May 2024 19:38 |
URI: | http://repository.essex.ac.uk/id/eprint/23703 |