Alkane hydroxylase genes in psychrophile genomes and the potential for cold active catalysis.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Psychrophiles are presumed to play a large role in the catabolism of alkanes and other components of crude oil in natural low temperature environments. In this study we analyzed the functional diversity of genes for alkane hydroxylases, the enzymes responsible for converting alkanes to more labile alcohols, as found in the genomes of nineteen psychrophiles for which alkane degradation has not been reported. To identify possible mechanisms of low temperature optimization we compared putative alkane hydroxylases from these psychrophiles with homologues from nineteen taxonomically related mesophilic strains.

Results

Seven of the analyzed psychrophile genomes contained a total of 27 candidate alkane hydroxylase genes, only two of which are currently annotated as alkan

SUBMITTER: Bowman JS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4320567 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature