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Genetics of Sensing, Accessing, and Exploiting Hydrocarbons

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Cellular Ecophysiology of Microbe

Part of the book series: Handbook of Hydrocarbon and Lipid Microbiology ((HHLM))

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Abstract

Hydrocarbons abound in the environment and microorganisms are often capable of detecting, assimilating, and degrading these normally recalcitrant molecules. In order to achieve this, bacteria have developed specific sensor proteins and adaptive mechanisms. In the presence of hydrocarbons, the bacterial adaptive response is modulated at the transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels by one- and two-component regulatory systems, global regulators, and DNA-binding proteins. The expressed gene products are then able to degrade the molecules and often take advantage of the stored energy imparted by the physicochemical properties of the hydrocarbon structure. The response of regulators to the presence of hydrocarbons such as toluene in the environment allows initiation or inhibition of transcription, so that the rate of synthesis of metabolically important gene products is adaptively modulated. Microorganisms which mount the most appropriate physiological adaptation are then able to proliferate in the changing environment. Here, we give an overview of the bacterial chemotactic responses towards hydrocarbons and the adaptive regulation of catabolic pathways responsible for the degradation of aromatic hydrocarbons. The use of microorganisms with biodegradative capabilities offers an environmentally friendly alternative for the treatment of hydrocarbon-contaminated environments.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Environmental Protection, Estación Experimental del Zaidín, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Granada, Spain

    Miguel A. Matilla, Ana Segura, Juan L. Ramos & Tino Krell

  2. Developmental and Stem Cell Biology Program, Brain Tumour Research Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada

    Craig Daniels

  3. Group of Physics of Fluids, Interfaces and Colloidal Systems, Department of Applied Physics, Faculty of Science, University of Granada, Granada, Spain

    Teresa del Castillo

  4. Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, University College London and Birkbeck College, London, UK

    Andreas Busch

  5. Section of Cell and Developmental Biology, Division of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA

    Jesús Lacal

Authors
  1. Miguel A. Matilla
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  2. Craig Daniels
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  3. Teresa del Castillo
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  4. Andreas Busch
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  5. Jesús Lacal
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  6. Ana Segura
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  7. Juan L. Ramos
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  8. Tino Krell
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Correspondence to Tino Krell .

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  1. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones, Estacion Experimental del Zaidin, Granada, Spain

    Tino Krell

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Matilla, M.A. et al. (2018). Genetics of Sensing, Accessing, and Exploiting Hydrocarbons. In: Krell, T. (eds) Cellular Ecophysiology of Microbe. Handbook of Hydrocarbon and Lipid Microbiology . Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-20796-4_46-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-20796-4_46-1

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