Micrococcineae: Arthrobacter and Relatives
Arthrobacter and relatives, Micrococcus, Microbacterium, Brevibacterium, Janibacter, and Terrabacter, are members of the suborder Micrococcineae. These bacteria are present in soil and water, terrestrial and marine environments, and they have been routine
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K. N. Timmis (ed.), Handbook of Hydrocarbon and Lipid Microbiology, DOI 10.1007/978-3-540-77587-4_135, # Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg, 2010
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Micrococcineae: Arthrobacter and Relatives
Abstract: Arthrobacter and relatives, Micrococcus, Microbacterium, Brevibacterium, Janibacter, and Terrabacter, are members of the suborder Micrococcineae. These bacteria are present in soil and water, terrestrial and marine environments, and they have been routinely associated with hydrocarbon-contaminated environments. Strains of these genera can degrade hydrocarbons of many varieties, including recalcitrant polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Some recent studies have centered on physiological responses of Micrococcineae to contaminated environments, such as biosurfactant production and cell membrane fluidity alteration. Because of their physiology and their ability to degrade persistent pollutants, Arthrobacter and relatives may be highly useful in bioremediation applications. Although still much remains unknown about the genetics of hydrocarbon catabolism by Micrococcineae, many of the genes recently studied were found on large plasmids and may have been inherited through horizontal gene transfer. Future research may be directed toward understanding the adaptive mechanisms that facilitate use of recalcitrant substrates, characterization of yet unknown degradation genes and proteins, and the degradation of heterogeneous chemical mixtures.
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Introduction
This chapter covers the hydrocarbon microbiology of Arthrobacter and relatives, Micrococcus, Microbacterium, Brevibacterium, Janibacter, and Terrabacter, all members of the suborder Micrococcineae. These bacterial genera are present ubiquitously, and they have been routinely associated with hydrocarbon-contaminated environments. Strains of these genera can degrade hydrocarbons of many varieties, including recalcitrant chemicals like heterocycles, substituted aromatics, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Study of the physiology of Arthrobacter and its relatives has demonstrated how certain adaptations allow bacteria to utilize recalcitrant environmental contaminants as carbon sources. Because of their physiology and their ability to degrade persistent pollutants, Arthrobacter and relatives may be highly useful in bioremediation applications.
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Taxonomy and Microbiology
Taxonomically, the organisms described in this chapter fall under the same suborder, Micrococcineae. They are members of four families: Micrococcaceae (Arthrobacter and Micrococcus), Brevibacteriaceae (Brevibacterium), Microbacteriaceae (Microbacterium), and Intrasporangiaceae (Janibacter and Terrabacter). The number of published species in each genus ranges from 3 to 62. In a wider taxonomic context, the organisms reviewed belong to the same class [Actinobacteria (high G + C Gram-positive bacteria)] and order (Actinomycetales) as other genera that are known to effectively degrade hydrocarbons, including Mycobacterium, Gordonia, Nocardioides, and Coryneform bacteria. All six genera
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