Alcanivorax
| Chromohalobacter | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Bacteria |
| Phylum: | Proteobacteria |
| Class: | Gammaproteobacteria |
| Order: | Oceanospirillales |
| Family: | Alcanivoracaceae |
| Genus: |
Alcanivorax Yakimov et al. 1998 |
| Type species | |
|
Alcanivorax borkumensis |
|
| Species | |
|
Alcanivorax balearicus |
|
Alcanivorax balearicus
Alcanivorax borkumensis
Alcanivorax dieselolei
Alcanivorax hongdengensis
Alcanivorax marinus
Alcanivorax pacificus
Alcanivorax venustensis
Alcanivorax borkumensis is an alkane-degrading marine bacterium which naturally propagates and becomes predominant in crude-oil-containing seawater when nitrogen and phosphorus nutrients are supplemented. They are currently thought to be the world's most important oil-degrading organisms.
A. borkumensis is a rod-shaped bacterium without flagella that obtains its energy primarily from consuming alkanes (a type of hydrocarbon). It is aerobic, meaning it uses oxygen to gain energy, and it is halophilic, meaning it tends to live in environments that contain salt, such as salty ocean water. It is also Gram-negative, which essentially means it has a relatively thin cell wall. It is also nonmotile; however, other organisms that appear to be in the same genus are motile through flagella.
The genome of A. borkumensis is a single circular chromosome that contains 3,120,143 base pairs. It is highly adapted to degrading petroleum oil. For example, a certain sequence on the genome codes for the degradation of a certain range of alkanes. The A. borkumensis genome has many sequences that each code for a different type of alkane, allowing it to be highly adaptable and versatile. Its genome also contains instructions for the formation of biosurfactants which aid in the process of degradation. To deal with external threats, the A. borkumensis genome also codes for several defensive mechanisms. Coping with high concentrations of sodium ions (i.e. in ocean water), and protecting against the UV radiation experienced on the surface of the earth are both important for the A. borkumensis bacteria, whose genome contains ways to solve both of these problems.
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