Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 15, 2026

Isolation, Propagation, and Identification of Bacterial Species with Hydrocarbon Metabolizing Properties from Aquatic Habitats
Published on: December 7, 2021
Polyhydroxyalkanoate accumulating diversity of Pseudomonas species utilising aromatic hydrocarbons
Karen M Tobin1, Kevin E O'Connor
1Department of Industrial Microbiology, Centre for Synthesis and Chemical Biology, Conway Institute for Biomolecular and Biomedical Research, National University of Ireland, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Republic of Ireland.
Abstract:
A number of Pseudomonas strains accumulated polyhdroxyalkanoate (PHA) from a variety of aromatic hydrocarbons. In many strains the level of PHA accumulation was dependent on the side chain length of the phenylalkanoic acid provided for growth. 4 of the 8 strains accumulated increased levels of PHA as the side chain length of the phenylalkanoic acid substrate increased. PHA accumulated from styrene and phenylacetic acid was composed of aliphatic monomers only. The PHA accumulated from any one of the phenylalkanoic acids with 5 carbons or more in their side chain (n>or=5) was almost identical for all strains with PHA composed of both aromatic and aliphatic monomers. The predominant monomers accumulated were 3-hydroxyphenylvaleric acid and 3-hydroxyphenylhexanoic acid. The addition of the metabolic pathway inhibitors acrylic acid and 2-bromoctanoic acid resulted in decreased levels of PHA from phenylacetic acid, suggesting a role for both beta-oxidation and fatty acid synthesis in PHA accumulation from phenylacetic acid.
Related Concept Videos
Bioplastics
Microbial Bioremediation of Hydrocarbons
Bioremediation
Lipid Catabolism
Deep Sea Microbial Ecology
Bacterial Phylum Actinobacteria

