A Review on the Genetics of Aliphatic and Aromatic Hydrocarbon Degradation

Because of the high diversity of hydrocarbons, degradation of each class of these compounds is activated by a specific enzyme. However, most of other downstream enzymes necessary for complete degradation of hydrocarbons maybe common between different hydrocarbons. The genes encoding proteins for degradation of hydrocarbons, including the proteins required for the uptake of these molecules, the specific enzyme used for the initial activation of the molecules and other necessary degrading enzymes are usually arranged as an operon. Although the corresponding genes in many phylogenetic groups of microbial species show different levels of diversity in terms of the gene sequence, the organisation of the genes in the genome or on plasmids and the activation mode (inductive or constitutive), some organisms show identical hydrocarbon-degrading genes, probably as a result of horizontal gene transfer between microorganisms.