Genetics of Biodegradation and Bioremediation

• Other Authors: Santero, Eduardo (Editor), Díaz, Eduardo (Editor)
• Format: Electronic Book Chapter
• Language: English
• Published: Basel, Switzerland MDPI - Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute 2020
• Subjects: Research & information: general; Biology, life sciences; tetralin; Sphingopyxis granuli strain TFA; Rhodococcus sp. strain TFB; redox proteins; carbon catabolite repression; plastics; biodegradation; sustainability; upcycling; biotransformations; polyethylene terephthalate; terephthalate; ethylene glycol; biphenyl; bph gene; integrative conjugative element; genome sequence; LysR; transcription factor; Acinetobacter; LTTR; benzoate; muconate; synergism; biosensor; naphthalene; toluene; hydrocarbons; plant growth promotion; bioremediation; Pseudomonas; soil pollution; phytoremediation; rhizoremediation; diesel; bacteria; consortium; metagenomics; PAHs; TPH; regulation; anaerobic; Azoarcus; promoter architecture; bioethanol; furfural; ALE; AraC; sterols; bile acids; steroid hormones; 9,10-seco pathway; 4,5-seco pathway; 2,3-seco pathway; xenobiotics; Carbaryl; horizontal gene transfer; mobile genetic elements; transposons; integrative conjugative elements; pathway assembly; evolution; Sphingopyxis lindanitolerans; pesticide; complete genome sequence; pangenome; γ-HCH degradation; lin genes; testosterone; steroid; catabolism; transcriptomic; valorisation; catabolic pathway; mobile DNA; anaerobic biodegradation; gene regulation
• Online Access: DOAB: download the publication; DOAB: description of the publication

Many biodegradation pathways, both aerobic and anaerobic, have already been characterised, and the phylogenetic relationships among catabolic genes within them have been studied. However, new biodegradation activities and their coding genes are continuously being reported, including those involved in the catabolism of emerging contaminants and those generally regarded as non-biodegradable. Gene regulation is also an important issue for the efficient biodegradation of contaminants. Specific induction by the substrate and over-imposed global regulatory networks adjust the expression of the biodegradation genes to meet bacterial physiological needs. New biodegradation pathways can be assembled in a particular strain or in a bacterial consortium by recruiting biodegradation genes from different origins through horizontal gene transfer. The abundance and diversity of biodegradation genes, analysed by either genomic or metagenomic approaches, constitute valuable indicators of the biodegradation potential of a particular environmental niche. This knowledge paves the way to systems metabolic engineering approaches to valorise biowaste for the production of value-added products.