Alcanivorax borkumensis SK2 (Yakimov et al. 1998) is the first described of the five
genera of obligate hydrocarbonoclastic marine bacteria. Alcanivorax, together with
Thalassolituus, Cycloclasticus, Oleispira and Oleiphilus genera, includes specialist
bacterial strains that are able to use hydrocarbons as sole carbon and energy source.
Obligate hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria are extremely specialized in consuming
exclusively certain petroleum fractions for which their genes have been evolving. By
contrast, generalist hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria can, in some cases, use both
aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons. Alcanivorax-likebacteria have been identified
in oil-polluted marine areas across the globe, along the coast in Mediterranean Sea
(Denaro et al. 2005; Yakimov et al. 2007; Yakimov et al. 2019), in the Mid-Atlantic
Ridge near Antarctica (Alcaide et al. 2015) and in deep-sea sediments from eastern
Pacific Ocean (Liu and Shao 2005). Natural environments affected by an oil-spill
and artificial system as during oil-spill simulation in micro/mesocosms show similar
biodiversity pattern with a significant dominance of Alcanivorax sp. during the first
1–2 weeks, corresponding to a severe decrease in aliphatic relative fraction of oil
(Kasai et al. 2002; Hara et al. 2003; Yakimov et al. 2005; McKew et al. 2007; Li
et al. 2019). Strains belonging to Alcanivorax genus benefit from a selective advantage because they are able to use aliphatic hydrocarbons (Table 7.1) including
branched-chain alkanes such as pristane, naturally produced by marine plankton
(Hara et al. 2003; Head et al. 2006; Sevilla et al. 2017; Wang and Shao 2014).
Alcanivorax outcompetes with Thalassolituus sp. for the use of n-tetradecane and oil
(Yakimov et al. 2005; McKew et al. 2007). Thalassolituus-like bacteria were found
in microbial communities described in the Mediterranean, Baltic, Barents, Atlantic,
Pacific, Polar Oceans, North, Okhotsk, South China seas (Yakimov et al. 2007,
2010); moreover, it was also detected in the oil plume in the Gulf of Mexico (Hazen
et al. 2010; Camilli et al. 2010) and terrestrial sites (caves and groundwater) (Mou
et al. 2008). In addition, Thalassolituus spp. was the dominant member of microbial
communities representative of seawater samples collected from oil production wells
in Canada (Kryachko et al. 2012). It is capable of special adaptation to different
temperatures (from 4
C to 28
C) and shows an interesting versatility on the use of
acetate or tetradecane according to the temperature (Mckew et al. 2007). Species
affiliated to Marinobacter genus are both heterotrophic and mixotrophic (Dhillon
et al. 2005; Handley et al. 2009a, b). Strains belonging to Marinobacter genus were
found in a wide range of environments, marine and saline terrestrial settings,
including various low-temperature hydrothermal environments (Shieh et al. 2003;
Moyer and Morita 2007), showing also capability to adapt to aerobic and anaerobic
conditions (Li et al. 2013; Gao et al. 2012). Indeed, only 4 out of the 41 already
described species belonging to Marinobacter genus showed hydrocarbons degradation capability (Handley and Lloyd 2013). Moreover, some species have also the
ability to reduce nitrates, potentially useful in oilfield maintenance and for the strains
themselves as an advantage to colonize different ecological niches (phycospheres).
Oleiphilus messinensis is a mono-species mono-genus strain, growing preferentially on
aliphatic hydrocarbons as sole carbon sources; it inhabits preferentially marine sediments (Golyshin et al. 2002). This strain harbors the largest genome among obligate
7 Biodegradation of Hydrocarbons in Marine Environment
201
genera of obligate hydrocarbonoclastic marine bacteria. Alcanivorax, together with
Thalassolituus, Cycloclasticus, Oleispira and Oleiphilus genera, includes specialist
bacterial strains that are able to use hydrocarbons as sole carbon and energy source.
Obligate hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria are extremely specialized in consuming
exclusively certain petroleum fractions for which their genes have been evolving. By
contrast, generalist hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria can, in some cases, use both
aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons. Alcanivorax-likebacteria have been identified
in oil-polluted marine areas across the globe, along the coast in Mediterranean Sea
(Denaro et al. 2005; Yakimov et al. 2007; Yakimov et al. 2019), in the Mid-Atlantic
Ridge near Antarctica (Alcaide et al. 2015) and in deep-sea sediments from eastern
Pacific Ocean (Liu and Shao 2005). Natural environments affected by an oil-spill
and artificial system as during oil-spill simulation in micro/mesocosms show similar
biodiversity pattern with a significant dominance of Alcanivorax sp. during the first
1–2 weeks, corresponding to a severe decrease in aliphatic relative fraction of oil
(Kasai et al. 2002; Hara et al. 2003; Yakimov et al. 2005; McKew et al. 2007; Li
et al. 2019). Strains belonging to Alcanivorax genus benefit from a selective advantage because they are able to use aliphatic hydrocarbons (Table 7.1) including
branched-chain alkanes such as pristane, naturally produced by marine plankton
(Hara et al. 2003; Head et al. 2006; Sevilla et al. 2017; Wang and Shao 2014).
Alcanivorax outcompetes with Thalassolituus sp. for the use of n-tetradecane and oil
(Yakimov et al. 2005; McKew et al. 2007). Thalassolituus-like bacteria were found
in microbial communities described in the Mediterranean, Baltic, Barents, Atlantic,
Pacific, Polar Oceans, North, Okhotsk, South China seas (Yakimov et al. 2007,
2010); moreover, it was also detected in the oil plume in the Gulf of Mexico (Hazen
et al. 2010; Camilli et al. 2010) and terrestrial sites (caves and groundwater) (Mou
et al. 2008). In addition, Thalassolituus spp. was the dominant member of microbial
communities representative of seawater samples collected from oil production wells
in Canada (Kryachko et al. 2012). It is capable of special adaptation to different
temperatures (from 4
C to 28
C) and shows an interesting versatility on the use of
acetate or tetradecane according to the temperature (Mckew et al. 2007). Species
affiliated to Marinobacter genus are both heterotrophic and mixotrophic (Dhillon
et al. 2005; Handley et al. 2009a, b). Strains belonging to Marinobacter genus were
found in a wide range of environments, marine and saline terrestrial settings,
including various low-temperature hydrothermal environments (Shieh et al. 2003;
Moyer and Morita 2007), showing also capability to adapt to aerobic and anaerobic
conditions (Li et al. 2013; Gao et al. 2012). Indeed, only 4 out of the 41 already
described species belonging to Marinobacter genus showed hydrocarbons degradation capability (Handley and Lloyd 2013). Moreover, some species have also the
ability to reduce nitrates, potentially useful in oilfield maintenance and for the strains
themselves as an advantage to colonize different ecological niches (phycospheres).
Oleiphilus messinensis is a mono-species mono-genus strain, growing preferentially on
aliphatic hydrocarbons as sole carbon sources; it inhabits preferentially marine sediments (Golyshin et al. 2002). This strain harbors the largest genome among obligate
7 Biodegradation of Hydrocarbons in Marine Environment
201