Alkane-degrading properties of Dietzia sp. H0B, a key player in the Prestige oil spill biodegradation (NW Spain)

The macroinfauna of the Galician sandy beaches (NW Spain) affected by the Prestige oil-spill.

Eighteen sandy beaches were sampled along the 1659 km of the Galician coast (NW Spain) six months after the Prestige oil-spill to study the impact of the fuel and the clean-up activities on the macroinfauna community. A transect was extended at each beach, from above the drift line to below the swash line at five sampled levels; at each level six 0.05 m2 replicates were taken to a depth of 30 c...

Acetylcholinesterase activity in seabirds affected by the Prestige oil spill on the Galician coast (NW Spain).

In November 2002, the tanker Prestige broke in two and sank at the bottom of the ocean spilling about 70,000 t of fuel oil, which reached the coast of Galicia. It was considered the largest spill in maritime history, greatly affecting marine and related avian species. The spilled fuel oil contained high concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Many species were affected and we...

Regulation of the Alkane Hydroxylase CYP153 Gene in a Gram-Positive Alkane-Degrading Bacterium, Dietzia sp. Strain DQ12-45-1b.

CYP153, one of the most common medium-chain n-alkane hydroxylases belonging to the cytochrome P450 superfamily, is widely expressed in n-alkane-degrading bacteria. CYP153 is also thought to cooperate with AlkB in degrading various n-alkanes. However, the mechanisms regulating the expression of the protein remain largely unknown. In this paper, we studied CYP153 gene transcription regulation by ...

Characterization of a novel long-chain n-alkane-degrading strain, Dietzia sp. E1.

The newly isolated strain E1, identified as a Dietzia sp., proved to have an excellent ability to degrade n-C12 to n-C38 alkane components of crude oil. The preferred substrate was the very long-chain alkane n-eicosane at an optimal temperature of 37 degrees C and an optimal pH of 8 under aerobic conditions. The growth and substrate uptake kinetics were monitored during the n-alkane fermentatio...

Prestige wreck. For Spain, oil spill disaster is in the bag.