Bioinformatics characterization of PCBs and benzoate metabolism genes from Pseudomonas pseudoalcaligenes

PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) had been widely used for a variety of industrial purposes. Due to their classification as persistent organic pollutants, their production was banned in 1979. However, PCBs-polluted sites are still present worldwide, thus leading to the need for environmental remediation strategies for PCB compounds. Several PCBs-degrading bacteria had been previously isolated from anthropogenic polluted zones and had been screened to select those useful in bioremediation [1]. In this context, the γ-proteobacterium Pseudomonas pseudoalcaligenes KF707 is considered as one of the best candidate, due to its high heavy metal-resistance and its capability to grow either in planktonic or biofilm state [2]. Our aim was to investigate, within P. pseudoalcaligenes KF707 genome, bph and ben gene operon features, involved in the PCBs and the benzoate degradation pathways respectively. Since benzoate catabolism play a key role in aerobic bacterial PCBs degradation, we particularly focused on ben gene operons. Comparative genomic analyses extended to other classes out of γ-proteobacteria including order Pseudomonadales and phylogenetic analyses of protein encoding in ben operon were perfomed, in order to trace their ancestry.