Unveiling the hidden role of aquatic viruses in hydrocarbon pollution bioremediation.
J. Hazard. Mater. 459:132299 (2023)
Hydrocarbon pollution poses substantial environmental risks to water and soil. Bioremediation, which utilizes microorganisms to manage pollutants, offers a cost-effective solution. However, the role of viruses, particularly bacteriophages (phages), in bioremediation remains unexplored. This study examines the diversity and activity of hydrocarbon-degradation genes encoded by environmental viruses, focusing on phages, within public databases. We identified 57 high-quality phage-encoded auxiliary metabolic genes (AMGs) related to hydrocarbon degradation, which we refer to as virus-encoded hydrocarbon degradation genes (vHYDEGs). These genes are encoded by taxonomically diverse aquatic phages and highlight the under-characterized global virosphere. Six protein families involved in the initial alkane hydroxylation steps were identified. Phylogenetic analyses revealed the diverse evolutionary trajectories of vHYDEGs across habitats, revealing previously unknown biodegraders linked evolutionarily with vHYDEGs. Our findings suggest phage AMGs may contribute to alkane and aromatic hydrocarbon degradation, participating in the initial, rate-limiting hydroxylation steps, thereby aiding hydrocarbon pollution bioremediation and promoting their propagation. To support future research, we developed vHyDeg, a database containing identified vHYDEGs with comprehensive annotations, facilitating the screening of hydrocarbon degradation AMGs and encouraging their bioremediation applications.
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Publication type
Article: Journal article
Document type
Scientific Article
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Keywords
Alkane Hydroxylases ; Auxiliary Metabolic Gene ; Bacteriophages ; Bioremediation ; Virus-encoded Hydrocarbon Degradation Genes; Alkane Hydroxylases; Monooxygenase Genes; Metabolic Genes; Transfer-rnas; High-accuracy; Oil; Diversity; Biodegradation; Degradation; Bacteria
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Language
english
Publication Year
2023
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0
HGF-reported in Year
2023
ISSN (print) / ISBN
0304-3894
e-ISSN
1873-3336
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Volume: 459,
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Article Number: 132299
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Elsevier
Publishing Place
Radarweg 29, 1043 Nx Amsterdam, Netherlands
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Reviewing status
Peer reviewed
POF-Topic(s)
30203 - Molecular Targets and Therapies
Research field(s)
Immune Response and Infection
PSP Element(s)
G-554300-001
Grants
China Scholarship Council (CSC)
German Research Foundation
Copyright
Erfassungsdatum
2023-10-06