南开大学的科研人员在世界上首次完成了一株重要的采油微生物的全基因组破译，揭示了其遗传信息并首次发现重要代谢路径，为清除石油污染带来新的曙光，对于微生物采油技术的革新亦具有重要意义。
日前，有关成果以论文的形式发表在国际顶级学术刊物《美国科学院院刊》（英文简称PNAS）上。3月19日，PNAS在其主页上公布了这篇论文的全文。这是天津地区诞生的第一篇PNAS论文。
论文通讯作者、南开大学泰达生物技术学院院长、长江学者王磊是项目主持人。他说，该成果是石油微生物研究领域的重要发现，南开大学已对其中的关键发现申请国际专利保护。
部分英文原文：
Published online before print March 19, 2007, 10.1073/pnas.0609650104
PNAS | March 27, 2007 | vol. 104 | no. 13 | 5602-5607
Genome and proteome of long-chain alkane degrading Geobacillus thermodenitrificans NG80-2 isolated from a deep-subsurface oil reservoir
Lu Feng*,,, Wei Wang*,,, Jiansong Cheng*, Yi Ren*, Guang Zhao*, Chunxu Gao*, Yun Tang*, Xueqian Liu*, Weiqing Han*, Xia Peng*,,, Rulin Liu,, and Lei Wang*,,,,¶
*TEDA School of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology and Tianjin Key Laboratory of Microbial Functional Genomics, Nankai University, 23 Hongda Street, Tianjin Economic-Technological Development Area (TEDA), Tianjin 300457, China; Tianjin Research Center for Functional Genomics and Biochip, 23 Hongda Street, Tianjin Economic-Technological Development Area (TEDA), Tianjin 300457, China; and College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, 94 Weijin Road, Tianjin 300071, China
Edited by David M. Karl, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI, and approved February 6, 2007 (received for review November 2, 2006)
The complete genome sequence of Geobacillus thermodenitrificans NG80-2, a thermophilic bacillus isolated from a deep oil reservoir in Northern China, consists of a 3,550,319-bp chromosome and a 57,693-bp plasmid. The genome reveals that NG80-2 is well equipped for adaptation into a wide variety of environmental niches, including oil reservoirs, by possessing genes for utilization of a broad range of energy sources, genes encoding various transporters for efficient nutrient uptake and detoxification, and genes for a flexible respiration system including an aerobic branch comprising five terminal oxidases and an anaerobic branch comprising a complete denitrification pathway for quick response to dissolved oxygen fluctuation. The identification of a nitrous oxide reductase gene has not been previously described in Gram-positive bacteria. The proteome further reveals the presence of a long-chain alkane degradation pathway; and the function of the key enzyme in the pathway, the long-chain alkane monooxygenase LadA, is confirmed by in vivo and in vitro experiments. The thermophilic soluble monomeric LadA is an ideal candidate for treatment of environmental oil pollutions and biosynthesis of complex molecules.
adaptation | degradation | monooxygenase
Author contributions: L.F. and W.W. contributed equally to this work; L.F. and L.W. designed research; W.W., G.Z., C.G., Y.T., X.L., and W.H. performed research; L.F., W.W., J.C., Y.R., X.P., and R.L. contributed new reagents/analytic tools; L.F., W.W., J.C., Y.R., G.Z., and C.G. analyzed data; and L.F., W.W., J.C., and L.W. wrote the paper.
