USE OF GENETICALLY ENGINEERED MULTI-PLASMID MICROORGANISMS FOR RAPID DEGRADATION OF FUEL HYDROCARBONS

In Pseudomonas, the genes specifying enzymes governing the biodegradation of a variety of hydrocarbons are clustered together and are borne on transmissible or nontransmissible plasmids. The transfer of such hydrocarbon degradative plasmids from a number of individual Pseudomonas species to a single culture produces a multi-plasmid strain which can oxidize a variety of hydrocarbons including aliphatic, aromatic, terpenic, and polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons. In the presence of suitable inducers, all these plasmidspecified pathways are induced and the hydrocarbon substrates oxidized simultaneously. The multi-plasmid strain is shown to grow much faster with crude oil than any of the individual parents, and may, therefore, be suitable for use in oil spill clean up or in the production of protein from petroleum