Abstract
The trans-membrane transport of hydrocarbons is an important
and complex aspect of the process of biodegradation
of hydrocarbons by microorganisms. The mechanism of
transport of 14C n-octadecane by Pseudomonas sp. DG17,
an alkane-degrading bacterium, was studied by the addition
of ATP inhibitors and different substrate concentrations.
When the concentration of n-octadecane was higher than
4.54 μmol/L, the transport of 14C n-octadecane was driven
by a facilitated passive mechanism following the intra/extra
substrate concentration gradient. However, when the cells
were grown with a low concentration of the substrate, the
cellular accumulation of n-octadecane, an energy-dependent
process, was dramatically decreased by the presence of ATP
inhibitors, and n-octadecane accumulation continually increased
against its concentration gradient. Furthermore, the
presence of non-labeled alkanes blocked 14C n-octadecane
transport only in the induced cells, and the trans-membrane
transport of n-octadecane was specific with an apparent
dissociation constant Kt of 11.27 μmol/L and Vmax of 0.96
μmol/min/mg protein. The results indicated that the transmembrane
transport of n-octadecane by Pseudomonas sp.
DG17 was related to the substrate concentration and ATP.
Citations
Citations to this article as recorded by

- Membrane-protein-based insights into anthracene degradation by Bacillus firmus and its enhancement by rhamnolipids
Jieting Wu, Haoran Yin, Xiaofan Fu, Ruofan Zhao, Jin Lv, Lei Zhao, Chengbin Xu, Fang Ma
Journal of Applied Microbiology.2026;[Epub] CrossRef - Current paradigms and future challenges in harnessing gut bacterial symbionts of insects for biodegradation of plastic wastes
Mudasir A. Dar, Rongrong Xie, Hossain M. Zabed, Kiran D. Pawar, Neeraja P. Dhole, Jianzhong Sun
Insect Science.2025; 32(3): 726. CrossRef - Advances in Microbial Bioremediation of Microplastics in Mangrove Sediments: a Comprehensive Review
Muhammad Sheeraz Javed, Muhammad Adil, Jiliang Zhang, Isma Gul, Muhammad Rauf, Saeed Ahmad, Bushra Moon, Siqi Lu, Heli Lu, Ali Haidar Gormani, Younas Iqbal, Hassan Mahmood
Water, Air, & Soil Pollution.2025;[Epub] CrossRef - A prospective study on the biodegradation of petroleum hydrocarbons mediated by selected marine bacterial isolates
Umaima Hamed Al Hoqani, Syed Najmul Hejaz Azmi, Jayachandran Vavolil P, Huda Sultan Al Habsi, Salla Hemadri Reddy, Pankaj Sah, Jokha Salim Al Harthi, Zainab Nasser Bani Saad, Zainab Saif Al Nabhani, Qamar Uddin Ahmed, Md. Abdur Rashid Mia, Kamal Abdelrahm
Regional Studies in Marine Science.2025; 85: 104143. CrossRef - Molecular detection of mecA gene from methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus isolated from clinical and environmental samples and its potential inhibition by phytochemicals using in vitro and in silico approach
Mohammed M. Mohammed, Mustafa Alhaji Isa, Mustapha B. Abubakar, Abubakar Sadiq Baba Dikwa, Abidemi Paul Kappo
In Silico Pharmacology.2025;[Epub] CrossRef - Combined thermochemical-biotechnological approach for the valorization of polyolefins into polyhydroxyalkanoates: Development of an integrated bioconversion process by microbial consortia
Passanun Lomwongsopon, Tanja Narancic, Reinhard Wimmer, Cristiano Varrone
Chemosphere.2024; 367: 143671. CrossRef - Recent advances in biodegradation of emerging contaminants - microplastics (MPs): Feasibility, mechanism, and future prospects
Shuo Li, Yalun Yang, Shanshan Yang, Heshan Zheng, Yongjie Zheng, Jun M, Dillirani Nagarajan, Sunita Varjani, Jo-Shu Chang
Chemosphere.2023; 331: 138776. CrossRef - Sorption of petroleum hydrocarbons before transmembrane transport and the structure, mechanisms and functional regulation of microbial membrane transport systems
Jieting Wu, Ruofan Zhao, Lei Zhao, Qi Xu, Jin Lv, Fang Ma
Journal of Hazardous Materials.2023; 441: 129963. CrossRef - Bioaugmentation of diesel-contaminated soil with Pseudomonas sp. DTF1
H. Yang, G. Kim, K.-S. Cho
International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology.2023; 20(11): 12499. CrossRef - Potential Egyptian bacterial consortium for oil spill treatment: A laboratory simulation
Aya Elkemary, Samia S. Abouelkheir, Mostafa AbdelHakim, Soraya A. Sabry, Hanan A. Ghozlan
Case Studies in Chemical and Environmental Engineering.2023; 7: 100278. CrossRef - A review on biosurfactant producing bacteria for remediation of petroleum contaminated soils
Diksha Sah, J. P. N. Rai, Ankita Ghosh, Moumita Chakraborty
3 Biotech.2022;[Epub] CrossRef - Atlas of the microbial degradation of fluorinated pesticides
Diogo A. M. Alexandrino, Ana P. Mucha, C. Marisa R. Almeida, Maria F. Carvalho
Critical Reviews in Biotechnology.2022; 42(7): 991. CrossRef - Biological Process of Alkane Degradation by Gordonia sihwaniensis
Yinsong Liu, Jingchun Wu, Yikun Liu, Xiaolin Wu
ACS Omega.2022; 7(1): 55. CrossRef - Efficient biodesulfurization of diesel oil by Gordonia sp. SC-10 with highly hydrophobic cell surfaces
Shuiquan Chen, Meng Zang, Lin Li, Juntao Chen, Qiyou Liu, Xiwen Feng, Shuo Sun, Chuanwei Zang, Chaocheng Zhao
Biochemical Engineering Journal.2021; 174: 108094. CrossRef - Plastic biodegradation: Frontline microbes and their enzymes
Ayodeji Amobonye, Prashant Bhagwat, Suren Singh, Santhosh Pillai
Science of The Total Environment.2021; 759: 143536. CrossRef - Substrate regulation on co-metabolic degradation of β-cypermethrin by Bacillus licheniformis B-1
Jiayuan Zhao, Dongying Jia, Juan Du, Yuanlong Chi, Kai Yao
AMB Express.2019;[Epub] CrossRef - Biodegradation of marine oil spills in the Arctic with a Greenland perspective
Leendert Vergeynst, Susse Wegeberg, Jens Aamand, Pia Lassen, Ulrich Gosewinkel, Janne Fritt-Rasmussen, Kim Gustavson, Anders Mosbech
Science of The Total Environment.2018; 626: 1243. CrossRef - Bacterial community succession and degradation patterns of hydrocarbons in seawater at low temperature
Leendert Vergeynst, Kasper U. Kjeldsen, Pia Lassen, Søren Rysgaard
Journal of Hazardous Materials.2018; 353: 127. CrossRef - Biodegradation of endocrine‐disrupting compounds by ligninolytic fungi: mechanisms involved in the degradation
Tomáš Cajthaml
Environmental Microbiology.2015; 17(12): 4822. CrossRef - A Comprehensive Review of Aliphatic Hydrocarbon Biodegradation by Bacteria
Firouz Abbasian, Robin Lockington, Megharaj Mallavarapu, Ravi Naidu
Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology.2015; 176(3): 670. CrossRef - Uptake and trans-membrane transport of petroleum hydrocarbons by microorganisms
Fei Hua, Hong Qi Wang
Biotechnology & Biotechnological Equipment.2014; 28(2): 165. CrossRef