About: Desulfatibacillum alkenivorans AK-01

Desulfatibacillum alkenivorans AK-01 is a specific strain of Desulfatibacillum alkenivorans. Strain AK-01 was isolated from the Arthur Kill, NJ/NY waterway. This site has a history of contamination from petrochemical industry. AK-01 is a delta-proteobacterium capable of using C13-C18 alkanes as growth substrates (So et al., 1999). Analysis of labeled and fully deuterated metabolites shows that AK-01 activates n-alkanes via fumarate addition to the subterminal carbon using alkylsuccinate synthase. Recent studies have also shown that AK-01 uses sulfate, sulfite and thiosulfate as Terminal Electron Acceptors. It has also been shown that AK-01 uses not only alkanes but also 1-alkenes, 1-alkanols, fatty acids and other organic acids as carbon substrates.