Gordonia: versatile actinobacteria for biotechnology

The versatile genus Gordonia of the order Actinomycetales comprises numerous biotechnological interesting members. They often possess large genomes and plasmids which provide an arsenal of metabolic capabilities such as for the production of secondary metabolites, biosurfactants, bioactives, exopolysaccharides or carotenoids. Further, many can degrade a huge variety of complex organic molecules making them interesting for bioremediation. Gordonia rubripertincta CWB2 was found to harbour a novel styrene degradative pathway involving glutathione. This pathway is more similar to detoxification routes in higher organisms than to other bacterial routes for styrene metabolism. However, it seems to base on a mix of genes from styrene and isoprene pathways which created this novel pathway, likely by horizontal gene transfer. Now, we like to study this route in more detail and make use of it in order to produce phenylacetic acids such as ibuprofen.