Development of a genetic transformation system for benzene-tolerant Rhodococcus opacus strains.

Rhodococcus opacus B-4 and B-9 are tolerant to various organic solvents including benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylenes and styrene, and are suitable bacterial hosts for the production of chemical products from hydrophobic substrates. A 4.4-kb endogenous plasmid (pKNR 01) was isolated from R.

Isolation and characterization of benzene-tolerant Rhodococcus opacus strains.

Twenty-two benzene-utilizing bacteria were isolated from soil samples. Among them, three isolates were highly tolerant to benzene. They grew on benzene when liquid benzene was added to the basal salt medium at 10--90% (v/v).