Degradation of petroleum hydrocarbons (C6-C40) and crude oil by a novel Dietzia strain

► A Dietzia strain can use n-alkane (C6-C40), aromatic compounds, crude oil as sole carbon sources. ► It behaved differently from other hydrocarbon degraders toward crude oil degradation. ► alkB and CYP153 genes were cloned indicating the strain has two or more alkane metabolic pathways. ► This is the first report of different behaviors of a bacterium toward crude oil degradation.