16S amplicon sequencing of bacterial communities from enrichment cultures of rhizosphere soil

The biotransformation of monoterpenes (e.g., such as the versatile precursor beta-myrcene) into value-added compounds, with enhanced organoleptic and therapeutic properties, may be performed by resorting to specialized enzymatic machinery of monoterpene-catabolizing bacteria. Few beta-myrcene-catabolizing bacteria have been studied, which limits the diversity of genetic modules and catabolic pathways available for biotechnological research.The environmental diversity and dissemination of the bacterial beta-myrcene-biotransforming genetic trait was investigated, by bioprospecting the rhizospheres of cork oak (Quercus suber L.) and eucalyptus (Eucalyptus globulus Labill) forests, in 4 geographic locations in Portugal.Soil microbiomes were enriched in beta-myrcene-supplemented cultures and the structure of the beta-myrcene-biotransforming community was monitored throughout time by 16S rDNA metabarcoding.