Biodegradation of highly branched isoprenoid hydrocarbons: A possible explanation of sedimentary abundance

Abstract Biodegradation of abundant and widely distributed, highly branched C 20 and C 25 sedimentary alkanes and alkenes by Pseudomonas aeruginosa in the laboratory (20°C, 0–28 days) showed that the compounds were more resistant than n-alkanes and n-alkenes of the same molecular weight. The results suggest that resistance to biodegradation is one factor controlling the sedimentary distributions.