General Information: Alkene-degrading bacterium. Xanthobacter autotrophicus is a nitrogen-fixing methylotroph, commonly isolated from organic rich soil, sediment and water. This organism uses an alkene-specific monooxygenase to convert propene to epoxypropane. This monooxygenase is also able to catalyze the initial step in the cometabolism of chlorinated alkenes such as vinyl chloride and trichloroethene. The Xanthobacter autotrophicus alkene monooxygenase and other genes involved in alkene degradation are located on a 320 kb megaplasmid.