Abstract:

Rhodococcus are gram-positive bacteria isolated from a variety of environments, such as soil and deep sea. They
belong to the family Nocardiaceae of the order Actinomycetales of the subclass Actinobacteridae of the class Actinobacteria
of the phylum Actinobacteria. The metabolic diversity of Rhodococci is associated with unique cell wall structure, large
genome size and the presence of circular plasmids which accommodate large sets of oxidases along with other enzymes,
which make these microbes highly competitive in the race to utilize energy and carbon sources derived from organic
compounds. This paper discusses the classification of Rhodococcus and explains the role of Rhodococcus in the degradation
of petroleum hydrocarbons, organic nitrile and mycotoxins. The existing studies suggest that Rhodococcus have good
bioremediation ability and can be widely used in environmental pollution and industrial and agricultural production.

Key words: Rhodococcus, classification, biodegradation