Desulfurization of Organic Sulfur by Micro organisms

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A strategy of an enrichment culture utilizing dibenzothiophene (DBT) as the growth-limiting source of sulfur was employed for the microbial desulfurization of fossil fuels. Strain SY1, identified as a Rodococcus sp., was isolated on the basis of the ability to utilize DBT as the sole source of sulfur. Strain SY1 could utilize a wide range of organic and inorganic sulfur compounds, such as DBT sulfone, dimethylsulfide, dimethylsulfoxide, dimethylsulfone, CS_2, FeS_2, and even elemental sulfur. Strain SY1 metabolized DBT to dibenzothiophene-5-oxide, DBT sulfone, and 2-hydroxybiphenyl, which was subsequently nitrated to produce at least two different hydroxynitrobiphenyls during cultivation. These metabolites were separated by silica gel column chromatography and identified by nuclear magnetic resonance, UV , and mass spectral technigues. Resting cells of SY1 desulfurized toluenesulfonic acid and released sulfite anion. On the basis of these result, a new DBT degradation pathway is proposed.