Microbial desulfurization of alkylated dibenzothiophene and alkylated benzothiophene by recombinant Rhodococcus sp strain T09

The dibenzothiophene (DBT) desulfurizing operon, dsz, was introduced into v arious benzothiophene (BT)-desulfurizing bacteria using a Rhodococcus-E. co li shuttle vector. Of the tested recombinant bacteria, only those from Rhod ococcus sp. strain T09 grew with both DBT and BT as the sole sulfur source. These recombinant cells desulfurized not only alkylated BTs, but also vari ous alkylated DBTs, producing alkylated hydroxybiphenyls as the desulfurize d products. Recombinant strain T09 also desulfurized alkylated DBT in an oi l-water, two-phase resting-cell reaction. The dsz operon had the same desul furizing activity when inserted into the vector in either orientation, indi cating that the promoter region of the operon was functional in strain T09.