ISSN 2756-3413
African Journal of Virology Research ISSN 3421-7347 Vol. 12 (1), pp. 001-006, January, 2018. © International Scholars Journals
Full Length Research Paper
Biodesulfurization of dibenzothiophene and its alkylated derivatives through the sulfur-specific pathway by the bacterium RIPI-S81
Ladan Rashidi1*, Ghasemali Mohebali2, Jafar Towfighi darian1, Behnam Rasekh2
1Chemical Engineering Department, Tarbiat Modarres University, Tehran, P.O.BOX. 14115- 4838, Iran.
2Department for microbiology, Research Institute of Petroleum Industry, Tehran, P.O.BOX. 18745- 4163, Iran.
Accepted 23 June, 2017
Abstract
RIPI-S81 is a new dibenzothiophene (DBT)-desulfurizing bacterium, which was isolated by Research Institute of Petroleum Industry in Iran. Resting cells and growing cells of RIPI-S81 was able to convert alkylated dibenzothiophenes (Cx-DBTs) to hydroxybiphenyls such that they were almost stoichiometrically accumulated as the dead-end metabolites of Cx-DBTs desulfurization in the medium containing minimal salt (MSM) and nutrients. RIPI-S81 could desulfurize up to 80% of 4,6-dimethyldibenzothiophene and 50% of methyldibenzothiophene in the MSM containing 40 mg/l of a sulfur source. The molecular structures of metabolites and the reduction of Cx-DBTs were analyzed using GC-MS and HPLC. The position of alkyl substitutes and the sulfur substrate affected desulfurization rates.
Key words: Biodesulfurization, dibenzothiophene, 4, 6-dimethyldibenzothiophene, 4-methyldibenzothiophene.