Bioprocessing of lignite coals using reductive microorganisms

Technical Report · Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1991

OSTI ID:5454505

Crawford, D L

Research continued on bioprocessing of lignite. This quarter results are as follows: Pseudomonas strain DLC-62 produces an extracellular enzyme activity which depolymerizes a water soluble lignite coal polymer at acidic pH's. The lignite depolymerase acts in a nonoxidative fashion, presumably hydrolytically. In the present work we find that the enzymes present in active extracellular culture filtrates of DLC-62 are composed almost exclusively of multiple esterases and peroxidases. One of the esterase isoforms was synthesized constitutively, while others were induced, albeit variably, by coal. The two peroxidase isoforms were constitutively expressed. In liquid medium, both activities were maximally expressed approximately 36--48 hours after entry of cells into stationary phase. Partially purified esterases, from periplasmic, cytoplasmic, and membrane fractions of the cells, were incubated with coal polymer. Under these conditions, they exhibited no depolymerizing activity. However, crude ultra-filtered culture filtrates containing both esterases and peroxidases were active. In the latter case, however, coal depolymerizing activity was independent of extraneously added H{sub 2}O{sub 2}. This finding was extended to culture filtrates of the actinomycete Streptomyces viridosporus T7A. Concentrated culture filtrates from strain T7A also contained esterases and peroxidases, and they depolymerized coal. The esterases of strain DLC-62 have been partially purified by Fast Protein Liquid Chromatography (FPLC) and are currently being further characterized. 13 refs., 10 figs, 1 tab.

• Research Organization: Idaho Univ., Moscow, ID (United States). Dept. of Bacteriology and Biochemistry
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: FG22-88PC88919
• OSTI ID: 5454505
• Report Number(s): DOE/PC/88919-T5; ON: DE91016792
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
LIGNITE
DEPOLYMERIZATION
BIOCONVERSION
CULTURE MEDIA
ELECTROPHORESIS
ENZYMES
ESTERASES
LIQUID COLUMN CHROMATOGRAPHY
MOLECULAR WEIGHT
PEROXIDASES
PROGRESS REPORT
PSEUDOMONAS
BACTERIA
BROWN COAL
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHROMATOGRAPHY
COAL
DECOMPOSITION
DOCUMENT TYPES
ENERGY SOURCES
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
HYDROLASES
MATERIALS
MICROORGANISMS
OXIDOREDUCTASES
SEPARATION PROCESSES
010402* - Coal
Lignite
& Peat- Purification & Upgrading
010405 - Coal
Lignite
& Peat- Hydrogenation & Liquefaction
550700 - Microbiology