Analysis and molecular cloning of genes involved in thiophene and furan oxidation by Escherichia coli

Conference · Sun Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1989

OSTI ID:5871403

Alam, K Y; Worland, M J; Clark, D P

Alternative methods for the desulfurization of coal are currently needed. The microbial removal of organic sulfur from coal is addressed in this issue by attempting to construct by genetic means, strains of bacteria which can degrade thiophenes and related organic sulfur compounds. Our first attempts in this direction have resulted in the isolation of a series of mutant strains of Escherchia coli with successively increased oxidizing ability towards furan and thiophene compounds. Three novel genes involved in thiophene oxidation, thdA, thdC, and thdD, were identified and mapped on the E. coli chromosome. In addition, mutations in two previously known regulatory genes fadR and atoC were also required. Further work resulted in more accurate mapping of thdA and thdD relative to known chromosomal genes and the isolation of a further mutation, thdE, so far unmapped. This conference presentation reviews some more recent findings, including the cloning of several genes involved in thiophene metabolism. 23 refs., 2 figs., 5 tabs.

• Research Organization: Southern Illinois Univ., Carbondale, IL (USA). Dept. of Microbiology
• DOE Contract Number: FG22-87PC79912
• OSTI ID: 5871403
• Report Number(s): CONF-890509-2; ON: DE89015156
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
010402* -- Coal
Lignite
& Peat-- Purification & Upgrading
550400 -- Genetics
550700 -- Microbiology
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
BACTERIA
BIODEGRADATION
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CLONING
COAL
DECOMPOSITION
DESULFURIZATION
ENERGY SOURCES
ESCHERICHIA COLI
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
FURANS
GENES
HETEROCYCLIC COMPOUNDS
MATERIALS
MICROORGANISMS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC SULFUR COMPOUNDS
OXIDATION
THIOPHENE