title: Isolation and characterization of an interactive culture of two Paenibacillus species with moderately thermophilic desulfurization ability.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To isolate and characterize novel thermophilic bacteria capable of biodesulfurization of petroleum.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A culture containing two Paenibacillus spp. (denoted "32O-W" and "32O-Y") was isolated by repeated passage of a soil sample at up to 55 °C in medium containing dibenzothiophene (DBT) as sulfur source. Only 32O-Y metabolized DBT, apparently via the 4S pathway; maximum activity occurred from 40 to 45 °C, with some activity up to at least 50 °C. 32O-W enhanced DBT metabolism by 32O-Y (by 22-74 % at 40-50 °C). With sulfate as sulfur source, 32O-Y and 32O-W grew well up to 58 and 63 °C, respectively. Selection of a mixed culture of 32O-Y and 32O-W at 54 °C increased DBT metabolism 36-42 % from 40 to 45 °C. Genome sequencing identified desulfurization gene homologs in the strains consistent with their desulfurization properties.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The 32O-Y/32O-W culture may be a useful starting point for development of an improved thermophilic petroleum biodesulfurization process.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, IL, 60616, USA. jwang93@hawk.iit.edu.
authors.forename: Jia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, IL, 60616, USA. batzayada@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Batzaya
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Davaadelger
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, IL, 60616, USA. jkrieger@iit.edu.
authors.forename: Joelle K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Salazar
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, IL, 60616, USA. rbutler1@hawk.iit.edu.
authors.forename: Robert R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Butler
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, IL, 60616, USA. jpombert@iit.edu.
authors.forename: Jean-François
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Pombert
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, IL, 60616, USA. kilbane@iit.edu.
authors.forename: John J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Kilbane
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, IL, 60616, USA. starkb@iit.edu.
authors.forename: Benjamin C
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Stark
mesh_terms: D001709:Biotechnology; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques; D006358:Hot Temperature; D056507:Paenibacillus / Q000378:metabolism*; D010578:Petroleum / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology; D013455:Sulfur / Q000378:metabolism*; D013876:Thiophenes / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D010578:Petroleum; D013876:Thiophenes; D013455:Sulfur; C016366:dibenzothiophene
keywords: Biodesulfurization; Dibenzothiophene; Directed evolution; Interaction; Paenibacillus; Thermophiles