title: Identification of a new operon involved in desulfurization of dibenzothiophenes using a metagenomic study and cloning and functional analysis of the genes.
abstract: The presence of sulphur-substituted hydrocarbons in fossil fuels are one of main reasons for the release of sulfur oxides into the environment. Dibenzothiophenes (DBT) are organic sulfur-containing molecules in crude oil, which have the potential for biological oxidation, with the sulphur being removed through an enzymatic cleavage of the CS bonds. Therefore, finding new strains that can desulfurize this compound has recently become a point of interest. In this study, three new genes involved in the bacterial desulfurization of Dibenzothiophene, which were sequenced in the course of a metagenomic study, were isolated by PCR amplification in the laboratory. The activities of these genes were then analysed following insertion into an expression vector and cloning in Escherichia coli DH5α cells. Based on the results, all three genes were actively expressed and their products could act on their corresponding substrates.
authors.affiliation: Global Centre for Environmental Remediation (GCER), Faculty of Science and Information Technology, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW2308, Australia; Cooperative Research Centre for Environmental Risk Assessment and Remediation of the Environment (CRC CARE), University of Newcastle, Australia. Electronic address: Firouz.abbasian@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Firouz
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Abbasian
authors.affiliation: Centre of Environmental Risk Assesment and Remediation (CERAR), University of South Australia, Australia. Electronic address: Robin.Lockington@unisa.edu.au.
authors.forename: Robin
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lockington
authors.affiliation: Global Centre for Environmental Remediation (GCER), Faculty of Science and Information Technology, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW2308, Australia; Cooperative Research Centre for Environmental Risk Assessment and Remediation of the Environment (CRC CARE), University of Newcastle, Australia. Electronic address: Megh.Mallavarapu@newcastle.edu.au.
authors.forename: Mallavarapu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Megharaj
authors.affiliation: Global Centre for Environmental Remediation (GCER), Faculty of Science and Information Technology, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW2308, Australia; Cooperative Research Centre for Environmental Risk Assessment and Remediation of the Environment (CRC CARE), University of Newcastle, Australia. Electronic address: Ravi.Naidu@newcastle.edu.au.
authors.forename: Ravi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Naidu
mesh_terms: D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D005579:Fossil Fuels; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D056186:Metagenomics; D009876:Operon; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D013455:Sulfur / Q000378:metabolism; D013876:Thiophenes / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D005579:Fossil Fuels; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D013876:Thiophenes; D013455:Sulfur; C016366:dibenzothiophene
keywords: Cloning; Desulfurization; Dibenzothiophenes; Metagenomics