Aerobic and anaerobic degradation of a range of alkyl sulfides by a denitrifying marine bacterium

Applied and Environmental Microbiology
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Abstract

A pure culture of a bacterium was obtained from a marine microbial mat by using an anoxic medium containing dimethyl sulfide (DMS) and nitrate. The isolate grew aerobically or anaerobically as a denitrifier on alkyl sulfides, including DMS, dimethyl disulfide, diethyl sulfide (DES), ethyl methyl sulfide, dipropyl sulfide, dibutyl sulfide, and dibutyl disulfide. Cells grown on an alkyl sulfide or disulfide also oxidized the corresponding thiols, namely, methanethiol, ethanethiol, propanethiol, or butanethiol. Alkyl sulfides were metabolized by induced or derepressed cells with oxygen, nitrate, or nitrite as electron acceptor. Cells grown on DMS immediately metabolized DMS, but there was a lag before DES was consumed; with DES-grown cells, DES was immediately used but DMS was used only after a lag. Chloramphenicol prevented the eventual use of DES by DMS-grown cells and DMS use by DES-grown cells, respectively, indicating separate enzymes for the metabolism of methyl and ethyl groups. Growth was rapid on formate, acetate, propionate, and butyrate but slow on methanol. The organism also grew chemolithotrophically on thiosulfate with a decrease in pH; growth required carbonate in the medium. Growth on sulfide was also carbonate dependent but slow. The isolate was identified as a Thiobacillus sp. and designated strain ASN-1. It may have utility for removing alkyl sulfides, and also nitrate, nitrite, and sulfide, from wastewaters.

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Publication type Article
Publication Subtype Journal Article
Title Aerobic and anaerobic degradation of a range of alkyl sulfides by a denitrifying marine bacterium
Series title Applied and Environmental Microbiology
DOI 10.1128/aem.59.12.4083-4089.1993
Volume 59
Issue 12
Year Published 1993
Language English
Publisher American Society for Microbiology
Description 7 p.
First page 4083
Last page 4089
Country United States
State Georgia
Other Geospatial Sapelo Island
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