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Applied and Environmental Microbiology, March 2004, p. 1487-1493, Vol. 70, No. 3
0099-2240/04/$08.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/AEM.70.3.1487-1493.2004
Copyright © 2004, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Use of a Novel Fluorinated Organosulfur Compound To Isolate Bacteria Capable of Carbon-Sulfur Bond Cleavage

Jonathan D. Van Hamme,1* Phillip M. Fedorak,2 Julia M. Foght,2 Murray R. Gray,3 and Heather D. Dettman1

National Centre for Upgrading Technology, Devon, Alberta T9G 1A8,1 Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2E9,2 Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2G6, Canada3

Received 7 July 2003/ Accepted 24 November 2003

The vacuum residue fraction of heavy crudes contributes to the viscosity of these oils. Specific microbial cleavage of CS bonds in alkylsulfide bridges that form linkages in this fraction may result in dramatic viscosity reduction. To date, no bacterial strains have been shown conclusively to cleave CS bonds within alkyl chains. Screening for microbes that can perform this activity was greatly facilitated by the use of a newly synthesized compound, bis-(3-pentafluorophenylpropyl)-sulfide (PFPS), as a novel sulfur source. The terminal pentafluorinated aromatic rings of PFPS preclude growth of aromatic ring-degrading bacteria but allow for selective enrichment of strains capable of cleaving CS bonds. A unique bacterial strain, Rhodococcus sp. strain JVH1, that used PFPS as a sole sulfur source was isolated from an oil-contaminated environment. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis revealed that JVH1 oxidized PFPS to a sulfoxide and then a sulfone prior to cleaving the CS bond to form an alcohol and, presumably, a sulfinate from which sulfur could be extracted for growth. Four known dibenzothiophene-desulfurizing strains, including Rhodococcus sp. strain IGTS8, were all unable to cleave the CS bond in PFPS but could oxidize PFPS to the sulfone via the sulfoxide. Conversely, JVH1 was unable to oxidize dibenzothiophene but was able to use a variety of alkyl sulfides, in addition to PFPS, as sole sulfur sources. Overall, PFPS is an excellent tool for isolating bacteria capable of cleaving subterminal CS bonds within alkyl chains. The type of desulfurization displayed by JVH1 differs significantly from previously described reaction results.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Department of Biological Sciences, University College of the Cariboo, 900 McGill Rd., P.O. Box 3010, Kamloops, B.C. V2C 5N3, Canada. Phone: (250) 377-6064. Fax: (250) 828-5450. E-mail: jvanhamme{at}cariboo.bc.ca.

Applied and Environmental Microbiology, March 2004, p. 1487-1493, Vol. 70, No. 3
0099-2240/04/$08.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/AEM.70.3.1487-1493.2004
Copyright © 2004, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.



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