Chemostat enrichment is a classical microbiological method that is well suited for use in directed-evolution strategies. We used a two-phase sulfur-limited chemostat to select for gain-of-function mutants with mutations in the biodesulfurization (Dsz) system of Rhodococcus erythropolis IGTS8, enriching for growth in the presence of organosulfur compounds that could not support growth of the wil...

Sulfur content in fossil fuels is known to be the most important anthropogenic cause of sulfur oxide emissions to the atmosphere. In order to avoid health, environmental and technical problems caused by this compound, legislation imposes restrictive limitations to fuel sulfur content. Biodesulfurization (BDS) can become a complementary technology to hydrodesulfurization (HDS) to face this situa...

The genus Rhodococcus exhibits a broad catabolic diversity that is often related to unusual genome diversity. A modified HiCEP method was applied for the identification of strain-specific genes by comparing two different strains. Rhodococcus erythropolis JCM3201 and NI86/21 were compared and 11 genes were identified as NI86/21-specific genes.

The biodesulfurization (BDS) of sulfur compounds in fossil fuels is a process to reduce sulfur dioxide emissions that cause environmental pollution. Gordonia alkanivorans RIPI90A is able to convert dibenzothiophene, an organic sulfur compound in petroleum, to 2-hydroxybiphenyl (2-HBP) in 4S pathway. In this study, (DBT), DszA and DszB, DBT sulfone monooxygenase, and desulfinase were respectivel...

Here, we report the draft genome sequence of radiation-resistant Rhodococcus erythropolis strain P27, isolated from leaves of Deschampsia antarctica Desv. (Poaceae) in the Admiralty Bay area, Antarctica.

We recently reported that the overexpression of GroEL2 played an important role in increasing the alkane tolerance of Rhodococcus erythropolis PR4. In the present study, we examined the effects of the introduction of groEL2 on the alkane tolerance of other Rhodococcus strains. The introduction of groEL2 into Rhodococcus strains led to increased alkane tolerance. The translocation of R. rhodochr...

Rhodococcus rhodochrous ATCC 17895 possesses an array of mono- and dioxygenases, as well as hydratases, which makes it an interesting organism for biocatalysis. R. rhodochrous is a Gram-positive aerobic bacterium with a rod-like morphology. Here we describe the features of this organism, together with the complete genome sequence and annotation. The 6,869,887 bp long genome contains 6,609 prote...

Rhodococcus sp. strain IGTS8 possesses an enzymatic pathway that can remove covalently bound sulfur from dibenzothiophene (DBT) without breaking carbon-carbon bonds. The DNA sequence of a 4.0-kb BstBI-BsiWI fragment that carries the genes for this pathway was determined. Frameshift and deletion mutations established that three open reading frames were required for DBT desulfurization, and the g...

BACKGROUND The combustion of sulfur-rich fossil fuels leads to release of sulfur oxide pollution in the environment. In biodesulfurization process, an organism is able to remove sulfur from fossil fuels without decreasing the caloric value of those substrates. The main aim of this research was to design a recombinant microorganism to remove the highest amount of sulfur compounds in fossil fuels...