Gene involved in thiophene biotransformation from nocardia asteroides KGB1

摘要

The present invention relates to an isolated nucleic acid molecule which encodes one or more of the enzymes which catalyze one or more steps in the desulfurization of thiophene, or a homologue or active fragment thereof. The invention also includes a recombinant microorganism containing one or more such heterologous nucleic acid molecules. The invention also provides a method for desulfurizing a fossil fuel containing thiophene and/or one or more substituted thiophenes. The method comprises contacting the fossil fuel with an organism containing a recombinant nucleic acid molecule which encodes an enzyme which catalyzes the desulfurization of thiophene.