Degradation of thiophene-2-carboxylate, furan-2-carboxylate, pyrrole-2-carboxylate and other thiophene derivatives by the bacterium Vibrio YC1.

A bacterium of the genus Vibrio, capable of degrading thiophene derivatives, was isolated from enrichment cultures inoculated with oil-contaminated estuarine mud. Of the thiophene derivatives tested, only thiophene-2-carboxylate (T2C), thiophene-2-acetate and thiophene-2-carbonyl chloride supported growth, but a total of seven were significantly oxidised by resting cells. Furan-2-carboxylate (F2C) and pyrrole-2-carboxylate (P2C) also supported growth and were oxidised. The heteroatoms of T2C and P2C were released into the media as sulphate and ammonia and served as sole sources of sulphur and nitrogen for growth. Mutants defective in T2C utilisation (Thc-) were isolated, many being also defective in F2C and P2C utilisation.