BACTERIAL TRANSFORMATIONS OF BENZOTHIOPHENE AND METHYLBENZOTHIOPHENES

The abilities of three Pseudomonas strains to transform each of the six isomers of methylbenzothiophene was studied. These compounds would not support growth but were biotransformed in a cell suspension of one of the isolates and in cultures of the other two isolates while they grew on 1-methylnaphthalene or glucose. Sulfur-containing metabolites were identified by GC/MS and GC/FTIR, and when possible, by comparison with authentic standards. Sulfoxides and sulfones were frequently detected and were the most abundant products from 2- and 3-methylbenzothiophene. Two of the isolates oxidized the methyl groups to carboxylic acids which were abundant products from 3-, 5-, and 6-methylbenzothiophenes. Benzothiophenemethanols were often detected, but in very low amounts. 2,3-Diones were observed as metabolites of benzothiophene and those methylbenzothiophenes with a methyl group on the benzene ring Isomers of tolyl methyl sulfoxide were observed as ring cleavage products from 6- and 7-methylbenzothiophene