Research on the degradation of hydrogen sulfide by sulfur oxidase using Ruegeria pomeroyi DSS-3

Abstract Hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) is the main toxic sulfur-containing odorant in water bloom, posing a great threat to the public health and drawn increasing attention. Marine Ruegeria pomeroyi DSS-3 is the dominant species in coastal sediments and harbors various sulfide-oxidizing genes. Herein we check the ability for H₂S removal of R. pomeroyi DSS-3 and study the enzymes responsible for H₂S removal. Using the fluorescent probe psGFP, we found that R. pomeroyi DSS-3 is able to oxidize H₂S to polysulfides, then converting to thiosulfate and eventually to sulfate. By expression of sulfur oxidase in R. pomeroyi DSS-3, we found that SQR and FccB play synergistic roles in sulfur oxidation. Given that the heterotrophic R. pomeroyi DSS-3 bacteria are abundant and ubiquitous in marine environment such as water bloom, they can make a considerable contribution to sulfide removal. This study provides a novel green microbial deodorization approach for H₂S biodegradation.