Erratum: Microbial degradation of [<sup>14</sup>C]polystyrene and 1,3-diphenylbutane

Sielicki, M.; Focht, D. D.; Martín, Jorge Peña

doi:10.1139/m78-183

Cited by 2 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 4 publications

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“…Thereby, environmental PS biodegradation is likely enhanced by cooperative processes involving microbial consortia. Indeed, mixed communities from soils and liquid enrichment cultures have been reported to degrade PS (Sielicki et al, 1978), and marine microbial consortia effectively reduced the weight of PS films suggesting that they are capable of degrading weathered PS pieces (Syranidou et al, 2017).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Insights into plastic biodegradation: community composition and functional capabilities of the superworm (Zophobas morio) microbiome in styrofoam feeding trials

Sun

Prabhu

Aroney

2022

Preprint

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Plastics are inexpensive and widely used organic polymers, but their high durability hinders biodegradation. Polystyrene, including extruded polystyrene also known as styrofoam, is among the most commonly produced plastics worldwide and is recalcitrant to microbial degradation. In this study, we assessed changes in the gut microbiome of superworms (Zophobas morio) reared on bran, polystyrene, or under starvation conditions over a three weeks’ time period. Superworms on all diets were able to complete their life cycle to pupae and imago, although superworms reared on polystyrene had minimal weight gains, resulting in lower pupation rates. The change in microbial gut communities from baseline differed considerably between diet groups, with polystyrene and starvation groups characterized by a loss of microbial diversity and the presence of opportunistic pathogens. Inferred microbial functions enriched in the polystyrene group included transposon movements, membrane restructuring, and adaptations to oxidative stress. We detected several encoded enzymes with reported polystyrene and styrene degradation abilities, supporting previous reports of polystyrene degrading bacteria in the superworm gut. By recovering metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) we linked phylogeny and functions and identified genera including Pseudomonas, Rhodococcus and Corynebacterium, that possess genes associated with polystyrene degradation. In conclusion, our results provide the first metagenomic insights into the metabolic pathways used by the gut microbiome of superworms to degrade polystyrene. Our results also confirm that superworms can survive on polystyrene feed, however, this diet has considerable negative impacts on host gut microbiome diversity and health.Impact StatementIncreasing plastic pollution is a major environmental problem, and a recently proposed way to counteract this trend is to embrace a circular economy, in which used materials are recycled, rather than disposed of. An important step to facilitate this process is to invent new approaches for upcycling of plastic waste to desirable consumer products. Microbial plastic degradation and conversion is likely to play a considerable part in shaping a circular economy, by engineering microbes or their enzymes to bio-upcycle plastic waste. A first step towards actualizing this goal is to identify microbes that can degrade polystyrene and to investigate the enzymes and pathways involved. Our study represents the first metagenomic analysis of an insect gut microbiome on a polystyrene diet. It identifies bacteria with polystyrene and styrene degrading abilities, and infers enzymes and pathways involved in these reactions. Therefore, our results contribute towards understanding microbial polystyrene degradation and will provide a base for future investigations into microbial upcycling of plastic waste.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Insights into plastic biodegradation: community composition and functional capabilities of the superworm (Zophobas morio) microbiome in styrofoam feeding trials

Sun

Prabhu

Aroney

2022

Preprint

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“…For the biodegradation of polystyrene (PS), several studies have reported modest results by individual microbial strains and consortia (3)(4)(5)(6)(7)(8)(9). In 2015, larvae of yellow mealworms (Tenebrio molitor) were shown to ingest and degrade the extruded form of PS (EPS, or Styrofoam) (10).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Polystyrene-colonizing bacteria are enriched for long-chain alkane degradation pathways

Hsueh

Jian

Fugmann

et al. 2022

Preprint

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One of the most promising strategies for the management of plastic waste is microbial biodegradation, but efficient degraders for many types of plastics are still lacking, including for polystyrene (PS). Genomics has emerged as a powerful tool for mining environmental microbes that may have the ability to degrade different types of plastics. In this study, we use 16S sequencing to analyze the microbiomes for multiple PS samples collected from sites with different vegetation in northern Taiwan to reveal potential common properties between species that have exhibit growth advantages on PS surfaces. Phylum enrichment analysis identified Cyanobacteria and Deinococcus-Thermus as being the most over-represented groups on PS, and both phyla include species known to reside in extreme environments and could encode unique enzymes that grant them properties suitable for colonization on PS surfaces. Investigation of functional enrichment in PS-enriched species highlighted carbon metabolic pathways, especially those related to hydrocarbon degradation. This is corroborated by the finding that genes encoding long-chain alkane hydroxylases such as AlmA are more prevalent in the genomes of PS-associated bacteria. Our analyses illustrate how plastic in the environment support the colonization of different microbes compared to surrounding soil. In addition, our results point to the possibility that alkane hydroxylases could confer growth advantages of microbes on PS.

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Erratum: Microbial degradation of [¹⁴C]polystyrene and 1,3-diphenylbutane

Cited by 2 publications

References 4 publications

Insights into plastic biodegradation: community composition and functional capabilities of the superworm (Zophobas morio) microbiome in styrofoam feeding trials

Insights into plastic biodegradation: community composition and functional capabilities of the superworm (Zophobas morio) microbiome in styrofoam feeding trials

Polystyrene-colonizing bacteria are enriched for long-chain alkane degradation pathways

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Erratum: Microbial degradation of [14C]polystyrene and 1,3-diphenylbutane

Cited by 2 publications

References 4 publications

Insights into plastic biodegradation: community composition and functional capabilities of the superworm (Zophobas morio) microbiome in styrofoam feeding trials

Insights into plastic biodegradation: community composition and functional capabilities of the superworm (Zophobas morio) microbiome in styrofoam feeding trials

Polystyrene-colonizing bacteria are enriched for long-chain alkane degradation pathways

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Erratum: Microbial degradation of [¹⁴C]polystyrene and 1,3-diphenylbutane