2023
DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adi6813
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Plastic degradation by insect hexamerins: Near-atomic resolution structures of the polyethylene-degrading proteins from the wax worm saliva

Mercedes Spínola-Amilibia,
Ramiro Illanes-Vicioso,
Elena Ruiz-López
et al.

Abstract: Plastic waste management is a pressing ecological, social, and economic challenge. The saliva of the lepidopteran Galleria mellonella larvae is capable of oxidizing and depolymerizing polyethylene in hours at room temperature. Here, we analyze by cryo–electron microscopy (cryo-EM) G. mellonella ’s saliva directly from the native source. The three-dimensional reconstructions reveal that the buccal secretion is mainly composed of four hexamerins belonging to the he… Show more

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Cited by 12 publications
(9 citation statements)
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“…Seven lepidopteran enzymes exhibited a particularly high match with the HMM and conserved hemocyanin domains, producing an e -value of zero and a bit score cut-off of 1,100 ( Supplementary Table 2 ). Three of the 7 enzymes originated from G. mellonella , including 2 arylphorins and 1 acidic juvenile hormone-suppressible protein corresponding to Demetra, Cibeles, and Ceres, respectively ( Spínola-Amilibia et al . 2023 ).…”
Section: Resultsmentioning
confidence: 99%
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“…Seven lepidopteran enzymes exhibited a particularly high match with the HMM and conserved hemocyanin domains, producing an e -value of zero and a bit score cut-off of 1,100 ( Supplementary Table 2 ). Three of the 7 enzymes originated from G. mellonella , including 2 arylphorins and 1 acidic juvenile hormone-suppressible protein corresponding to Demetra, Cibeles, and Ceres, respectively ( Spínola-Amilibia et al . 2023 ).…”
Section: Resultsmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…Recently, several enzymes from the saliva of the larvae of the greater wax moth have been shown to possess PE-degrading capabilities ( Sanluis-Verdes et al . 2022 ; Spínola-Amilibia et al . 2023 ).…”
Section: Introductionmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…155 Microbes from the guts of worms have also displayed a propensity to degrade synthetic plastics. 14,[51][52][53][54]57,58 Certain organisms and enzymes have displayed the ability to utilize both lignocellulose and synthetic plastics, but there are still many obstacles that must be overcome before these lignocellulose-degrading systems can efficiently be translated to plastic biodegradation. The general lack of hydrolyzable bonds in petroleum-based plastics (PE, PS, PP, etc.)…”
Section: Next-generation Renewable Polymersmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…Instead, enzymes from the saliva of G. mellonella were identified as the key agents, including two enzymes named Demetra and Cibeles that self-associate into a heterocomplex (which could oxidize and break down PE) and two hexamerins, Ceres (only able to oxidize PE) and Cora (able to degrade PE). , …”
Section: Current Status Of Synthetic Polymer Biodegradationmentioning
confidence: 99%
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