Plastic-Degrading Potential across the Global Microbiome Correlates with Recent Pollution Trends

Zrimec, Jan; Kokina, Mariia; Jonasson, Sara; Zorrilla, Francisco; Zelezniak, Aleksej

doi:10.1128/mbio.02155-21

Cited by 72 publications

(61 citation statements)

References 114 publications

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“…However, the amount of plastic estimated to enter into marine ecosystems does not correlate with the accumulation found by sampling techniques (Eriksen et al, 2014; Jambeck et al, 2015). Although there could be biases in sampling specific areas, this fact could also indicate that either physical or chemical plastic degradation is taking place in these ecosystems and/or microbial biodegradation is involved (Auta et al, 2017; Gewert et al, 2015; Sole et al, 2017; Zrimec et al, 2021). In recent years, plastic debris has proved a niche for specific plastic‐associated microbial communities to flourish, generally known as the “plastisphere” (Agostini et al, 2021; Zettler et al, 2013).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Living in a bottle: Bacteria from sediment‐associated Mediterranean waste and potential growth on polyethylene terephthalate

et al. 2022

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Ocean pollution is a worldwide environmental challenge that could be partially tackled through microbial applications. To shed light on the diversity and applications of the bacterial communities that inhabit the sediments trapped in artificial containers, we analyzed residues (polyethylene terephthalate [PET] bottles and aluminum cans) collected from the Mediterranean Sea by scanning electron microscopy and next generation sequencing. Moreover, we set a collection of culturable bacteria from the plastisphere that were screened for their ability to use PET as a carbon source. Our results reveal that Proteobacteria are the predominant phylum in all the samples and that Rhodobacteraceae, Woeseia, Actinomarinales, or Vibrio are also abundant in these residues. Moreover, we identified marine isolates with enhanced growth in the presence of PET: Aquimarina intermedia, Citricoccus spp., and Micrococcus spp. Our results suggest that the marine environment is a source of biotechnologically promising bacterial isolates that may use PET or PET additives as carbon sources.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Living in a bottle: Bacteria from sediment‐associated Mediterranean waste and potential growth on polyethylene terephthalate

et al. 2022

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“…By reapplying evolutionarily optimized and, maybe, cautiously engineered biosynthetic or catabolic pathways that work at atmospheric pressure and with normal surrounding temperature for application purposes, environmentally sustainable production solutions can become not only possible but a reality. For example, how complex waste materials could be processed, and especially dispersed in nature such as plastic debris or dangerous chemical compounds, synthetic biology approaches might offer unprecedented ways out of accumulated problems (Zrimec et al, 2021). As microbial and fungal organisms, to some extent plants, have a demonstrated large diversity of biochemical pathways and signs of continued evolution of chemical processing variety (rather in contrast to higher eukaryote animals); they are prime targets for scientific research to learn from their pathway richness how to tackle new metabolites and xenobiotics.…”

Section: Editorial On the Research Topicmentioning

confidence: 99%

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confidence: 99%

Editorial: Innovative Strategies From Synthetic Biology and Bacterial Pathways to Master Biochemical Environmental Challenges

Eisenhaber

Thakar

Ponte-Sucre

et al. 2022

Front. Bioeng. Biotechnol.

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“…Over the past decade, 4.8–12.7 million metric tons (MMT) of plastic has been reported to enter the world’s oceans on an annual basis, a figure which could accumulate to 250 MMT by 2025 ( Yakimov et al, 2022 ). The “plastisphere,” which refers to the microbial communities colonizing plastic debris, has attracted particular attention in the context of marine ecosystems ( Amaral-Zettler et al, 2020 ; Li et al, 2021 ; Yakimov et al, 2022 ), with recent multi-omics analyses on the plastisphere highlighting this habitat as a promising source of plastic-degrading microorganisms ( Suzuki et al, 2021 ; Wright et al, 2021 ; Zrimec et al, 2021 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Identification of BgP, a Cutinase-Like Polyesterase From a Deep-Sea Sponge-Derived Actinobacterium

et al. 2022

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Many marine bacteria produce extracellular enzymes that degrade complex molecules to facilitate their growth in environmental conditions that are often harsh and low in nutrients. Marine bacteria, including those inhabiting sea sponges, have previously been reported to be a promising source of polyesterase enzymes, which have received recent attention due to their potential ability to degrade polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic. During the screening of 51 marine bacterial isolates for hydrolytic activities targeting ester and polyester substrates, a Brachybacterium ginsengisoli B129SM11 isolate from the deep-sea sponge Pheronema sp. was identified as a polyesterase producer. Sequence analysis of genomic DNA from strain B129SM11, coupled with a genome “mining” strategy, allowed the identification of potential polyesterases, using a custom database of enzymes that had previously been reported to hydrolyze PET or other synthetic polyesters. This resulted in the identification of a putative PET hydrolase gene, encoding a polyesterase-type enzyme which we named BgP that shared high overall similarity with three well-characterized PET hydrolases—LCC, TfCut2, and Cut190, all of which are key enzymes currently under investigation for the biological recycling of PET. In silico protein analyses and homology protein modeling offered structural and functional insights into BgP, and a detailed comparison with Cut190 revealed highly conserved features with implications for both catalysis and substrate binding. Polyesterase activity was confirmed using an agar-based polycaprolactone (PCL) clearing assay, following heterologous expression of BgP in Escherichia coli. This is the first report of a polyesterase being identified from a deep-sea sponge bacterium such as Brachybacterium ginsengisoli and provides further insights into marine-derived polyesterases, an important family of enzymes for PET plastic hydrolysis. Microorganisms living in association with sponges are likely to have increased exposure to plastics and microplastics given the wide-scale contamination of marine ecosystems with these plastics, and thus they may represent a worthwhile source of enzymes for use in new plastic waste management systems. This study adds to the growing knowledge of microbial polyesterases and endorses further exploration of marine host-associated microorganisms as a potentially valuable source of this family of enzymes for PET plastic hydrolysis.

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Plastic-Degrading Potential across the Global Microbiome Correlates with Recent Pollution Trends

Cited by 72 publications

References 114 publications

Living in a bottle: Bacteria from sediment‐associated Mediterranean waste and potential growth on polyethylene terephthalate

Living in a bottle: Bacteria from sediment‐associated Mediterranean waste and potential growth on polyethylene terephthalate

Editorial: Innovative Strategies From Synthetic Biology and Bacterial Pathways to Master Biochemical Environmental Challenges

Identification of BgP, a Cutinase-Like Polyesterase From a Deep-Sea Sponge-Derived Actinobacterium

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