Development of plastic-degrading microbial consortia by induced selection in microcosms
The increase in the production of highly recalcitrant plastic materials, and their accumulation in ecosystems, generates the need to investigate new sustainable strategies to reduce this type of pollution. Based on recent works, the use of microbial consortia could contribute to improving plastic bi...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Frontiers Media S.A.
2023-04-01
|
| Series: | Frontiers in Microbiology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2023.1143769/full |
| _version_ | 1797849155086843904 |
|---|---|
| author | Jesús Salinas Víctor Carpena María R. Martínez-Gallardo Martín Segado María J. Estrella-González Ana J. Toribio Macarena M. Jurado Juan A. López-González Francisca Suárez-Estrella María J. López |
| author_facet | Jesús Salinas Víctor Carpena María R. Martínez-Gallardo Martín Segado María J. Estrella-González Ana J. Toribio Macarena M. Jurado Juan A. López-González Francisca Suárez-Estrella María J. López |
| author_sort | Jesús Salinas |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The increase in the production of highly recalcitrant plastic materials, and their accumulation in ecosystems, generates the need to investigate new sustainable strategies to reduce this type of pollution. Based on recent works, the use of microbial consortia could contribute to improving plastic biodegradation performance. This work deals with the selection and characterization of plastic-degrading microbial consortia using a sequential and induced enrichment technique from artificially contaminated microcosms. The microcosm consisted of a soil sample in which LLDPE (linear low-density polyethylene) was buried. Consortia were obtained from the initial sample by sequential enrichment in a culture medium with LLDPE-type plastic material (in film or powder format) as the sole carbon source. Enrichment cultures were incubated for 105 days with monthly transfer to fresh medium. The abundance and diversity of total bacteria and fungi were monitored. Like LLDPE, lignin is a very complex polymer, so its biodegradation is closely linked to that of some recalcitrant plastics. For this reason, counting of ligninolytic microorganisms from the different enrichments was also performed. Additionally, the consortium members were isolated, molecularly identified and enzymatically characterized. The results revealed a loss of microbial diversity at each culture transfer at the end of the induced selection process. The consortium selected from selective enrichment in cultures with LLDPE in powder form was more effective compared to the consortium selected in cultures with LLDPE in film form, resulting in a reduction of microplastic weight between 2.5 and 5.5%. Some members of the consortia showed a wide range of enzymatic activities related to the degradation of recalcitrant plastic polymers, with Pseudomonas aeruginosa REBP5 or Pseudomonas alloputida REBP7 strains standing out. The strains identified as Castellaniella denitrificans REBF6 and Debaryomyces hansenii RELF8 were also considered relevant members of the consortia although they showed more discrete enzymatic profiles. Other consortium members could collaborate in the prior degradation of additives accompanying the LLDPE polymer, facilitating the subsequent access of other real degraders of the plastic structure. Although preliminary, the microbial consortia selected in this work contribute to the current knowledge of the degradation of recalcitrant plastics of anthropogenic origin accumulated in natural environments. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-09T18:40:21Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-215d77b10d7946c993b0c03c19547f46 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-302X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-09T18:40:21Z |
| publishDate | 2023-04-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Microbiology |
| spelling | doaj.art-215d77b10d7946c993b0c03c19547f462023-04-11T05:31:55ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Microbiology1664-302X2023-04-011410.3389/fmicb.2023.11437691143769Development of plastic-degrading microbial consortia by induced selection in microcosmsJesús SalinasVíctor CarpenaMaría R. Martínez-GallardoMartín SegadoMaría J. Estrella-GonzálezAna J. ToribioMacarena M. JuradoJuan A. López-GonzálezFrancisca Suárez-EstrellaMaría J. LópezThe increase in the production of highly recalcitrant plastic materials, and their accumulation in ecosystems, generates the need to investigate new sustainable strategies to reduce this type of pollution. Based on recent works, the use of microbial consortia could contribute to improving plastic biodegradation performance. This work deals with the selection and characterization of plastic-degrading microbial consortia using a sequential and induced enrichment technique from artificially contaminated microcosms. The microcosm consisted of a soil sample in which LLDPE (linear low-density polyethylene) was buried. Consortia were obtained from the initial sample by sequential enrichment in a culture medium with LLDPE-type plastic material (in film or powder format) as the sole carbon source. Enrichment cultures were incubated for 105 days with monthly transfer to fresh medium. The abundance and diversity of total bacteria and fungi were monitored. Like LLDPE, lignin is a very complex polymer, so its biodegradation is closely linked to that of some recalcitrant plastics. For this reason, counting of ligninolytic microorganisms from the different enrichments was also performed. Additionally, the consortium members were isolated, molecularly identified and enzymatically characterized. The results revealed a loss of microbial diversity at each culture transfer at the end of the induced selection process. The consortium selected from selective enrichment in cultures with LLDPE in powder form was more effective compared to the consortium selected in cultures with LLDPE in film form, resulting in a reduction of microplastic weight between 2.5 and 5.5%. Some members of the consortia showed a wide range of enzymatic activities related to the degradation of recalcitrant plastic polymers, with Pseudomonas aeruginosa REBP5 or Pseudomonas alloputida REBP7 strains standing out. The strains identified as Castellaniella denitrificans REBF6 and Debaryomyces hansenii RELF8 were also considered relevant members of the consortia although they showed more discrete enzymatic profiles. Other consortium members could collaborate in the prior degradation of additives accompanying the LLDPE polymer, facilitating the subsequent access of other real degraders of the plastic structure. Although preliminary, the microbial consortia selected in this work contribute to the current knowledge of the degradation of recalcitrant plastics of anthropogenic origin accumulated in natural environments.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2023.1143769/fullbiodegradationLLDPEmicrobial consortiummicrocosmmicroplasticplastic film |
| spellingShingle | Jesús Salinas Víctor Carpena María R. Martínez-Gallardo Martín Segado María J. Estrella-González Ana J. Toribio Macarena M. Jurado Juan A. López-González Francisca Suárez-Estrella María J. López Development of plastic-degrading microbial consortia by induced selection in microcosms Frontiers in Microbiology biodegradation LLDPE microbial consortium microcosm microplastic plastic film |
| title | Development of plastic-degrading microbial consortia by induced selection in microcosms |
| title_full | Development of plastic-degrading microbial consortia by induced selection in microcosms |
| title_fullStr | Development of plastic-degrading microbial consortia by induced selection in microcosms |
| title_full_unstemmed | Development of plastic-degrading microbial consortia by induced selection in microcosms |
| title_short | Development of plastic-degrading microbial consortia by induced selection in microcosms |
| title_sort | development of plastic degrading microbial consortia by induced selection in microcosms |
| topic | biodegradation LLDPE microbial consortium microcosm microplastic plastic film |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2023.1143769/full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT jesussalinas developmentofplasticdegradingmicrobialconsortiabyinducedselectioninmicrocosms AT victorcarpena developmentofplasticdegradingmicrobialconsortiabyinducedselectioninmicrocosms AT mariarmartinezgallardo developmentofplasticdegradingmicrobialconsortiabyinducedselectioninmicrocosms AT martinsegado developmentofplasticdegradingmicrobialconsortiabyinducedselectioninmicrocosms AT mariajestrellagonzalez developmentofplasticdegradingmicrobialconsortiabyinducedselectioninmicrocosms AT anajtoribio developmentofplasticdegradingmicrobialconsortiabyinducedselectioninmicrocosms AT macarenamjurado developmentofplasticdegradingmicrobialconsortiabyinducedselectioninmicrocosms AT juanalopezgonzalez developmentofplasticdegradingmicrobialconsortiabyinducedselectioninmicrocosms AT franciscasuarezestrella developmentofplasticdegradingmicrobialconsortiabyinducedselectioninmicrocosms AT mariajlopez developmentofplasticdegradingmicrobialconsortiabyinducedselectioninmicrocosms |