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Ding MQ, Ding J, Yang SS, Ren XR, Shi SN, Zhang LY, Xing DF, Ren NQ, Wu WM. Effects of plastic aging on biodegradation of polystyrene by Tenebrio molitor larvae: Insights into gut microbiome and bacterial metabolism. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 953:176130. [PMID: 39260508 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.176130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2024] [Revised: 08/15/2024] [Accepted: 09/06/2024] [Indexed: 09/13/2024]
Abstract
Plastics aging reduces resistance to microbial degradation. Plastivore Tenebrio molitor rapidly biodegrades polystyrene (PS, size: < 80 μm), but the effects of aging on PS biodegradation by T. molitor remain uncharacterized. This study examined PS biodegradation over 24 days following three pre-treatments: freezing with UV exposure (PS1), UV exposure (PS2), and freezing (PS3), compared to pristine PS (PSv) microplastic. The pretreatments deteriorated PS polymers, resulting in slightly higher specific PS consumption (602.8, 586.1, 566.7, and 563.9 mg PS·100 larvae-1·d-1, respectively) and mass reduction rates (49.6 %, 49.5 %, 49.2 %, and 48.7 %, respectively) in PS1, PS2, and PS3 compared to PSv. Improved biodegradation correlated with reduced molecular weights and the formation of oxidized functional groups. Larvae fed more aged PS exhibited greater gut microbial diversity, with microbial community and metabolic pathways shaped by PS aging, as supported by co-occurrence network analysis. These findings indicated that the aging treatments enhanced PS biodegradation by only limited extent but impacted greater on gut microbiome and bacterial metabolic genes, indicating that the T. molitor host have highly predominant capability to digest PS plastics and alters gut microbiome to adapt the PS polymers fed to them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meng-Qi Ding
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China
| | - Jie Ding
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China.
| | - Shan-Shan Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China.
| | - Xin-Ran Ren
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China
| | - Shao-Nan Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China
| | - Lu-Yan Zhang
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Yancheng Institute of Technology, Yancheng 224051, China
| | - De-Feng Xing
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China
| | - Nan-Qi Ren
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China
| | - Wei-Min Wu
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Department of Chemistry, William & Cloy Codiga Resource Recovery Center, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
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Miravalle E, Balboa S, Zanetti M, Otero A, Lazzari M. New insights on the degradation of polystyrene and polypropylene by larvae of the superworm Zophobas atratus and gut bacterial consortium enrichments obtained under different culture conditions. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2024; 478:135475. [PMID: 39146588 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.135475] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2024] [Revised: 07/11/2024] [Accepted: 08/08/2024] [Indexed: 08/17/2024]
Abstract
This study aims to deepen knowledge of the biodegradation of plastics, focusing on polypropylene (PP) fabric from surgical masks and polystyrene (PS) by larvae of Zophobas atratus as well as of specialized bacterial consortia from their gut, which were obtained in different enrichment conditions (aerobic, anaerobic, presence or absence of combined nitrogen). Plastics ingested by larvae obtained in Spain did not show any signs of oxidation but only limited depolymerization, preferably from the lowest molecular weight chains. Gut microbiota composition changed as an effect of plastic feeding. Such differences were more evident in bacterial enrichment cultures, where the polymer type influenced the composition more than by culture conditions, with an increase in the presence of nitrogen-fixers in anaerobic conditions. PS and PP degradation by different enrichment cultures was confirmed under aerobic and anaerobic conditions by respirometry tests, with anaerobic conditions favouring a more active plastic degradation. In addition, exposure to selected bacterial consortia in aerobiosis induced limited surface oxidation of PS. This possibly indicates that different biochemical routes are being utilized in the anaerobic gut and in aerobic conditions to degrade the polymer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edoardo Miravalle
- Department of Chemistry, University of Turin, 10125 Turin, Italy; Centro Singular de Investigación en Química Biolóxica e Materiais Moleculares (CiQUS), Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
| | - Sabela Balboa
- Departamento de Microbioloxía e Parasitoloxía, Facultade de Bioloxía, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain; Cross-disciplinary Research Center in Environmental Technologies (CRETUS), Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
| | - Marco Zanetti
- Department of Chemistry, University of Turin, 10125 Turin, Italy.
| | - Ana Otero
- Departamento de Microbioloxía e Parasitoloxía, Facultade de Bioloxía, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain; Aquatic One Health Research Institute (iARCUS). Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
| | - Massimo Lazzari
- Centro Singular de Investigación en Química Biolóxica e Materiais Moleculares (CiQUS), Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain; Departamento de Química Física, Facultade de Química, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
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Fan T, Liu X, Sheng H, Ma M, Chen X, Yue Y, Sun J, Kalkhajeh YK. The enhancement effect of n-Fe 3O 4 on methyl orange reduction by nitrogen-fixing bacteria consortium. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2024; 478:135362. [PMID: 39116744 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.135362] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2024] [Revised: 07/18/2024] [Accepted: 07/27/2024] [Indexed: 08/10/2024]
Abstract
Although the anaerobic reduction of azo dyes is ecofriendly, high ammonia consumption remains a significant challenge. This work enriched a mixed nitrogen-fixing bacteria consortium (NFBC) using n-Fe3O4 to promote the anaerobic reduction of methyl orange (MO) without exogenous nitrogen. The enriched NFBC was dominated by Klebsiella (80.77 %) and Clostridium (17.16 %), and achieved a 92.7 % reduction of MO with an initial concentration of 25 mg·L-1. Compared with the control, the consortium increased the reduction efficiency of MO, cytochrome c content, and electron transport system (ETS) activity by 11.86 %, 89.86 %, and 58.49 %, respectively. When using 2.5 g·L-1 n-Fe3O4, the extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) of NFBC were present in a concentration of 85.35 mg·g-1. The specific reduction rates of MO by NFBC were 2.26 and 3.30 times faster than those of Fe(II) and Fe(III), respectively, while the enrichment factor of the ribosome pathway in NFBC exceeded 0.75. Transcriptome, carbon consumption, and EPS analyses suggested that n-Fe3O4 stimulated carbon metabolism and secreted protein synthesized by the mixed culture. The latter occurred due to the increased activity of consortium and the content of redox substances. These findings demonstrate that n-Fe3O4 promoted the efficiency of mixed nitrogen-fixing bacteria for removing azo dyes from wastewater. This innovative approach highlights the potential of integrating nanomaterials with biological systems to effectively address complex pollution challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ting Fan
- Anhui Province Key Lab of Farmland Ecological Conservation and Pollution Prevention, College of Resources and Environment, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, PR China.
| | - Xiaoqiang Liu
- Anhui Province Key Lab of Farmland Ecological Conservation and Pollution Prevention, College of Resources and Environment, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, PR China
| | - Huazeyu Sheng
- Anhui Province Key Lab of Farmland Ecological Conservation and Pollution Prevention, College of Resources and Environment, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, PR China
| | - Mengyao Ma
- Anhui Province Key Lab of Farmland Ecological Conservation and Pollution Prevention, College of Resources and Environment, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, PR China
| | - Xingyuan Chen
- Anhui Province Key Lab of Farmland Ecological Conservation and Pollution Prevention, College of Resources and Environment, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, PR China
| | - Yuchen Yue
- Anhui Province Key Lab of Farmland Ecological Conservation and Pollution Prevention, College of Resources and Environment, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, PR China
| | - Jingyi Sun
- Anhui Province Key Lab of Farmland Ecological Conservation and Pollution Prevention, College of Resources and Environment, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, PR China
| | - Yusef Kianpoor Kalkhajeh
- Department of Environmental Science, College of Science, Mathematics and Technology, Wenzhou-Kean University, Wenzhou 325060, PR China
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Carpentier J, Abenaim L, Luttenschlager H, Dessauvages K, Liu Y, Samoah P, Francis F, Caparros Megido R. Microorganism Contribution to Mass-Reared Edible Insects: Opportunities and Challenges. INSECTS 2024; 15:611. [PMID: 39194816 DOI: 10.3390/insects15080611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2024] [Revised: 07/31/2024] [Accepted: 08/05/2024] [Indexed: 08/29/2024]
Abstract
The interest in edible insects' mass rearing has grown considerably in recent years, thereby highlighting the challenges of domesticating new animal species. Insects are being considered for use in the management of organic by-products from the agro-industry, synthetic by-products from the plastics industry including particular detoxification processes. The processes depend on the insect's digestive system which is based on two components: an enzymatic intrinsic cargo to the insect species and another extrinsic cargo provided by the microbial community colonizing-associated with the insect host. Advances have been made in the identification of the origin of the digestive functions observed in the midgut. It is now evident that the community of microorganisms can adapt, improve, and extend the insect's ability to digest and detoxify its food. Nevertheless, edible insect species such as Hermetia illucens and Tenebrio molitor are surprisingly autonomous, and no obligatory symbiosis with a microorganism has yet been uncovered for digestion. Conversely, the intestinal microbiota of a given species can take on different forms, which are largely influenced by the host's environment and diet. This flexibility offers the potential for the development of novel associations between insects and microorganisms, which could result in the creation of synergies that would optimize or expand value chains for agro-industrial by-products, as well as for contaminants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joachim Carpentier
- Functional and Evolutionary Entomology, Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, University of Liège, Passage Des Déportés 2, 5030 Gembloux, Belgium
| | - Linda Abenaim
- Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Pisa, Via del Borghetto 80, 56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - Hugo Luttenschlager
- Functional and Evolutionary Entomology, Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, University of Liège, Passage Des Déportés 2, 5030 Gembloux, Belgium
| | - Kenza Dessauvages
- Functional and Evolutionary Entomology, Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, University of Liège, Passage Des Déportés 2, 5030 Gembloux, Belgium
| | - Yangyang Liu
- Functional and Evolutionary Entomology, Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, University of Liège, Passage Des Déportés 2, 5030 Gembloux, Belgium
- Institute of Feed Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Haidian District, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Prince Samoah
- Functional and Evolutionary Entomology, Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, University of Liège, Passage Des Déportés 2, 5030 Gembloux, Belgium
| | - Frédéric Francis
- Functional and Evolutionary Entomology, Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, University of Liège, Passage Des Déportés 2, 5030 Gembloux, Belgium
| | - Rudy Caparros Megido
- Functional and Evolutionary Entomology, Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, University of Liège, Passage Des Déportés 2, 5030 Gembloux, Belgium
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5
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Wang Q, Chen H, Gu W, Wang S, Li Y. Biodegradation of aged polyethylene (PE) and polystyrene (PS) microplastics by yellow mealworms (Tenebrio molitor larvae). THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 927:172243. [PMID: 38582118 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.172243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2024] [Revised: 03/25/2024] [Accepted: 04/03/2024] [Indexed: 04/08/2024]
Abstract
Globally, over 287 million tons of plastic are disposed in landfills, rivers, and oceans or are burned every year. The results are devastating to our ecosystems, wildlife and human health. One promising remedy is the yellow mealworm (Tenebrio molitor larvae), which has proved capable of degrading microplastics (MPs). This paper presents a new investigation into the biodegradation of aged polyethylene (PE) film and polystyrene (PS) foam by the Tenebrio molitor larvae. After a 35 - day feeding period, both pristine and aged MPs can be consumed by larvae. Even with some inhibitions in larvae growth due to the limited nutrient supply of aged MPs, when compared with pristine MPs, the aged MPs were depolymerized more efficiently in gut microbiota based on gel permeation chromatography (GPC) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis. With the change in surface chemical properties, the metabolic intermediates of aged MPs contained more oxygen-containing functional groups and shortened long-chain alkane, which was confirmed by gas chromatography and mass spectrometry (GC-MS). High-throughput sequencing revealed that the richness and diversity of gut microbes were restricted in the MPs-fed group. Although MPs had a negative effect on the relative abundance of the two dominant bacteria Enterococcaceae and Lactobacillaceae, the aged MPs may promote the relative abundance of Enterobacteriaceae and Streptococcaceae. Redundancy analysis (RDA) further verified that the aged MPs are effectively biodegraded by yellow mealworm. This work provides new insights into insect-mediated mechanisms of aged MP degradation and promising strategies for MP sustainable and efficient solutions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiongjie Wang
- School of Energy and Environment, Anhui University of Technology, Maanshan, Anhui 243002, China.
| | - Huijuan Chen
- School of Energy and Environment, Anhui University of Technology, Maanshan, Anhui 243002, China
| | - Wanqing Gu
- School of Energy and Environment, Anhui University of Technology, Maanshan, Anhui 243002, China
| | - Shurui Wang
- School of Energy and Environment, Anhui University of Technology, Maanshan, Anhui 243002, China
| | - Yinghua Li
- School of Energy and Environment, Anhui University of Technology, Maanshan, Anhui 243002, China
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6
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Mao X, Li J, Meng E, Jin W, Han W. Responses of physiological, microbiome and lipid metabolism to lignocellulose wastes in gut of yellow mealworm (Tenebrio molitor). BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2024; 401:130731. [PMID: 38663637 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2024.130731] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2024] [Revised: 04/22/2024] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 04/30/2024]
Abstract
There is limited research on physiological and degradation mechanisms of yellow mealworm, a novel organic waste converter, in processing lignocellulosic wastes. This study has selected two types of lignocellulosic wastes, distillers' grains (DG) and maize straw (MS), to feed yellow mealworms. This study investigated the effects of lignocellulosic wastes on the growth, antioxidant system, microbiome, and lipidome of yellow mealworms. The relative growth of lignocellulosic waste group was not significantly different from wheat bran. The antioxidant level was elevated in DG. MS was significantly enriched in cellulose-degrading bacteria in the gut and was accompanied by disturbances in lipid metabolism. The correlation coefficients were used to construct a network connecting diet, microbiota, and lipids. The correlation analysis indicated that two sphingolipids, hexylglyceramide and dihydroglyceramide, were strongly and positively linked with the dominating species. This study provides comprehensive information on physiological and mechanism of mealworms in process of treating lignocellulosic waste.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinrui Mao
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology (Shenzhen), Shenzhen, Guangdong 518055, China
| | - Jiaming Li
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Agricultural Synthetic Biology, Genome Analysis Laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Enqing Meng
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology (Shenzhen), Shenzhen, Guangdong 518055, China
| | - Wenbiao Jin
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology (Shenzhen), Shenzhen, Guangdong 518055, China.
| | - Wei Han
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology (Shenzhen), Shenzhen, Guangdong 518055, China
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7
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Ding MQ, Ding J, Zhang ZR, Li MX, Cui CH, Pang JW, Xing DF, Ren NQ, Wu WM, Yang SS. Biodegradation of various grades of polyethylene microplastics by Tenebrio molitor and Tenebrio obscurus larvae: Effects on their physiology. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2024; 358:120832. [PMID: 38599089 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.120832] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2023] [Revised: 03/20/2024] [Accepted: 04/01/2024] [Indexed: 04/12/2024]
Abstract
Polyethylene (PE) is the most productive plastic product and includes three major polymers including high-density polyethylene (HDPE), linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) and low-density polyethylene (LDPE) variation in the PE depends on the branching of the polymer chain and its crystallinity. Tenebrio obscurus and Tenebrio molitor larvae biodegrade PE. We subsequently tested larval physiology, gut microbiome, oxidative stress, and PE degradation capability and degradation products under high-purity HDPE, LLDPE, and LDPE powders (<300 μm) diets for 21 days at 65 ± 5% humidity and 25 ± 0.5 °C. Our results demonstrated the specific PE consumption rates by T. molitor was 8.04-8.73 mg PE ∙ 100 larvae-1⋅day-1 and by T. obscurus was 7.68-9.31 for LDPE, LLDPE and HDPE, respectively. The larvae digested nearly 40% of the ingested three PE and showed similar survival rates and weight changes but their fat content decreased by 30-50% over 21-day period. All the PE-fed groups exhibited adverse effects, such as increased benzoquinone concentrations, intestinal tissue damage and elevated oxidative stress indicators, compared with bran-fed control. In the current study, the digestive tract or gut microbiome exhibited a high level of adaptability to PE exposure, altering the width of the gut microbial ecological niche and community diversity, revealing notable correlations between Tenebrio species and the physical and chemical properties (PCPs) of PE-MPs, with the gut microbiome and molecular weight change due to biodegradation. An ecotoxicological simulation by T.E.S.T. confirmed that PE degradation products were little ecotoxic to Daphnia magna and Rattus norvegicus providing important novel insights for future investigations into the environmentally-friendly approach of insect-mediated biodegradation of persistent plastics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meng-Qi Ding
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150090, China
| | - Jie Ding
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150090, China.
| | - Zhi-Rong Zhang
- College of Wildlife and Protected Area, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, 150040, China
| | - Mei-Xi Li
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150090, China
| | - Chen-Hao Cui
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150090, China
| | - Ji-Wei Pang
- China Energy Conservation and Environmental Protection Group, CECEP Digital Technology Co., Ltd., Beijing, 100089, China
| | - De-Feng Xing
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150090, China
| | - Nan-Qi Ren
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150090, China
| | - Wei-Min Wu
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, William & Cloy Codiga Resource Recovery Center, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Shan-Shan Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150090, China.
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He L, Ding J, Yang SS, Zang YN, Pang JW, Xing D, Zhang LY, Ren N, Wu WM. Molecular-Weight-Dependent Degradation of Plastics: Deciphering Host-Microbiome Synergy Biodegradation of High-Purity Polypropylene Microplastics by Mealworms. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2024; 58:6647-6658. [PMID: 38563431 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c06954] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
The biodegradation of polypropylene (PP), a highly persistent nonhydrolyzable polymer, by Tenebrio molitor has been confirmed using commercial PP microplastics (MPs) (Mn 26.59 and Mw 187.12 kDa). This confirmation was based on the reduction of the PP mass, change in molecular weight (MW), and a positive Δδ13C in the residual PP. A MW-dependent biodegradation mechanism was investigated using five high-purity PP MPs, classified into low (0.83 and 6.20 kDa), medium (50.40 and 108.0 kDa), and high (575.0 kDa) MW categories to access the impact of MW on the depolymerization pattern and associated gene expression of gut bacteria and the larval host. The larvae can depolymerize/biodegrade PP polymers with high MW although the consumption rate and weight losses increased, and survival rates declined with increasing PP MW. This pattern is similar to observations with polystyrene (PS) and polyethylene (PE), i.e., both Mn and Mw decreased after being fed low MW PP, while Mn and/or Mw increased after high MW PP was fed. The gut microbiota exhibited specific bacteria associations, such as Kluyvera sp. and Pediococcus sp. for high MW PP degradation, Acinetobacter sp. for medium MW PP, and Bacillus sp. alongside three other bacteria for low MW PP metabolism. In the host transcriptome, digestive enzymes and plastic degradation-related bacterial enzymes were up-regulated after feeding on PP depending on different MWs. The T. molitor host exhibited both defensive function and degradation capability during the biodegradation of plastics, with high MW PP showing a relatively negative impact on the larvae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei He
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China
- CAS Key Laboratory of Urban Pollutant Conversion, Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
| | - Jie Ding
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China
| | - Shan-Shan Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China
| | - Ya-Ni Zang
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China
| | - Ji-Wei Pang
- CECEP Digital Technology Co., Ltd., China Energy Conservation and Environmental Protection Group, Beijing 100096, China
| | - Defeng Xing
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China
| | - Lu-Yan Zhang
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Yancheng Institute of Technology, Yancheng 224051, China
| | - Nanqi Ren
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China
| | - Wei-Min Wu
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, William & Cloy Codiga Resource Recovery Center, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
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He L, Yang SS, Ding J, Chen CX, Yang F, He ZL, Pang JW, Peng BY, Zhang Y, Xing DF, Ren NQ, Wu WM. Biodegradation of polyethylene terephthalate by Tenebrio molitor: Insights for polymer chain size, gut metabolome and host genes. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2024; 465:133446. [PMID: 38219578 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.133446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2023] [Revised: 01/02/2024] [Accepted: 01/03/2024] [Indexed: 01/16/2024]
Abstract
Polyethylene terephthalate (PET or polyester) is a commonly used plastic and also contributes to the majority of plastic wastes. Mealworms (Tenebrio molitor larvae) are capable of biodegrading major plastic polymers but their degrading ability for PET has not been characterized based on polymer chain size molecular size, gut microbiome, metabolome and transcriptome. We verified biodegradation of commercial PET by T. molitor larvae in a previous report. Here, we reported that biodegradation of commercial PET (Mw 29.43 kDa) was further confirmed by using the δ13C signature as an indication of bioreaction, which was increased from - 27.50‰ to - 26.05‰. Under antibiotic suppression of gut microbes, the PET was still depolymerized, indicating that the host digestive enzymes could degrade PET independently. Biodegradation of high purity PET with low, medium, and high molecular weights (MW), i.e., Mw values of 1.10, 27.10, and 63.50 kDa with crystallinity 53.66%, 33.43%, and 4.25%, respectively, showed a mass reduction of > 95%, 86%, and 74% via broad depolymerization. Microbiome analyses indicated that PET diets shifted gut microbiota to three distinct structures, depending on the low, medium, and high MW. Metagenome sequencing, transcriptomic, and metabolic analyses indicated symbiotic biodegradation of PET by the host and gut microbiota. After PET was fed, the host's genes encoding degradation enzymes were upregulated, including genes encoding oxidizing, hydrolyzing, and non-specific CYP450 enzymes. Gut bacterial genes for biodegrading intermediates and nitrogen fixation also upregulated. The multiple-functional metabolic pathways for PET biodegradation ensured rapid biodegradation resulting in a half-life of PET less than 4 h with less negative impact by PET MW and crystallinity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei He
- CAS Key Laboratory of Urban Pollutant Conversion, Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China; State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China
| | - Shan-Shan Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China.
| | - Jie Ding
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China
| | - Cheng-Xin Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China
| | - Fan Yang
- School of Life Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China
| | - Zhi-Li He
- Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Zhuhai 519080, China
| | - Ji-Wei Pang
- China Energy Conservation and Environmental Protection Group, Beijing 100089, China
| | - Bo-Yu Peng
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Yalei Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - De-Feng Xing
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China
| | - Nan-Qi Ren
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China
| | - Wei-Min Wu
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, William & Cloy Codiga Resource Recovery Center, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
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Wang S, Su M, Hu X, Wang X, Han Q, Yu Q, Heděnec P, Li H. Gut diazotrophs in lagomorphs are associated with season but not altitude and host phylogeny. FEMS Microbiol Lett 2024; 371:fnad135. [PMID: 38124623 DOI: 10.1093/femsle/fnad135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2023] [Revised: 11/27/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Invertebrates such as termites feeding on nutrient-poor substrate receive essential nitrogen by biological nitrogen fixation of gut diazotrophs. However, the diversity and composition of gut diazotrophs of vertebrates such as Plateau pikas living in nutrient-poor Qinghai-Tibet Plateau remain unknown. To fill this knowledge gap, we studied gut diazotrophs of Plateau pikas (Ochotona curzoniae) and its related species, Daurian pikas (Ochotona daurica), Hares (Lepus europaeus) and Rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) by high-throughput amplicon sequencing methods. We analyzed whether the gut diazotrophs of Plateau pikas are affected by season, altitude, and species, and explored the relationship between gut diazotrophs and whole gut microbiomes. Our study showed that Firmicutes, Spirochaetes, and Euryarchaeota were the dominant gut diazotrophs of Plateau pikas. The beta diversity of gut diazotrophs of Plateau pikas was significantly different from the other three lagomorphs, but the alpha diversity did not show a significant difference among the four lagomorphs. The gut diazotrophs of Plateau pikas were the most similarly to that of Rabbits, followed by Daurian pikas and Hares, which was inconsistent with gut microbiomes or animal phylogeny. The dominant gut diazotrophs of the four lagomorphs may reflect their living environment and dietary habits. Season significantly affected the alpha diversity and abundance of dominant gut diazotrophs. Altitude had no significant effect on the gut diazotrophs of Plateau pikas. In addition, the congruence between gut microbiomes and gut diazotrophs was low. Our results proved that the gut of Plateau pikas was rich in gut diazotrophs, which is of great significance for the study of ecology and evolution of lagomorphs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sijie Wang
- School of Public Health, Lanzhou University, 199 Donggang West Road, Lanzhou, Gansu Province 730000, China
| | - Ming Su
- Central South Inventory and Planning Institute of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, 143 Xiangzhang East Road, Changsha, Hunan Province 410014, China
| | - Xueqian Hu
- School of Public Health, Lanzhou University, 199 Donggang West Road, Lanzhou, Gansu Province 730000, China
| | - Xiaochen Wang
- School of Public Health, Lanzhou University, 199 Donggang West Road, Lanzhou, Gansu Province 730000, China
| | - Qian Han
- School of Public Health, Lanzhou University, 199 Donggang West Road, Lanzhou, Gansu Province 730000, China
| | - Qiaoling Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-Ecosystems, Center for Grassland Microbiome, College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, 768 Jiayuguan West Road, Lanzhou, Gansu Province 730020, China
| | - Petr Heděnec
- Institute for Tropical Biodiversity and Sustainable Development, University Malaysia Terengganu, Kuala Nerus, Terengganu 21030, Malaysia
| | - Huan Li
- School of Public Health, Lanzhou University, 199 Donggang West Road, Lanzhou, Gansu Province 730000, China
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-Ecosystems, Center for Grassland Microbiome, College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, 768 Jiayuguan West Road, Lanzhou, Gansu Province 730020, China
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Jung H, Shin G, Park SB, Jegal J, Park SA, Park J, Oh DX, Kim HJ. Circular waste management: Superworms as a sustainable solution for biodegradable plastic degradation and resource recovery. WASTE MANAGEMENT (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2023; 171:568-579. [PMID: 37812971 DOI: 10.1016/j.wasman.2023.09.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2023] [Revised: 08/25/2023] [Accepted: 09/21/2023] [Indexed: 10/11/2023]
Abstract
Bioplastics offer a promising solution to plastic pollution, however, their production frequently relies on edible biomass, and their degradation rates remain inadequate. This study investigates the potential of superworms (Zophobas atratus larvae) for polybutylene succinate (PBS) waste management, aiming to achieve both resource recovery and biodegradation. Superworms exclusively fed on PBS for a month exhibited the same survival rate as those on a standard bran diet. PBS digestion yielded a 5.13% weight gain and a 23.23% increase in protein composition in superworms. Additionally, carbon isotope analyses substantiated the conversion of PBS into superworm components. Gut microbes capable of PBS biodegradation became progressively prominent, further augmenting the degradation rate of PBS under composting conditions (ISO 14855-1). Gut-free superworms fed with PBS exhibited antioxidant activities comparable to those of blueberries, renowned for their high antioxidant activity. Based on these findings, this study introduces a sustainable circular solution encompassing recycling PBS waste to generate insect biomass, employing insect gut and frass for PBS degradation and fertilizer, and harnessing insect residue as a food source. In essence, the significance of this research extends to socio-economic and environmental spheres, impacting waste management, resource efficiency, circular economy promotion, environmental preservation, industrial advancement, and global sustainability objectives. The study's outcomes possess the potential to reshape society's approach to plastic waste, facilitating a shift toward more sustainable paradigms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyuni Jung
- Research Center for Bio-based Chemistry, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology (KRICT), Ulsan 44429, Republic of Korea
| | - Giyoung Shin
- Research Center for Bio-based Chemistry, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology (KRICT), Ulsan 44429, Republic of Korea
| | - Sung Bae Park
- Research Center for Bio-based Chemistry, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology (KRICT), Ulsan 44429, Republic of Korea
| | - Jonggeon Jegal
- Research Center for Bio-based Chemistry, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology (KRICT), Ulsan 44429, Republic of Korea
| | - Seul-A Park
- Research Center for Bio-based Chemistry, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology (KRICT), Ulsan 44429, Republic of Korea
| | - Jeyoung Park
- Research Center for Bio-based Chemistry, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology (KRICT), Ulsan 44429, Republic of Korea; Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Sogang University, Seoul 04107, Republic of Korea.
| | - Dongyeop X Oh
- Research Center for Bio-based Chemistry, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology (KRICT), Ulsan 44429, Republic of Korea; Department of Polymer Science and Engineering and Program in Environmental and Polymer Engineering, Inha University, Incheon 22212, Republic of Korea.
| | - Hyo Jeong Kim
- Research Center for Bio-based Chemistry, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology (KRICT), Ulsan 44429, Republic of Korea.
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Cheng X, Xia M, Yang Y. Biodegradation of vulcanized rubber by a gut bacterium from plastic-eating mealworms. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2023; 448:130940. [PMID: 36758440 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2023.130940] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2022] [Revised: 01/15/2023] [Accepted: 02/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
The disposal of vulcanized rubber waste is difficult due to the presence of three-dimensional crosslinking network structure. Here, we report that a bacterium Acinetobacter sp. BIT-H3, isolated from the gut of plastic-eating mealworm, can grow on and degrade vulcanized poly(cis-1,4-isoprene) rubber (vPR). Scanning electronic microscopy (SEM) shows that strain BIT-H3 can penetrate into the vPR and produce craters and cracks. The tensile strength and the crosslink density of vPR decreased by 53.2% and 29.3% after ten weeks' incubation, respectively. The results of Horikx analysis, attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy, and X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy reveal that strain BIT-H3 can break down both sulfide bridges and double bonds of polymeric backbone within vPR. Sulfate and oligo(cis-1,4 isoprene) with terminal aldehyde and keto groups were identified as metabolic products released during vPR degradation. Through genomic and transcriptional analyses, five enzymes of dszA, dszC1, dszC2, Laccase2147, and Peroxidase1232 were found to be responsible for vPR degradation. Based on the chemical structure characterizations and molecular analyses, a vPR biodegradation pathway was proposed for strain BIT-H3. These findings pave a way for exploiting vulcanized rubber-degrading microorganisms from insect gut and contribute to establish a biodegradation method for vulcanized rubber waste disposal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaotao Cheng
- Department of Biology, School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, PR China
| | - Mengli Xia
- Department of Biology, School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, PR China
| | - Yu Yang
- Department of Biology, School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, PR China.
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