Deep-sea plastisphere: Long-term colonization by plastic-associated bacterial and archaeal communities in the Southwest Atlantic Ocean

Agostini, Luana; Moreira, Júlio Cezar Fornazier; Bendia, Amanda Gonçalves; Kmit, Maria Carolina Pezzo; Waters, Linda G.; Santana, Marina; Sumida, Paulo Yukio Gomes; Turra, Alexander; Pellizari, Vivian H.

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.148335

Cited by 48 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 80 publications

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“…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). Microbial growth on the plastisphere usually takes place in the shape of a biofilm on the plastic surface (Lobelle & Cunliffe, 2011).…”

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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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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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“…A recent report on the plastisphere of deep-sea samples in the Southwest Atlantic Ocean, involving the long-term colonization of plastic substrates by deep-sea microbes, has identified taxa in the core microbiome that may be related to plastic degradation. It also highlighted the fact that viable strains can be recovered from deep-sea conditions, which have the potential to be exploited for their plastic-degradation capacity ( Agostini et al, 2021 ). A further indication of the potential of the marine environment as a source of novel polyesterase genes is reflected in a study of marine metagenomic datasets which reported that genes encoding PET hydrolases are globally distributed in marine environments ( Danso et al, 2018 ).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

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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“…The family Microtrichaceae had been previously detected as an intermediate colonizer (4 months of incubation) in marine environments (Tu et al, 2020). This family is generalist, so it can also metabolize plastic carbon, using different types of plastics as substrates in oligotrophic environments (Agostini et al, 2021). Regarding eukaryotic organisms, the presence of certain families of multicellular organisms, such as Caecidae, Planariidae, Cyprididae, or Diptera, was remarkable.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Plastics form a novel biotope, quoted as the plastisphere, in which organisms use plastics to support their growth or to find some shelter (Barros and Seena, 2021;Zettler et al, 2013). Most of the research analysing the plastisphere has been conducted in marine environments (Agostini et al, 2021;Keswani et al, 2016;Zhang et al, 2022). These studies proved that microbial communities attached to plastic are remarkably different from those that are found in the surrounding environment (Xu et al, 2019;Zettler et al, 2013).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Time-course biofilm formation and presence of antibiotic resistance genes on everyday plastic items deployed in river waters

Martínez-Campos

González-Pleiter²,

Rico³

et al. 2023

Journal of Hazardous Materials

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Deep-sea plastisphere: Long-term colonization by plastic-associated bacterial and archaeal communities in the Southwest Atlantic Ocean

Cited by 48 publications

References 80 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

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

Time-course biofilm formation and presence of antibiotic resistance genes on everyday plastic items deployed in river waters

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