International Biodeterioration & Biodegradation最新文献

Marine coastal zones face pollution from both terrestrial and marine petroleum sources. Chemical and biological surfactants are employed to enhance oil dispersal and bioavailability in seawater, yet comparisons of their effects on microbial communities and oil degradation in sediments have not been well documented. Here, we conducted microcosm experiments mimicking oil spill scenarios with coastal sediment from the East China Sea, amended with either a dispersant (Jiefeite or Slickgone NS) or the biosurfactant rhamnolipid. The addition of Jiefeite, Slickgone, and rhamnolipid significantly enhanced oil biodegradation in sediments, with similar effects among them. The enhanced biodegradation activities observed were correlated with increased abundances of phnAc and alkB genes, as well as elevated abundances of predicted functional genes for the degradation of chloroalkane, chloroalkene, benzoates, toluene, and aromatic hydrocarbon. All oil microcosms showed significant growth in Sulfurovum and Woeseia. Oil microcosms treated with Jiefeite or Slickgone specifically enriched potential oil-degraders like Syntrophotalea, Marinobacter, and Sphingomonadaceae. In contrast, rhamnolipid-treated microcosms stimulated a more diverse community of oil-degrading bacteria, exhibiting increased abundances of Pseudomonas, Lachnospirales, Aestuariicella, Vibrio, and Marinobacterium. Our findings underscore the differential impacts of chemical dispersants and rhamnolipid on oil-degrading bacterial communities and their enhanced impacts on oil biodegradation, highlighting their potential in remediation of oil pollution in coastal sediments.

This research explores how decay works and how different variables can affect this process in marine environments. The results are based on asterozoan echinoderms to cover one of the most complex multi-element skeletons in nature. Long-term experiments evaluated the effects of light, energy, salinity, sediment, oxygenation, temperature, and scavenger activity. The results showed that seven major agents can accelerate decay, including algal growth, water energy, microbial activity, microscavengers, macroscavengers, bubble production, and water acidification. Rapid burial of living organisms is the main shortcut to the fossilization of articulated specimens, but burial days to weeks after death can still lead to preservation if exceptional conditions delay the decay agents. Abrupt changes in salinity and temperature can restrict the distribution of scavengers and microorganisms, helping to preserve carcasses in the long term. Deeper or turbid seafloors can prevent small skeletons from destabilising due to the rapid growth of filamentous algae. Stagnant waters can also protect carcasses from waves and bottom currents, while water stratification can attenuate the attack of microscavengers. Although anoxia favours the preservation of soft parts, it is unable to prevent the anaerobic attack of microscavengers, which accelerates the destruction of small hard parts. Microbial reduction in anoxic regions can also drive the production of bubbles and the acidification of the water column, accelerating the destruction and dissolution of carbonate elements. These insights review important taphonomic concepts and provide a useful guide for interpreting the preservation potential of delicate organisms throughout the geological record.

Quinolinic acid (QA), a natural pyridine derivative produced through the kynurenine pathway in living organisms, is linked to various neurodegenerative diseases due to its neurotoxicity. Although some bacteria have been reported to degrade QA, the underlying molecular mechanisms remain incomplete. In this study, a unique qut cluster responsible for QA degradation is identified in Pigmentiphaga sp. YJ18. The strain YJ18 could degrade and utilize QA as the sole carbon source for growth. Strain YJ18 efficiently degrade 100 mg/L QA within 48 h at 30 °C, pH 7.0, and 1% NaCl. The gene-disruption results showed that qutE is involved in the initial step of QA degradation, while qutI mediate the conversion of 6-hydroxypicolinic acid (6HPA) to downstream metabolites. Furthermore, the degradation of QA is negatively regulated by the MarR family transcriptional regulator QutR, which shared 61.97% amino similarity with PicR in Alcaligenes faecalis. The qut gene cluster consists of three transcriptional units: qutABCDEF, qutGHIJKLMNO, and qutR. Electrophoretic mobility shift assay results demonstrated that QutR binds to the promoter regions of the qutA, qutG, and qutR, respectively, sharing a partial palindromic motif 5′-TCAG-N4-CTNN-3’. Bioinformatics analysis reveals that the unique qut cluster, co-evolving with Pigmentiphaga strains, integrating the qui and pic clusters which are responsible for degradation of QA to 6HPA and picolinic acid to fumaric acid, respectively. Overall, this study provides a newly isolated strain capable of degrading QA with a unique qut cluster and valuable molecular insights into the diversity of QA catabolic mechanisms in bacteria.

Phorate, an organophosphorus compound is known to have applications against pests. However, its hazardous nature is a matter of concern. Microbial biodegradation is a potent method that can eliminate pesticides from the environment by enzymatic reactions. As toxicity and binding specificity are inherently correlated to each other, this study was focussed on finding out binding sites for ensuing biodegradation. Brevibacterium frigoritolerans GD44 and Enterobacter cloacae subsp. cloacae ATCC 13047 were included in the study for genomic and structural analyses as alkaline phosphatase from Brevibacterium frigoritolerans GD44 and endonuclease/exonuclease/phosphatase from Enterobacter cloacae subsp. cloacae ATCC 13047 were found to degrade phorate. It was apparent from the present findings that alkaline phosphatase containing homologous bacterial species are AT-rich, while the phosphatase containing bacteria are GC-rich. Bacterial species having phosphatase enzyme contain more aromatic amino acids that stabilize the protein structure than alkaline phosphatase containing bacteria. Variation of relative synonymous codon usage (RSCU) value was found to be very little and natural selection pressure was preferred over mutational pressure in determining codon usage pattern. High level of codon adaptation index (CAI) found in both the bacterial species indicates higher level of codon usage bias and gene expression in them. Furthermore, docking results suggest that alkaline phosphatase has higher binding affinity to phorate than phosphatase that might be considered effective in bioremediation. The results obtained are considered to shed further light in the experimental biodegradation of organophosphorus pesticides by the bacteria.

An extracellular esterase (HP) with polybutylene succinate (PBS)-degrading ability was identified from Pseudomonas mendocina SA-1503. The HP also had the ability to degrade poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-4-hydroxybutyrate) and polycaprolactone. This HP had optimal activity at pH 9.0 and 40 °C and remained stable at pH 8.0–9.0 and temperatures of 30–40 °C. Mn²⁺ promoted the enzyme activity. HP could hydrolyze all p-NP fatty acid ester substrates containing even numbers of carbon atoms from C2 to C18 and had the highest catalytic activity for the p-NP C6 substrate. After 60 h of HP-catalyzed degradation, PBS films experienced a weight loss of more than 60%. Butanedioic acid, 1,4-butanediol, and a series of oligomers were detected in the degradation products of PBS by HP. Further structural analysis of HP revealed that it could be classified as a microbial esterase of α/β hydrolase superfamily and contained a conserved catalytic triad structure (Ser-148, Asp-198, and His-228) with a relatively exposed active site.

The present investigation focused on isopropanol production from lignocellulosic cotton stalk biomass (CSB) using conventional pretreatment, enzymatic hydrolysis and fermentation methods. In comparison to alkaline (NaOH) pretreatment, dilute sulphuric acid (H₂SO₄) pretreatment showed higher cellulose exposure (448.5 mg/g). Further, ultrasono assisted acid and alkali pretreatment was performed for maximum exposure of cellulose and it was found 616.9 and 586.15 mg/g respectively. Chemical pretreated CSB was additionally exposed to independent enzymatic hydrolysis using commercial enzymes (Celluclast and Viscozymes) following Response Surface Methodology (RSM), which revealed a maximal production of glucose and xylose yield (544.6 mg/g and 41.8 mg/g). Pretreated and enzymatic hydrolyzed cotton stalk biomass at various conditions were analysed using SEM, FTIR, and XRD to determine the structural and functional changes. Further, a co-culture strategy was employed on pretreated and hydrolyzed CSB using two fermented yeast strains (Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Pichia pastoris) for isopropanol production. HR-MS analysis revealed that the maximum concentration of isopropanol (126.228 mM) was produced in 2:1 proportionate ratio of two fermented yeasts with 20 g/L of substrate loadings at 72 h of incubation time. These results indicate that the production of isopropanol (7.46 g/L) from CSB with different parametric conditions is an encouraging step and can be exploited further for various industrial applications.

Lampenflora, such as phototrophic microorganisms, multiply on speleothem surfaces under the show-cave lighting, causing deterioration of the natural and cultural heritages of the caves. Speleothems change color from white to green through microbial photosynthesis and are destroyed by microbial metabolisms. Aerosol transmission are suspected to disperses photosynthetic microorganisms. However, the mechanism underlying the process remains unclear, because the complexity of air ventilation affects the cave atmosphere. In the present study, we collected aerosol samples from the Akiyoshido Cave, which is a special natural monument in Japan and possesses various types of speleothems, to analyze microbial concentrations and communities in the cave atmosphere. Under a fluorescence microscope, phototrophic and heterotrophic microorganisms were observed in the aerosols with in the cave. The aerosol concentrations showed seasonal changes depending on air-flow variations in cave ventilation. High-throughput DNA sequencing targeting 16S rRNA genes revealed that the airborne bacterial communities inside the cave were dominated by members of the phyla Actinomycetota, Bacillota, and Pseudomonadota, originating from the external terrestrial, phyllosphere or freshwater environments, as well as its interior (guano). Cyanobacteria showed small relative abundances (from 1.0 to 10%) randomly in the aerosol samples at several locations in the cave, suggesting that the lampenflora-derived cyanobacteria were dispersed throughout the cave by the ventilation. Additionally, phototrophic microorganisms closely related to the relatives of the genera Leptolyngbya, Calothrix, and Chroococcidiopsis from the phylum Cyanobacteria were isolated from the aerosol samples. These results confirm that Cyanobacteria are one of the candidate microorganisms responsible for lampenflora dispersion and are “alive and airborne” in caves.

A strain of Bacillus licheniformis T5 was isolated from soil contaminated with crude oil due to its efficient degradation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). When subjected to stress metabolism using phenanthrene as a carbon source, significant changes were observed in T5 cells. Infrared spectrum analysis revealed the presence of -C=C- and Ph-O-C (aromatic) groups on the bacterial surface, facilitating the adsorption of PAHs on the phospholipid layer and causing damage to the cell membrane. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) analysis showed the changes of cell morphology, including a large number of folds on the lower surface and the folding of cell membrane. Transmission electron microscope (TEM) observation showed that non-stressed bacteria with adequate nutritional conditions accumulated more lipids. However, the stress group contained more protein. It was found that stress metabolism led to the increase of protein content in T5 cells by 16.4% and the activity of oxidoreductase more than doubled. These physiological and biochemical changes enhance the ability of stressed bacteria to degrade PAHs efficiently, thereby reducing the degradation cycle. The findings offer valuable insights for the remediation of PAHs pollution.

Acitretin is a primary treatment for moderate-to-severe psoriasis, however, the substantial side effects associated with its daily oral administration and relapse after withdrawal significantly restrict its clinical utility. To address this challenge, we designed a transdermal delivery system using hyaluronic acid-based dissolving microneedle patches containing poly (lactic-co-glycolic)-encapsulated acitretin nanoparticles for effective topical drug administration and prolonged therapeutic effects. This microneedle exhibited favorable mechanical properties, which could easily penetrate through the thickened epidermis for intralesional drug delivery. We showed that numbers of acitretin-loaded microspheres were uniformly compacted at the bottom of needle tips, giving the microneedle dense surface morphology required for effective skin penetration, prolonged retention, and sustained release of acitretin both in vitro and in an imiquimod-induced psoriasis in vivo model. A single dose of our transdermal treatment not only alleviated the psoriasis-like skin inflammation in acute phase, but also established a long-term therapeutic effect. Moreover, the transdermal approach proved more effective than daily oral administration of the same dose of free drug, demonstrating less systemic toxicity than oral drug intake or topical cortisol application. This new system offers an innovative way for drug delivery and disease treatment, and also provides an antimicrobial control strategy for a wide range of applications.

Bisphenol A (BPA) is the most extensively produced chemical in the world. With its growing demand, it has become a common emerging organic contaminant (EOC) in the environment. It is an endocrine-disrupting chemical (EDC) that can disrupt the endocrine system and induce negative impacts on human health and other biota. To detoxify or remove BPA from the contaminated environment, researchers have developed several physicochemical and biological methods. Biodegradation is usually considered economical and environmentally safe. In the last few decades, huge experiments have been conducted using bacteria and fungi to degrade BPA. Thus, the present review aims to better understand the current knowledge on BPA biodegradation with bacteria and fungi to discover the limitations of those studies. In the case of bacteria, researchers used direct environmental raw samples for enrichment, isolation and degradation. Pseudomonas sp. was the most common bacteria in those samples to degrade BPA. Whereas in the case of fungi, previously isolated pure fungal strains were used. Those fungi were either ascomycetes or basidiomycetes, and most of those fungi produced an extracellular enzyme, laccase, to degrade BPA. Literature review shows that two toxic metabolites for fungal-mediated degradation (p-isopropenyl phenol and 4-ethyl−2-methoxyphenol) and six toxic metabolites for bacterial-mediated degradation (p-hydroxybenzoic acid, p-hydroxybenzaldeyde, p-hydroxyacetophenone, hydroquinone, 2,3-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)-1,2-propanediol, and p-hydroxyphenacylalcohol) were produced. Our review also reveals that most previous studies were conducted under non-extreme conditions, though extreme environments can be contaminated with BPA. Therefore, this review is certainly helpful in deeply revising the existing knowledge on BPA biodegradation to conduct novel research in the future to fill the research gaps in safer ways.