IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/nat/natcom/v15y2024i1d10.1038_s41467-023-44368-8.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Microbial decomposition of biodegradable plastics on the deep-sea floor

Author

Listed:
  • Taku Omura

    (The University of Tokyo)

  • Noriyuki Isobe

    (Research Institute for Marine Resources Utilization, Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC))

  • Takamasa Miura

    (Biological Resource Center, National Institute of Technology and Evaluation (NBRC))

  • Shun’ichi Ishii

    (Institute for Extra-cutting-edge Science and Technology Avant-garde Research (X-STAR), Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC))

  • Mihoko Mori

    (Biological Resource Center, National Institute of Technology and Evaluation (NBRC))

  • Yoshiyuki Ishitani

    (Institute for Extra-cutting-edge Science and Technology Avant-garde Research (X-STAR), Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC))

  • Satoshi Kimura

    (The University of Tokyo)

  • Kohei Hidaka

    (Biological Resource Center, National Institute of Technology and Evaluation (NBRC))

  • Katsuya Komiyama

    (The University of Tokyo)

  • Miwa Suzuki

    (Gunma University Center for Food Science and Wellness (GUCFW))

  • Ken-ichi Kasuya

    (Gunma University Center for Food Science and Wellness (GUCFW)
    Green Polymer Research Laboratory, Graduate School of Science and Technology, Gunma University, Kiryu)

  • Hidetaka Nomaki

    (Institute for Extra-cutting-edge Science and Technology Avant-garde Research (X-STAR), Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC))

  • Ryota Nakajima

    (Research Institute for Global Change (RIGC), Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC))

  • Masashi Tsuchiya

    (Research Institute for Global Change (RIGC), Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC))

  • Shinsuke Kawagucci

    (Research Institute for Global Change (RIGC), Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC))

  • Hiroyuki Mori

    (Japan BioPlastics Association (JBPA), 5-11 Nihonbashi Hakozaki-cho, Chuo-ku)

  • Atsuyoshi Nakayama

    (Biomedical Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), 1-8-31 Midorigaoka, Ikeda)

  • Masao Kunioka

    (Standardization Promotion Office, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST))

  • Kei Kamino

    (Biological Resource Center, National Institute of Technology and Evaluation (NBRC))

  • Tadahisa Iwata

    (The University of Tokyo)

Abstract

Microbes can decompose biodegradable plastics on land, rivers and seashore. However, it is unclear whether deep-sea microbes can degrade biodegradable plastics in the extreme environmental conditions of the seafloor. Here, we report microbial decomposition of representative biodegradable plastics (polyhydroxyalkanoates, biodegradable polyesters, and polysaccharide esters) at diverse deep-sea floor locations ranging in depth from 757 to 5552 m. The degradation of samples was evaluated in terms of weight loss, reduction in material thickness, and surface morphological changes. Poly(l-lactic acid) did not degrade at either shore or deep-sea sites, while other biodegradable polyesters, polyhydroxyalkanoates, and polysaccharide esters were degraded. The rate of degradation slowed with water depth. We analysed the plastic-associated microbial communities by 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing and metagenomics. Several dominant microorganisms carried genes potentially encoding plastic-degrading enzymes such as polyhydroxyalkanoate depolymerases and cutinases/polyesterases. Analysis of available metagenomic datasets indicated that these microorganisms are present in other deep-sea locations. Our results confirm that biodegradable plastics can be degraded by the action of microorganisms on the deep-sea floor, although with much less efficiency than in coastal settings.

Suggested Citation

  • Taku Omura & Noriyuki Isobe & Takamasa Miura & Shun’ichi Ishii & Mihoko Mori & Yoshiyuki Ishitani & Satoshi Kimura & Kohei Hidaka & Katsuya Komiyama & Miwa Suzuki & Ken-ichi Kasuya & Hidetaka Nomaki &, 2024. "Microbial decomposition of biodegradable plastics on the deep-sea floor," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-17, December.
  • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:15:y:2024:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-023-44368-8
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-44368-8
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-023-44368-8
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1038/s41467-023-44368-8?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Shun’ichi Ishii & Shino Suzuki & Trina M. Norden-Krichmar & Aaron Tenney & Patrick S. G. Chain & Matthew B. Scholz & Kenneth H. Nealson & Orianna Bretschger, 2013. "A novel metatranscriptomic approach to identify gene expression dynamics during extracellular electron transfer," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 4(1), pages 1-10, June.
    2. Christopher T. Brown & Laura A. Hug & Brian C. Thomas & Itai Sharon & Cindy J. Castelle & Andrea Singh & Michael J. Wilkins & Kelly C. Wrighton & Kenneth H. Williams & Jillian F. Banfield, 2015. "Unusual biology across a group comprising more than 15% of domain Bacteria," Nature, Nature, vol. 523(7559), pages 208-211, July.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Marie C. Schoelmerich & Lynn Ly & Jacob West-Roberts & Ling-Dong Shi & Cong Shen & Nikhil S. Malvankar & Najwa Taib & Simonetta Gribaldo & Ben J. Woodcroft & Christopher W. Schadt & Basem Al-Shayeb & , 2024. "Borg extrachromosomal elements of methane-oxidizing archaea have conserved and expressed genetic repertoires," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-17, December.
    2. Kelly J. Whaley-Martin & Lin-Xing Chen & Tara Colenbrander Nelson & Jennifer Gordon & Rose Kantor & Lauren E. Twible & Stephanie Marshall & Sam McGarry & Laura Rossi & Benoit Bessette & Christian Baro, 2023. "O2 partitioning of sulfur oxidizing bacteria drives acidity and thiosulfate distributions in mining waters," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-15, December.
    3. Antonia Bruno & Giulia Agostinetto & Sara Fumagalli & Giulia Ghisleni & Anna Sandionigi, 2022. "It’s a Long Way to the Tap: Microbiome and DNA-Based Omics at the Core of Drinking Water Quality," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(13), pages 1-16, June.
    4. Jafar Ali & Aaqib Sohail & Lei Wang & Muhammad Rizwan Haider & Shahi Mulk & Gang Pan, 2018. "Electro-Microbiology as a Promising Approach Towards Renewable Energy and Environmental Sustainability," Energies, MDPI, vol. 11(7), pages 1-30, July.
    5. Tara A. Mahendrarajah & Edmund R. R. Moody & Dominik Schrempf & Lénárd L. Szánthó & Nina Dombrowski & Adrián A. Davín & Davide Pisani & Philip C. J. Donoghue & Gergely J. Szöllősi & Tom A. Williams & , 2023. "ATP synthase evolution on a cross-braced dated tree of life," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-18, December.
    6. Natasha K. Dudek & Jesus G. Galaz-Montoya & Handuo Shi & Megan Mayer & Cristina Danita & Arianna I. Celis & Tobias Viehboeck & Gong-Her Wu & Barry Behr & Silvia Bulgheresi & Kerwyn Casey Huang & Wah C, 2023. "Previously uncharacterized rectangular bacterial structures in the dolphin mouth," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-15, December.
    7. Shaoming Gao & David Paez-Espino & Jintian Li & Hongxia Ai & Jieliang Liang & Zhenhao Luo & Jin Zheng & Hao Chen & Wensheng Shu & Linan Huang, 2022. "Patterns and ecological drivers of viral communities in acid mine drainage sediments across Southern China," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-12, December.
    8. Stilianos Louca & Florent Mazel & Michael Doebeli & Laura Wegener Parfrey, 2019. "A census-based estimate of Earth's bacterial and archaeal diversity," PLOS Biology, Public Library of Science, vol. 17(2), pages 1-30, February.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:15:y:2024:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-023-44368-8. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.nature.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.