Studies on degradation efficiency of polycaprolactone by a naturally-occurring bacterium.

We report a strain of Bacillus, isolated from the rhizosphere of the mangrove Sesuvium portulacastrum, that degrades polycaprolactone (PCL) on timescales that are a factor of three shorter than hitherto reported, with complete degradation in only 20 days. The bacterium has been identified as Bacillus pumilus by means of 16S rRNA gene sequencing and FAME analysis; it secretes proteases and lipases and its 'de-polymerase' activity is evident by the zone of clearing in emulsified PCL. It is an aerobic chemoheterotroph capable of utilizing a variety of carbohydrates.