Identification of Cutinolytic Esterase from Microplastic-Associated Microbiota Using Functional Metagenomics and Its Plastic Degrading Potential.

Plastic pollution has threatened biodiversity and human health by shrinking habitats, reducing food quality, and limiting the activities of organisms. Therefore, global interest in discovering novel enzymes capable of degrading plastics has increased considerably. Within this context, the functional metagenomic approach, which allows for unlocking the functional potential of uncultivable microbial biodiversity, was used to discover a plastic-degrading enzyme.

Purification and characterization of cutinase from Bacillus sp. KY0701 isolated from plastic wastes.

A total of approximately 400 bacterial strains were isolated from 73 plastic wastes collected from 14 different regions. Nineteen isolates that form clear zones both on tributyrin and poly ε-caprolactone (PCL) agar, were identified based on 16S rRNA gene sequences. Among these, Bacillus sp.

Microvirga makkahensis sp. nov., and Microvirga arabica sp. nov., isolated from sandy arid soil.

The taxonomic positions of two Gram-negative strains, SV1470(T) and SV2184P(T), isolated from arid soil samples, were determined using a polyphasic approach. Analysis of the 16S rRNA gene and the concatenated sequences of three housekeeping gene loci (dnaK, rpoB and gyrB) confirmed that the strains belong to the genus Microvirga. Strain SV1470(T) was found to be closely related to Microvirga vignae BR3299(T) (98.