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Updated: Jul 5, 2025
Isolation of Native Soil Microorganisms with Potential for Breaking Down Biodegradable Plastic Mulch Films Used in Agriculture
Published on: May 10, 2013
Enhanced biodegradable polyester film degradation in soil by sequential cooperation of yeast-derived esterase and
Shun Tsuboi1, Yuko Takada Hoshino2, Kimiko Yamamoto-Tamura1
1Institute for Agro-Environmental Sciences, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization (NARO), 3-1-3 Kannondai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8604, Japan.
Abstract:
The degradation of biodegradable plastics poses a significant environmental challenge and requires effective solutions. In this study, an esterase derived from a phyllosphere yeast Pseudozyma antarctica (PaE) enhanced the degradation and mineralization of poly(butylene succinate-co-adipate) (PBSA) film in soil. PaE was found to substitute for esterases from initial degraders and activate sequential esterase production from soil microbes. The PBSA film pretreated with PaE (PBSA-E) rapidly diminished and was mineralized in soil until day 55 with high CO2 production. Soil with PBSA-E maintained higher esterase activities with enhancement of microbial abundance, whereas soil with inactivated PaE-treated PBSA film (PBSA-inact E) showed gradual degradation and time-lagged esterase activity increases. The fungal genera Arthrobotrys and Tetracladium, as possible contributors to PBSA-film degradation, increased in abundance in soil with PBSA-inact E but were less abundant in soil with PBSA-E. The dominance of the fungal genus Fusarium and the bacterial genera Arthrobacter and Azotobacter in soil with PBSA-E further supported PBSA degradation. Our study highlights the potential of PaE in addressing concerns associated with biodegradable plastic persistence in agricultural and environmental contexts.
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