文献类型：期刊文献

英文题名：Identification and Characterization of a Polyethylene-Degrading Fungus Aspergillus sydowii Isolated from Soils of Waste Disposal Sites

作者：Wang, Qingyue[1];Wang, Linlu[1];Chen, Xiaoyu[1];Wang, Aozhuo[1];Zhao, Youxi[1]

通讯作者：Zhao, YX[1]

机构：[1]Beijing Union Univ, Biochem Engn Coll, Beijing Key Lab Biomass Waste Resource Utilizat, Beijing 100023, Peoples R China

第一机构：北京联合大学生物化学工程学院

通讯机构：[1]corresponding author), Beijing Union Univ, Biochem Engn Coll, Beijing Key Lab Biomass Waste Resource Utilizat, Beijing 100023, Peoples R China.|[1141726]北京联合大学生物化学工程学院;[11417]北京联合大学;

年份：2026

卷号：31

期号：10

外文期刊名：MOLECULES

收录：;Scopus(收录号：2-s2.0-105040170362);WOS:【SCI-EXPANDED(收录号:WOS:001777189700001)】；

基金：This research was funded by the National Key Research and Development Program of China (Grant number 2021YFC2100900) and the APC was funded by the same grant.

语种：英文

外文关键词：low-density polyethylene; plastic biodegradation; Aspergillus sydowii; laccase; genome sequencing

摘要：Petrochemical-based plastics are widely used due to their convenience and low cost, with polyethylene (PE) being the most produced globally. However, the lack of efficient and sustainable treatment methods for conventional plastic wastes has led to severe environmental pollution. A new fungus strain capable of degrading PE was isolated from soil samples collected at a waste disposal site in Henan province and identified as Aspergillus sydowii W144. After 30 days of incubation under solid-state culture conditions, the strain demonstrated significant oxidative depolymerization of low-density polyethylene (LDPE). FTIR results revealed a substantial increase in the carbonyl index of the LDPE film, while differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analysis detected an enhanced crystallinity in the LDPE film. Notably, distinct pitting and erosion marks were observed on the surface of LDPE film using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Quantitative analysis showed a weight loss rate of 6.39% and a reduction in Weight-Average Molecular Weight (Mw) by 50.93%. Among currently identified PE-degrading strains polyethylene, A. sydowii W144 exhibits particularly outstanding depolymerization efficiency, especially on untreated PE. Based on the whole-genome data of A. sydowii W144, a preliminary model of the putative polyethylene degradation pathway in A. sydowii W144 was constructed through homology-based sequence analysis and by referencing previously reported polyethylene degradation pathways. Laccase/multicopper oxidase plays a key role in the initial oxidation of PE. Heterologous expression of the candidate gene laccase4 in Pichia pastoris yielded an active enzyme (similar to 56 kDa) with a laccase activity of 460 U/L, confirming its functionality. This study provides a novel microbial resource and potential enzymatic tools for PE biodegradation. The strain exhibits a promising application in complex ecosystems for PE pollution. IMPORTANCE: The polyethylene-degrading strain A. sydowii W144 isolated in this study exhibits highly efficient depolymerization capabilities, particularly under solid-state culture conditions. Genomic sequencing analysis enabled the construction of a potential polyethylene (PE) degradation pathway and facilitated the identification of key laccase and multicopper oxidase genes involved in this process. The isolation of this novel strain enriches the microbial resources available for PE waste treatment and offers new insights into the mechanisms of plastic biodegradation.