Aug 2026· Journal of Hazardous Materials· Vol 516, pp.
143279
· 0 citations· 45 references
Medicine
Abstract
Di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP) pollution poses significant ecological risks, necessitating effective green remediation strategies. This study constructed a robust microbial consortium (DBP-Micro-con) and systematically elucidated its degradation mechanism using an integrated multi-omics approach. Community analysis provided that enrichment culture shifted the dominant phylum from Pseudomonadota, Acidobacteriota and Actinomycetota to Bacillota. The consortium achieved 99.07% DBP removal within 120 h, significantly outperforming isolated single strains. It exhibited remarkable environmental robustness across pH 5-10 and temperatures 20-38 °C, alongside broad-spectrum degradation capabilities against di-n-octyl phthalate (DOP) and various strobilurin fungicides. Non-targeted metabolomics identified mono-butyl phthalate (MBP) as intermediate and show metabolic profile changes, particularly in nucleotide and glycerolipid pathways. Furthermore, homology modeling and molecular docking of the key carboxylesterase CES1281, despite moderate sequence similarity, provided structural insights into the catalytic mechanism. This identified a conserved catalytic triad (Ser113-Asp166-His197) and critical hydrophobic interactions stabilizing substrate binding. Collectively, these findings advance the theoretical understanding of PAE biodegradation and offer a promising microbial resource and mechanistic framework for remediation of composite pollution.
Sulfate-reducing microbiomes (SRMs) have shown strong potential for antibiotic remediation, yet the active microorganisms and community-level strategies associated with sulfamethoxazole (SMX) biotransformation remain poorly understood. In this study, long-term bioreactor operation (269 days; 500-1500 μg/L SMX), DNA-stable isotope probing (DNA-SIP), and metagenomic analyses were integrated to investigate the microbial contributors and functional organization underlying SRM-driven SMX biotransformation. Desulfobacterium, a key SRM member, was co-enriched with Geobacter and Leptolinea in the 13C-labeled heavy fraction, suggesting potential metabolic complementarity during community-level SMX biotransformation. Genome-resolved analyses further revealed structured patterns of inferred horizontal gene transfer (HGT) and predicted metabolite exchange among keystone taxa. The transferred genes were mainly associated with energy conservation, transport, sulfur-associated metabolism, and stress-response functions, whereas the predicted exchanged metabolites included carbon metabolites, amino acid-related sulfur compounds, purine-related intermediates, and cofactor-associated metabolites. Together, these findings suggest that HGT-associated functional redistribution and metabolic complementarity may contribute to the persistence and coordinated activity of sulfate-reducing microbiomes under high SMX stress. This study links SIP-identified active populations with genome-inferred interaction patterns in a sulfate-reducing system and provides new insight into microbiome-based anaerobic strategies for antibiotic-containing wastewater treatment.
Yanyan Jia, Yujian Yan, Ben Chen et al.· Environmental Science and Te...· 0 citations
Microbial biostimulants and microbial plant protection products overlap in biological function, creating both R&D opportunities and regulatory challenges. In particular, multi-strain bacterial consortia may simultaneously affect nutrient mobilisation and abiotic stress tolerance, induce resistance, and demonstrate direct antagonism against phytopathogens. This multifunctionality complicates early product development because strain identity alone is sometimes insufficient in predicting product function, efficacy, or the most appropriate regulatory and claims strategy. Here, we used non-targeted LC-MS metabolomics as a hypothesis-generating tool to support formulation decisions for microbial consortia. Three bacterial consortia were compared: a full soil-oriented consortium C1 containing Bacillus spp., Rhodopseudomonas palustris, Nitrosomonas europaea, and Nitrobacter winogradskyi; a Bacillus-only consortium C2 intended for foliar stress-resilience applications; and a Bacillus-only consortium C3 grown with a chitin-related inducer to promote biocontrol-associated metabolism. Metabolomic profiling revealed clear differences between formulations. The full consortium C1 showed higher relative abundances of features putatively associated with biofertilising and growth support, whereas the Bacillus-only consortium C2 contained features putatively associated with biocontrol and induced resistance that were not detected in C1 under the applied criteria. The addition of the chitin-related inducer (C3) did not yield a completely distinct metabolite profile but increased the relative abundance of selected features putatively associated with biocontrol, while decreasing features putatively annotated as auxin-related or associated with abiotic stress responses. These results suggest that non-targeted metabolomics can help differentiate metabolic profiles putatively associated with biostimulant- and plant-protection-oriented formulations and thereby support prioritisation before extensive greenhouse or field testing. By linking formulation, medium composition, and microbial interactions to measurable metabolic signatures, metabolomics provides an evidence-based, hypothesis-generating framework for formulation development and the prioritisation of subsequent efficacy trials.
Polina Volkova, John M. Wong, Jacqueline Wong· Metabolites· 0 citations
Findings reveal that the enhanced desilication by BM3 is associated with coordinated metabolic reprogramming and a more reactive EPS-mineral interface, providing an effective biological pretreatment for disrupting silicate matrices and improving scandium recovery from refractory tailings.
Mengqi Liu, Bo Li, Feiyan Tan et al.· Bioresource Technology· 0 citations
Benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) is a highly carcinogenic and environmentally persistent polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) due to its low bioavailability and resistance to degradation. Microbial fermentation is a promising strategy to eliminate PAH residues in food processing, but the underlying mechanisms remain poorly characterized. Here, we optimized BaP biodegradation by Kefir-derived microorganisms using the Plackett-Burman design and response surface methodology (RSM). Under optimal conditions (12.50 mL of the trace element solution, 1.78 g/L Na2HPO4·2H2O, and 2.88 g/L NaCl), the microorganisms achieved a degradation efficiency of 51.78%. Meta-transcriptomic analysis postulated two key degradation pathways: (I) 3,4-dioxygenase (α and β subunits) catalyzes the initial dioxygenation to produce phenanthrene, and (II) a fluorene-mediated transformation facilitates extensive degradation via the salicylic and phthalic acid pathways. These findings indicate the potential of Kefir-derived microbiota to detoxify BaP in food systems.
Qing Wang, Yi Hu, Bei Zheng et al.· Frontiers in Microbiology· 0 citations
The neonicotinoid insecticide thiamethoxam (THX) poses ecological risks and requires efficient bioremediation strategies. We isolated a highly efficient THX-degrading strain, Paenarthrobacter nicotinovorans GY-1, from contaminated agricultural soil. Under response surface-optimized conditions, GY-1 achieved an unprecedented THX degradation rate of 2.08 mg·L-1·h-1, the highest reported for a microorganism to our knowledge. Transcriptomics, enzyme assays, and carbon-source profiling showed that strain GY-1 suppresses glycolysis and reprograms central metabolism when THX is used as the sole nitrogen source. Q-TOF MS and 1D/2D NMR analyses unequivocally determined the structures of two purified intermediates, THX-1 and THX-2, providing direct structural evidence for nitro-reduction and deimination during THX biodegradation. On the basis of these confirmed intermediates, we proposed a nitro-reductive bacterial transformation pathway. This work reveals a microbial adaptation mechanism and provides a potent biocatalyst for the eco-friendly remediation of THX-contaminated environments.
Ziqing Gao, Shuya Wang, Xiu Yang et al.· Journal of Agricultural and...· 0 citations
Polyethylene (PE) remains environmentally persistent due to its inert backbone and high molecular weight, with biodegradation hindered by low efficiency and unclear community-level mechanisms. In this study, we reconstructed a synthetic consortium, Z123, comprising Nitratireductor sp. Z-1 and Gordonia spp. Z-2 and Z-3 isolated from a consistent enrichment system. Z123 achieved 9.98% weight loss and 50.88% molecular weight reduction within 30 days, outperforming most consortia degrading pristine low-density polyethylene (LDPE). Integrated genomic and proteomic analyses suggested functional differentiation among consortium members involving oxidative activation, chain scission, and downstream metabolism. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis further detected putative LDPE-associated extracellular compounds consistent with oxidative polymer modification. Recombinant MCO1 and Lcp3 modified LDPE in vitro, and their combined application caused greater depolymerization than either enzyme at the corresponding half dose, suggesting complementary catalytic contributions. Collectively, these results indicate that functional differentiation and cooperative interactions contribute to enhanced LDPE degradation by Z123. This work provides mechanistic insights into consortium-based plastic biodegradation and supports the rational design of microbial platforms for plastic waste management.
Zhen Rong, Jun-Qing Chen, Yue-Hong Wu et al.· Water Research· 0 citations
