Soil fauna Protaetia brevitarsis mediated polyethylene microplastic biodegradation.

Polyethylene (PE) microplastics (MPs), derived primarily from agricultural mulch films and other plastic debris, remain significant soil contaminants due to their resistance to degradation. This study reveals that soil-dwelling grubs (Protaetia brevitarsis larvae) possess a unique ability to degrade PE MPs with ultrahigh molecular weight (> 600 kDa) through synergistic interactions with gut microbes. Over a 28-day experimental period, the larvae consumed an average of 62.

Synergistic effects of the curcumin analog HO-3867 and olaparib in transforming fallopian tube epithelial cells.

Ovarian cancer remains one of the most lethal gynecologic malignancies, largely due to high recurrence rates and treatment-related toxicities. Although PARP inhibitors like Olaparib have shown efficacy in BRCA-mutated cancers, their benefit is limited in broader patient populations. TP53 mutations, highly prevalent in ovarian cancer, promote tumor progression and resistance, making p53 a key therapeutic target.

Soil microbes in the Tibetan Plateau degrade polyvinyl chloride and harbor novel dehalogenase SerB.

Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) stands as the third most widely produced synthetic polymer plastic. However, investigations into its microbial degradation significantly trail those of polyethylene (PE) and polystyrene (PS). Here, this study enriched a PVC-degrading consortium DC from the soil microbes of Tibet Plateau grasslands, confirming the formation of long-chain alkanes and the release of chloride ions via GC-MS and ion chromatography analysis.

[Corrigendum] Human chorionic gonadotropin β regulates epithelial‑mesenchymal transition and metastasis in human ovarian cancer.

Following the publication of the above article, an interested reader drew to the Editor's attention that, for the scratch‑wound assay experiments shown in Fig. 3 on p. 1468, the "ES‑2 LV‑β‑hCG" and "ES‑2 siRNA‑β‑hCG" data panels were apparently the same, suggesting that the same data panel had erroneously been included twice in this figure.

Enhanced denitrification using iron modified biochar under low carbon source condition: Modulating community assembly, allocating carbon metabolism and facilitating electron transfer.

Biochar can modulate microbial community structure to enhance denitrification but the activity is still restricted by the availability of electron transfer (ETS) under metabolic imbalance conditions. Here we developed iron (Ⅲ) modified biochar (FeBC) to substantially mitigate this electron limitation, enhance ETS and accelerate denitrification reaction via intracellular metabolism and community interaction. The results demonstrated that FeBC could significantly improve the denitrification performance, the nitrate removal rate was significantly increased by 30 % at C/N ratio of 3 (W/W) with little nitrite and nitrous oxide accumulation, attributing to the enhanced activities of the ETS and denitrifying reductases and complex microbial interactions via increased abundance of microorganisms involved in carbon and nitrogen transformations.

When plastisphere and drilosphere meet: Earthworms facilitate microbiome and nutrient turnover to accelerate biodegradation of agricultural plastic films.

Agricultural plastic mulching films have been an environmental concern for decades. The effects of the interactions between the anthropogenic plastisphere and other soil biospheres, particularly that of earthworms, on the fate of plastics remain poorly understood. Here, we investigated the decomposition of buried nonbiodegradable low-density polyethylene (LDPE) versus biodegradable PBTA/PLA copolymers in the presence of earthworms (Amynthas cortices) in dynamic microcosms.

Notable ecological risks of microplastics to Minjiang River ecosystem over headwater to upstream in Eastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau.

Microplastics (MPs) in aquatic environments has been observed globally. However, the ecological risks of MP pollution in riverhead prior to highly urbanized region remain poorly understood. This study investigated MP pollution related to microbiome in sediments, and ecological risks of MPs in riverhead prior to urbanized area over 291 km of Minjiang River (MJR) in Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP).

Novel Feruloyl Esterase for the Degradation of Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) Screened from the Gut Microbiome of Plastic-Degrading Mealworms ( Larvae).

Mealworms () larvae can degrade both plastics and lignocellulose through synergistic biological activities of their gut microbiota because they share similarities in chemical and physical properties. Here, a total of 428 genes encoding lignocellulose-degrading enzymes were screened from the gut microbiome of larvae to identify poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET)-degrading activities. Five genes were successfully expressed in , among which a feruloyl esterase-like enzyme named Fae-PETase demonstrated the highest PET degradation activity, converting PET into MHET (0.

Cockroach Blaptica dubia biodegrades polystyrene plastics: Insights for superior ability, microbiome and host genes.

The report demonstrated that a member of cockroach family, Blaptica dubia (Blattodea: Blaberidae) biodegraded commercial polystyrene (PS) plastics with M of 20.3 kDa and M of 284.9 kDa.

Microbiomes on microplastics versus natural microcarriers: Stability and transformation during aquatic travel from aquaculture ponds to adjacent stream.

Microplastics (MPs) with different physical-chemical properties are considered as vectors for the propagation of microbes in aquatic environments. It remains unclear how plastic types impact on the plastisphere and whether different MPs spread microbes more rapidly than natural materials in microbes across distinct water bodies as proposed previously. We used in-situ incubation to investigate the microbes attached on MPs of polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), and polyvinyl chloride (PVC), versus that on two natural microcarriers (quartz sands and bamboo) during the travel from aquaculture ponds with impacted by fish farming to adjacent freshwater stream.

Exposure Pathways and Toxicity of Microplastics in Terrestrial Insects.

The detrimental effects of plastics on aquatic organisms, including those of macroplastics, microplastics, and nanoplastics, have been well established. However, knowledge on the interaction between plastics and terrestrial insects is limited. To develop effective strategies for mitigating the impact of plastic pollution on terrestrial ecosystems, it is necessary to understand the toxicity effects and influencing factors of plastic ingestion by insects.

Understanding the Ecological Robustness and Adaptability of the Gut Microbiome in Plastic-Degrading Superworms () in Response to Microplastics and Antibiotics.

Recent discoveries indicate that several insect larvae are capable of ingesting and biodegrading plastics rapidly and symbiotically, but the ecological adaptability of the larval gut microbiome to microplastics (MPs) remains unclear. Here, we described the gut microbiome assemblage and MP biodegradation of superworms ( larvae) fed MPs of five major petroleum-based polymers (polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, polyvinyl chloride, and polyethylene terephthalate) and antibiotics. The shift of molecular weight distribution, characteristic peaks of C═O, and metabolic intermediates of residual polymers in egested frass proved depolymerization and biodegradation of all MPs tested in the larval intestines, even under antibiotic suppression.

Generation and Fate of Nanoplastics in the Intestine of Plastic-Degrading Insect ( Larvae) during Polystyrene Microplastic Biodegradation.

The insect exhibits ultrafast efficiency in biodegrading polystyrene (PS). However, the generation and fate of nanoplastics (NPs) in the intestine during plastic biodegradation remain unknown. In this study, we investigated the biodegradation of PS microplastics (MPs) mediated by larvae over a 4-week period and confirmed biodegradation by analyzing ΔδC in the PS before and after biotreatment (-28.

Soil-dwelling grub larvae of Protaetia brevitarsis biodegrade polystyrene: Responses of gut microbiome and host metabolism.

Plastic pollution poses a significant threat to terrestrial ecosystems, yet the potential for soil fauna to contribute to plastic biodegradation remains largely unexplored. In this study, we reveal that soil-dwelling grubs, Protaetia brevitarsis larvae, can effectively biodegrade polystyrene (PS) plastics. Over a period of 4 weeks, these grubs achieved a remarkable 61.

Anthropogenic and biological activities elevate microplastics pollution in headwater ecosystem of Yangtze tributaries in Hindu Kush-Himalayan region.

Microplastic (MP) pollution is widely spread in oceans, freshwater, and terrestrial environments but MPs in mountainous headwater ecosystem are rarely reported. This study focuses on the headwater of Yangtze tributaries of the Hindu Kush-Himalayan (HKH) region. Five streams at elevations of 900 to 3300 m were selected to investigate the distribution of MPs in water and sediments across altitudes.

Biodegradation of various grades of polyethylene microplastics by Tenebrio molitor and Tenebrio obscurus larvae: Effects on their physiology.

Polyethylene (PE) is the most productive plastic product and includes three major polymers including high-density polyethylene (HDPE), linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) and low-density polyethylene (LDPE) variation in the PE depends on the branching of the polymer chain and its crystallinity. Tenebrio obscurus and Tenebrio molitor larvae biodegrade PE. We subsequently tested larval physiology, gut microbiome, oxidative stress, and PE degradation capability and degradation products under high-purity HDPE, LLDPE, and LDPE powders (<300 μm) diets for 21 days at 65 ± 5% humidity and 25 ± 0.

Molecular-Weight-Dependent Degradation of Plastics: Deciphering Host-Microbiome Synergy Biodegradation of High-Purity Polypropylene Microplastics by Mealworms.

The biodegradation of polypropylene (PP), a highly persistent nonhydrolyzable polymer, by has been confirmed using commercial PP microplastics (MPs) ( 26.59 and 187.12 kDa).

Microplastic generation from field-collected plastic gauze: Unveiling the aging processes.

Accumulation of plastic debris in the environment is a matter of global concern. As plastic ages, it generates microplastic (MP) particles with high mobility. Understanding how MPs are generated is crucial to controlling this emerging contaminant.

Biodegradation of polyethylene terephthalate by Tenebrio molitor: Insights for polymer chain size, gut metabolome and host genes.

Polyethylene terephthalate (PET or polyester) is a commonly used plastic and also contributes to the majority of plastic wastes. Mealworms (Tenebrio molitor larvae) are capable of biodegrading major plastic polymers but their degrading ability for PET has not been characterized based on polymer chain size molecular size, gut microbiome, metabolome and transcriptome. We verified biodegradation of commercial PET by T.

Unveiling Fragmentation of Plastic Particles during Biodegradation of Polystyrene and Polyethylene Foams in Mealworms: Highly Sensitive Detection and Digestive Modeling Prediction.

It remains unknown whether plastic-biodegrading macroinvertebrates generate microplastics (MPs) and nanoplastics (NPs) during the biodegradation of plastics. In this study, we utilized highly sensitive particle analyzers and pyrolyzer-gas chromatography mass spectrometry (Py-GCMS) to investigate the possibility of generating MPs and NPs in frass during the biodegradation of polystyrene (PS) and low-density polyethylene (LDPE) foams by mealworms ( larvae). We also developed a digestive biofragmentation model to predict and unveil the fragmentation process of ingested plastics.

Biodegradation of polyvinyl chloride, polystyrene, and polylactic acid microplastics in Tenebrio molitor larvae: Physiological responses.

It is widely understood that microplastics (MPs) can induce various biological stresses in macroinvertebrates that are incapable of biodegrading plastics. However, the biodegradation and physiological responses of plastic-degrading macroinvertebrates toward MPs of different degradability levels remain unexplored. In this study, Tenebrio molitor larvae (mealworms) were selected as a model of plastics-degrading macroinvertebrate, and were tested against three common plastics of different degradability rankings: polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polystyrene (PS), and polylactic acid (PLA) MPs (size <300 μm).

Gut Microbiome Associating with Carbon and Nitrogen Metabolism during Biodegradation of Polyethene in larvae with Crop Residues as Co-Diets.

and (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) larvae are two commercial insects that eat plant and crop residues as diets and also biodegrade synthetic plastics polyethylene (PE). We examined biodegradation of low-density PE (LDPE) foam ( = 28.9 kDa and = 342.