Role of the intestinal microbiome in low-density polyethylene degradation by caterpillar larvae of the greater wax moth, Galleria mellonella
| Autor: | Sachi M. P. Villanueva, Harald C. Grove, Oluwadara Elebute, Christophe M. R. LeMoine, Bryan J. Cassone |
|---|---|
| Jazyk: | angličtina |
| Rok vydání: | 2020 |
| Předmět: |
Development and Physiology
animal structures Microorganism 010501 environmental sciences Biology Moths 01 natural sciences General Biochemistry Genetics and Molecular Biology Waxworm 03 medical and health sciences Animals Microbiome Food science Caterpillar 030304 developmental biology 0105 earth and related environmental sciences General Environmental Science 0303 health sciences Larva General Immunology and Microbiology fungi General Medicine Biodegradation biology.organism_classification Gastrointestinal Microbiome Galleria mellonella Low-density polyethylene Biodegradation Environmental Polyethylene General Agricultural and Biological Sciences |
| Zdroj: | Proc Biol Sci |
| Popis: | Recently, a few insects, including the caterpillar larva of the greater wax moth Galleria mellonella , have been identified as avid ‘plastivores’. These caterpillars are able to ingest and metabolize polyethylene at unprecedented rates. While it appears that G. mellonella plays an important role in the biodegradation process, the contribution of its intestinal microbiome remains poorly understood and contested. In a series of experiments, we present strong evidence of an intricate relationship between an intact microbiome, low-density polyethylene (LDPE) biodegradation and the production of glycol as a metabolic by-product. First, we biochemically confirmed that G. mellonella larvae consume and metabolize LDPE, as individual caterpillars fed on polyethylene excreted glycol, but those excretions were reduced by antibiotic treatment. Further, while the gut bacterial communities remained relatively stable regardless of diet, we showed that during the early phases of feeding on LDPE (24–72 h), caterpillars exhibited increased microbial abundance relative to those starved or fed on their natural honeycomb diet. Finally, by isolating and growing gut bacteria with polyethylene as their exclusive carbon source for over 1 year, we identified microorganisms in the genus Acinetobacter that appeared to be involved in this biodegradation process. Taken collectively, our study indicates that during short-term exposure, the intestinal microbiome of G. mellonella is intricately associated with polyethylene biodegradation in vivo . |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
| Externí odkaz: |
|