We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Microbial Chemical Sensing of Microplastic-Derived Compounds in Insect Gut Ecosystems
Summary
This perspective reviews how insect gut microbiomes detect and respond to chemical compounds leached from microplastics, including phthalates and bisphenol A, through microbial sensing pathways such as two-component systems and quorum sensing. In some species like mealworms, gut bacteria can enzymatically degrade plastic polymers, while in others the response leads to oxidative stress and immune disruption. The authors propose leveraging insect-associated microbes for bioremediation strategies to address plastic pollution.
Microplastic (MP) pollution threatens terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems worldwide. Insects, essential for pollination, decomposition, and nutrient cycling, ingest MPs through feeding and contact. Despite growing evidence of MP-caused gut microbe imbalance, how insect gut microbiomes detect and react to MP leachates, mainly organic additives like phthalates and bisphenol A, is still unclear, limiting our understanding of adaptive resilience against toxicity. This perspective reviews microbial sensing pathways, including two-component systems, ligand-responsive transcriptional regulators, and quorum sensing, which differentiate responses to soluble leachates from inert polymers and orchestrate either enzymatic biodegradation in plastivorous species like Tenebrio molitor or detrimental shifts toward oxidative stress, immune activation via Toll and Imd pathways, and epithelial disruption. These host-microbiota feedbacks influence metabolic homeostasis, vector competence, and ecological processes including trophic transfer and biodiversity. By linking these molecular interactions to ecological processes, we propose the utilization of insect-associated symbionts in bioremediation, guided by omics-based approaches, to develop targeted interventions that mitigate plastic pollution while maintaining ecosystem functionality.