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Metabolism of Terephthalic Acid by a Novel Bacterial Consortium Produces Valuable By-Products
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This study developed and characterized a novel bacterial consortium capable of using terephthalic acid (TPA), a major PET monomer, as its sole carbon source, achieving approximately 85% TPA metabolism within five days. HPLC and LC-MS/MS revealed the benzoate degradation pathway and secretion of commercially valuable metabolites including cis,cis-muconic acid and catechol, with Paraburkholderia fungorum identified as the dominant species, offering a promising economically sustainable approach to PET plastic pollution remediation.
Terephthalic acid (TPA), a major monomer of polyethylene terephthalate (PET), represents a significant challenge in plastic waste management due to its persistence in the environment. In this study, we report a newly developed bacterial consortium capable of using TPA as the sole carbon source in a defined mineral medium. The consortium achieved stationary phase within five days and metabolized approximately 85% of the available TPA. Metabolite analysis by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) revealed the activation of the benzoate degradation pathway during TPA catabolism. Additionally, the consortium secreted commercially relevant metabolites such as cis,cis-muconic acid and catechol into the culture medium. Genetic profiling using a reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and 16S rRNA sequencing identified Paraburkholderia fungorum as the dominant species, suggesting it plays a key role in TPA degradation. The ability of this microbial community to efficiently convert TPA into high-value by-products offers a promising and potentially economically sustainable approach to addressing plastic pollution.
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