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Microbial-Mediated Plastic Degradation: A Sustainable Pathway to Environmental Health
Summary
This review examines how microorganisms degrade plastics through enzymes such as esterases, cutinases, and laccases via a four-phase process ending in mineralization to CO2, water, and methane. It also covers metabolic pathways and protein engineering approaches that could enhance microbial plastic degradation for environmental remediation.
Plastic pollution has surged due to excessive use and poor disposal of non-biodegradable polymers.Physical and chemical breakdown methods are inefficient and release toxic by-products.An alternate and eco-friendly approach to overcome plastic contamination is the utilization of plastic degrading microbes.These microbial species degrade plastic by the action of variety of enzymes, synthesized in their mircofactories.The plastic degrading enzymes include esterases, cutinases, lipases, protease, peroxidases and laccases.The biochemical process of plastic biodegradation comprised of four phases i.e.,biodeterioration, biofragmentation, assimilation and mineralization.Plastic is utilized by microorganisms as essential carbon and energy source, which is followed by the production of non-toxic and neutral substances like CO2, H2O, CH4 along with biomass.This comprehensive review reveals the role of different microbes in the biodegradation of plastic, various enzymes involved in polymer degradation, underlying metabolic pathways associated with plastic depolymerization, molecular strategies and protein engineering methodologies for the enhancement of microbial plastic degradation process.