Genome-Based Exploration of Species for Plastic-Degrading Genetic Determinants Using Bioinformatic Analysis.

Plastic polymer waste management is an increasingly prevalent issue. In this paper, genomes were explored to predict new plastic-degrading enzymes based on recently discovered biodegrading enzymes for diverse plastic polymers. Bioinformatics prediction analyses were conducted using 124 gene products deriving from diverse microorganisms retrieved from databases, literature data, -approaches, and functional analyses. The whole results showed the plastic-degrading potential of genus. Among the species with high plastic-degrading potential, . , . , . , . . , and . appeared to be the most promising for possible plastic removal. A high number of genetic determinants related to polyester biodegradation were obtained from different species. However, score calculation demonstrated that species (especially . , . , and . ) likely possess PE-degrading enzymes. The results identified diverse oxidative systems, including multicopper oxidases, alkane monooxygenases, cytochrome P450 hydroxylases, -nitrobenzylesterase, and carboxylesterase, and they could be promising reference sequences for the biodegradation of plastics with C-C backbone, plastics with heteroatoms in the main chain, and polyesters, respectively. Notably, the results of this study could be further exploited for biotechnological applications in biodegradative processes using diverse strains and through catalytic reactions.