Bacterial Strain from Biofilm on Surface of Poly(Ethylene Terephthalate) from Soil in Chernihiv City (Ukraine) Used as Potential Agent of Biodegradation

Abstract

Bacteria actively degrade polymeric materials due to high biochemical activity and the ability to form biofilms. In order to expand our knowledge about soil bacterial biodiversity on the surface of artificial materials from the soil of Chernihiv (Ukraine), in this study, the bacterial strain PET1 was isolated from the biofilm formed on the poly(ethylene terephthalate) bottle material taken from soil. The strain was isolated and purified on Postgate’s “C” medium and modified by us (using poly(ethylene terephthalate) as the only source of carbon). The PET1 strain was identified as Achromobacter xylosoxidans based on a complex of microbiological and molecular genetic features. This study is the first report of the isolation of an A. xylosoxidans strain from a biofilm on the surface of poly(ethylene terephthalate) collected from the soil. Considering the growing interest of researchers in the problem of biodegradation of plastics, attention should be paid to the potential of A. xylosoxidans as biodegradation agents. The involvement of bacteria of the genus Achromobacter in the biodegradation of artificial polymers (polyvinyl chloride, high-density polyethylene, nylon) opens up prospects for the isolated strain PET1 to be studied and, possibly, applied as a biodegrader of poly(ethylene terephthalate).