title: Phyllosphere yeasts rapidly break down biodegradable plastics.
abstract: The use of biodegradable plastics can reduce the accumulation of environmentally persistent plastic wastes. The rate of degradation of biodegradable plastics depends on environmental conditions and is highly variable. Techniques for achieving more consistent degradation are needed. However, only a few microorganisms involved in the degradation process have been isolated so far from the environment. Here, we show that Pseudozyma spp. yeasts, which are common in the phyllosphere and are easily isolated from plant surfaces, displayed strong degradation activity on films made from poly-butylene succinate or poly-butylene succinate-co-adipate. Strains of P. antarctica isolated from leaves and husks of paddy rice displayed strong degradation activity on these films at 30°C. The type strain, P. antarctica JCM 10317, and Pseudozyma spp. strains from phyllosphere secreted a biodegradable plastic-degrading enzyme with a molecular mass of about 22 kDa. Reliable source of biodegradable plastic-degrading microorganisms are now in our hands.
authors: National Institute for Agro-Environmental Sciences (NIAES), 3-1-3 Kannondai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8604 Japan. kitamoto@affrc.go.jp.
authors: Hiroko K
authors: HK
authors: Kitamoto
authors: Yukiko
authors: Y
authors: Shinozaki
authors: Xiao-Hong
authors: XH
authors: Cao
authors: Tomotake
authors: T
authors: Morita
authors: Masaaki
authors: M
authors: Konishi
authors: Kanako
authors: K
authors: Tago
authors: Hideyuki
authors: H
authors: Kajiwara
authors: Motoo
authors: M
authors: Koitabashi
authors: Shigenobu
authors: S
authors: Yoshida
authors: Takashi
authors: T
authors: Watanabe
authors: Yuka
authors: Y
authors: Sameshima-Yamashita
authors: Toshiaki
authors: T
authors: Nakajima-Kambe
authors: Seiya
authors: S
authors: Tsushima