Uncoupled: investigating the lack of correlation between the transcription of putative plastic-degrading genes in the global ocean microbiome and marine plastic pollution ...

• Main Authors: Gambarini, Victor, Drost, Cornelis J., Kingsbury, Joanne M., Weaver, Louise, Pantos, Olga, Handley, Kim M., Lear, Gavin
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: unknown
• Published: figshare 2024
• Subjects: Microbiology; FOS: Biological sciences; Oceanography; FOS: Earth and related environmental sciences; Southern Ocean
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.c.7236744.v1; https://springernature.figshare.com/collections/Uncoupled_investigating_the_lack_of_correlation_between_the_transcription_of_putative_plastic-degrading_genes_in_the_global_ocean_microbiome_and_marine_plastic_pollution/7236744/1

Abstract Background Plastic pollution is a severe threat to marine ecosystems. While some microbial enzymes can degrade certain plastics, the ability of the global ocean microbiome to break down diverse environmental plastics remains limited. We employed metatranscriptomic data from an international ocean survey to explore global and regional patterns in microbial plastic degradation potential. Results On a global oceanic scale, we found no significant correlation between levels of plastic pollution and the expression of genes encoding enzymes putatively identified as capable of plastic degradation. Even when looking at different regional scales, ocean depth layers, or plastic types, we found no strong or even moderate correlation between plastic pollution and relative abundances of transcripts for enzymes with presumed plastic biodegradation potential. Our data, however, indicate that microorganisms in the Southern Ocean show a higher potential for plastic degradation, making them more appealing candidates ...