Synthetic two-strain consortium for polyethylene (PE) biodegradation, constructed after screening Ensifer sp. YF2, Sphingobacterium sp. Y2, and Chryseobacterium sp. MF1 isolates from plastic-contaminated agricultural soils. The dual-strain consortium of YF2 and Y2 degraded PE more efficiently than individual strains or the full three-strain combination, using PE as the sole carbon source and inducing oxidative modifications and physical erosion of the polymer. Genomic analysis showed a complementary enzymatic division of labor - YF2 (oxidases LadA, AlkB, CYP450) performs backbone cleavage as the primary degrader, while Y2 (esterases and lipases) carries out intermediate metabolism through cross-feeding.
Taxonomy
| Taxon | Ontology ID | Functional Roles | Abundance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ensifer sp. YF2 — ontology label: Ensifer | NCBITaxon:106591 · TaxonMech · TraitMech |
PRIMARY_DEGRADER
|
N/A |
|
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| Sphingobacterium sp. Y2 — ontology label: Sphingobacterium | NCBITaxon:28453 · TaxonMech · TraitMech |
SECONDARY_FERMENTER
CROSS_FEEDER
|
N/A |
|
|||
Ecological Interactions
The graph shows only explicitly linked interaction participants. Community members without an asserted participant link are omitted; membership alone does not imply an interaction.
Metabolic division of labor in polyethylene degradation
HYPOTHESIZED - genomic oxidase annotations in Ensifer YF2 and esterase/lipase annotations in Sphingobacterium Y2 motivate a model in which YF2 supplies polymer-derived intermediates to Y2. The directed pair represents that conceptual model, not measured donor export, identified exchanged compounds, recipient uptake or selectively established enzyme activity on polyethylene.
Source Taxon: Ensifer sp. YF2
Target Taxon: Sphingobacterium sp. Y2
HYPOTHESIZED - complementary transformation capacities could contribute to the stronger YF2/Y2 consortium phenotype. Genomic annotation and the coculture comparison do not isolate cross-feeding as the cause of that improvement.
Evidence
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PMID:41996795 - PARTIAL (COMPUTATIONAL)"YF2, encoding key oxidases (LadA, AlkB, CYP450), served as the primary degrader for backbone cleavage, while Y2, enriched with esterases and lipases, facilitated intermediate metabolism through cross-feeding."
Synergistic enhancement of PE degradation in the dual-strain consortium
The abstract reports greater polyethylene degradation by the YF2/Y2 pair than by either isolate or the screened three-strain mixture including MF1. This is a consortium-output comparison, not demonstrated reciprocal fitness benefit, an identified exchanged metabolite or a formal additive-synergy test. MF1 is a comparator, not a member of this curated pair.
Participating Taxa: Ensifer sp. YF2, Sphingobacterium sp. Y2
Evidence
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PMID:41996795 - SUPPORT (IN_VITRO)"A dual-strain consortium (YF2 +Y2) demonstrated enhanced degradation compared to individual strains and the three-strain combination, indicating that functional compatibility rather than taxonomic richness drives consortium performance."
Polyethylene Oxidation and Surface Erosion
The tested two-member consortium was reported to use polyethylene as the sole carbon source and to induce polymer oxidation and surface erosion. These physical and chemical endpoints do not by themselves establish complete mineralization, a measured interstrain carbon flux or a separate downstream consequence of the performance summary.
Participating Taxa: Ensifer sp. YF2, Sphingobacterium sp. Y2
Evidence
-
PMID:41996795 - SUPPORT (IN_VITRO)"The consortium utilized PE as the sole carbon source, inducing oxidative modifications and physical erosion of the polymer surface."
Knowledge gaps & discussions (1)
KNOWLEDGE_GAP OPEN Which exchanged compounds and enzymes account for the YF2/Y2 polymer phenotype?
Retain the existing conceptual donor/recipient model and only a HYPOTHESIZED contribution to comparative performance. Remove the performance-to-surface-endpoint part/whole arrow. The available primary abstract does not expose isotope tracing, enzyme perturbations or species-resolved fitness. Preserve the exact pair and AMBIGUOUS Ensifer grounding; do not reintroduce the screened MF1 member. The publisher labels the article open access, but full-body retrieval failed in this session; this is not evidence of a paywall. Non-graph role and access/protocol claims remain #1441. No new causal structure is needed to repair the existing claims.
Attaches to: ecological_interactions#Metabolic division of labor in polyethylene degradation, ecological_interactions#Synergistic enhancement of PE degradation in the dual-strain consortium, ecological_interactions#Polyethylene Oxidation and Surface Erosion
Growth Media
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