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A stable isotope assay with 13C-labeled polyethylene to investigate plastic mineralization mediated by Rhodococcus ruber
Goudriaan, M.; Hernando-Morales, V.; van der Meer, M.T.J.; Mets, A.; Ndhlovu, R.; van Heerwaarden, J.; Simon, S.; Heuer, V.B.; Hinrichs, K.-U.; Niemann, H. (2023). A stable isotope assay with 13C-labeled polyethylene to investigate plastic mineralization mediated by Rhodococcus ruber. Mar. Pollut. Bull. 186: 114369. https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2022.114369
In: Marine Pollution Bulletin. Macmillan: London. ISSN 0025-326X; e-ISSN 1879-3363, more
Peer reviewed article  

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Keyword
    Rhodococcus ruber
Author keywords
    Microbial plastic degradation; Polyethylene biodegradation rates; Stable isotope probing; Compound specific isotope analysis; Membrane lipids; Rhodococcus ruber

Authors  Top 
  • Goudriaan, M., more
  • Hernando-Morales, V., more
  • van der Meer, M.T.J., more
  • Mets, A., more
  • Ndhlovu, R.
  • van Heerwaarden, J., more
  • Simon, S.
  • Heuer, V.B.
  • Hinrichs, K.-U.
  • Niemann, H., more

Abstract

    Methods that unambiguously prove microbial plastic degradation and allow for quantification of degradation rates are necessary to constrain the influence of microbial degradation on the marine plastic budget. We developed an assay based on stable isotope tracer techniques to determine microbial plastic mineralization rates in liquid medium on a lab scale. For the experiments, 13C-labeled polyethylene (13C-PE) particles (irradiated with UV-light to mimic exposure of floating plasticto sunlight) were incubated in liquid medium with Rhodococcus ruber as a model organism for proof of principle. The transfer of 13C from 13C-PE into the gaseous and dissolved CO2 pools translated to microbially mediated mineralization rates of up to 1.2 % yr−1 of the added PE. After incubation, we also found highly 13C-enriched membrane fatty acids of R. ruber including compounds involved in cellular stress responses. We demonstrated that isotope tracer techniques are a valuable tool to detect and quantify microbial plastic degradation.


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