Plastic-degrading clusters of orthologous groups reveal near-universal biodegradation potential in prokaryotes;
: Mustari, Shakira; Phạm, Loan Tú; Saikkonen, Kari; Nakamura, Miho; Puigbò, Pere
Publisher: Elsevier
: 2026
Environmental Technology and Innovation
: 104872
: 42
: 2352-1864
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eti.2026.104872
: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eti.2026.104872
: https://research.utu.fi/converis/portal/detail/Publication/523418123
Micro- and nanoplastic pollution (MNPP) is an increasing environmental threat due to the persistence, dispersal, and potential toxicity of plastic particles. Although microbial biodegradation offers a sustainable mitigation strategy, a comprehensive understanding of plastic-degrading proteins across microbial taxa is lacking. Here, we present the Plastic-Degrading Clusters of Orthologous Groups (PDCOGs) database (https://phylobone.com/microworld/PDCOG), comprising 625,616 potential plastic-degrading proteins (PPDPs) from free-living prokaryotes organized into 51 orthologous groups. The database/PDCOGs enable systematic analysis of microbial plastic-degrading capacity across ecosystems and phylogenetic lineages. Notably, PPDPs constitute ∼3.5% of all prokaryotic proteins, with over 95% of the species having the potential to biodegrade at least one plastic polymer type. This resource provides a genomic tool/framework for exploring the ecological and evolutionary importance of plastic biodegradation and supports future efforts to mitigate the global MNPP crisis.
biodegradation, clusters of orthologous groups, enzymes, microbial genomes, microplastics, nanoplastics, plastic polymers
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Scandinavian-Japan Sasakawa foundation (GA25-FUB-0132). PP is a Serra Húnter Professor in the public university system of Catalonia.