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Review
. 2021 Oct 23;8(11):154.
doi: 10.3390/bioengineering8110154.

Streptomyces as Potential Synthetic Polymer Degraders: A Systematic Review

Maria Fernanda Rodríguez-Fonseca  1   2 , Jeysson Sánchez-Suárez  2 , Manuel Fernando Valero  3 , Sonia Ruiz-Balaguera  4 , Luis Eduardo Díaz  2
Affiliations
Review

Streptomyces as Potential Synthetic Polymer Degraders: A Systematic Review

Maria Fernanda Rodríguez-Fonseca et al. Bioengineering (Basel). .

Abstract

The inherent resistance of synthetic plastics to degradation has led to an increasing challenge of waste accumulation problem and created a pollution issue that can only be addressed with novel complementary methods such as biodegradation. Since biocontrol is a promising eco-friendly option to address this challenge, the identification of suitable biological agents is a crucial requirement. Among the existing options, organisms of the Streptomyces genus have been reported to biodegrade several complex polymeric macromolecules such as chitin, lignin, and cellulose. Therefore, this systematic review aimed to evaluate the potential of Streptomyces strains for the biodegradation of synthetic plastics. The results showed that although Streptomyces strains are widely distributed in different ecosystems in nature, few studies have explored their capacity as degraders of synthetic polymers. Moreover, most of the research in this field has focused on Streptomyces strains with promising biotransforming potential against polyethylene-like polymers. Our findings suggest that this field of study is still in the early stages of development. Moreover, considering the diverse ecological niches associated with Streptomyces, these actinobacteria could serve as complementary agents for plastic waste management and thereby enhance carbon cycle dynamics.

Keywords: Streptomyces; biodegradation; commodity plastics; plastics; polyethylene; polypropylene.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Flowchart of systematic literature search according to PRISMA guidelines. Modified from the work of [40]. The systematic review was done following the PRISMA guidelines, the complete checklist can be reviewed in Table S1.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Main isolation countries for Streptomyces strains capable of plastic biodegradation: (a) Isolated strains’ percentage by continent; (b) isolated strains’ percentage by country.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Main isolation sources of Streptomyces strains capable of biodegradation of synthetic polymers.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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