Title: Screening and characterisation of a poly(vinyl alcohol)-degrading mixed microbial culture

Authors: Jie Zhang; Ying Zhang; Xuerong Fan; Ping Wang; Artur Cavaco-Paulo; Qiang Wang

Addresses: Key Laboratory of Science and Technology of Eco-Textile, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China ' Key Laboratory of Science and Technology of Eco-Textile, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China ' Key Laboratory of Science and Technology of Eco-Textile, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China ' Key Laboratory of Science and Technology of Eco-Textile, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China ' International Joint Research Laboratory for Textile and Fiber Bioprocesses, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China; Center of Biological Engineering, University of Minho, Braga, 4710-057, Portugal ' Key Laboratory of Science and Technology of Eco-Textile, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China

Abstract: A mixed microbial culture, which can degrade poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA), was screened from the activated sludge of a textile factory. This mixed culture was found to consist of many bacterial strains, including representatives of Pseudomonas, Sphingopyxis, Castellaniella, Stenotrophomonas, Ochrobactrum and Shinella. The relative abundance of strains in the mixed culture during the incubation period was determined through the Illumina Miseq Platform. The biodegradation of PVA by this mixed culture in liquid medium was determined using several methods, including UV and gel-permeation chromatography (GPC). When the mixed culture was incubated in PVA1799-containing mineral medium for 4.5 days, the concentration of PVA decreased by 91% and the mean weight-average molecular weight of PVA decreased by 68%. The PVA-degrading enzymes produced by the mixed culture appear to be membrane or intracellular enzyme. The optimum pH and temperature for PVA-degrading enzyme activity were investigated by single-factor tests and were discovered to be pH 7.0 and 40°C, respectively. The crude enzymes extracted from the mixed culture could partly degrade PVA1799 nanofibre scaffolds.

Keywords: poly(vinyl alcohol); PVA; biodegradation; mixed microbial culture; nanofibre scaffold; PVA-degrading enzyme.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEP.2017.088169

International Journal of Environment and Pollution, 2017 Vol.62 No.1, pp.17 - 30

Accepted: 01 Mar 2017
Published online: 27 Nov 2017 *

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