Characterization of soil Actinobacteria that degrades polyesters

An aliphatic aromatic copolyester, poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT) is a chemically synthetic and biodegradable polymer that exhibits good mechanical properties, similar to those of low-density polyethylene (LDPE), and can be a replacement for LDPE as biodegradable mulch films in the agricultural field. Biodegradability of PBAT is stable at high temperature conditions such as compost environments compared to mild temperature conditions such as soil environments. Considering that PBAT could be used in biodegradable agricultural applications such as mulching film, it is important to investigate the biodegradation mechanism at mild temperatures. A PBAT-degrading bacterium isolated from a soil environment, designated as strain NKCM2511, was studied in detail. Genetic and biochemical analysis revealed that the strain belongs to the genus Rhodococcus in the phylum Actinobacteria.