High density polyethylene (HDPE) biodegradation by the fungus Cladosporium halotolerans

Polyethylene (PE) is high molecular weight synthetic polymer, very hydrofobic and hardly biodegradable. To increase polyethylene bio-degradability it is very important to find microorganisms that improve the PE hydrophilic level and/or reduce the length of its polymeric chain by oxidation. In this study, we isolated Cladosporium halotolerans, a fungal species, from the gastric system of Galleria mellonella larvae. Here, we show that C. halotolerans grows in the presence of PE polymer, it is able to interact with plastic material through its hyphae and secretes enzymes involved in PE degradation. In this article, a fungus is isolated from the gastrointestinal tract of the G. mellonella larva, which infests hives by feeding on wax. The similarity of structure between the wax and the polyethylene makes the microorganism suitable for the degradation of plastic materials that are difficult to eliminate.

Automated summary

In this study, a fungal species, Cladosporium halotolerans, is isolated from Galleria mellonella larvae. It is found that this fungus is capable of interacting with and degrading polyethylene.