Isolation and characterization of microorganisms degrading nylon 4 in the composted soil

Two kinds of microorganisms, a bacterium (KT-1 strain) and a fungus (KT-2 strain), degrading nylon 4 (polyamide 4), which was easily prepared by the anionic ring-opening polymerization of 2-pyrrolidone, were isolated from the composted soil with the utilization of enrichment cultures and the culture using nylon 4 as a carbon source. KT-1 and KT-2 strains were identified as neighboring species to Stenotrophomonas sp. and Fusarium sp., respectively, by their morphological properties and the nucleotide sequences. These strains were confirmed to grow in the culture medium containing nylon 4 powders as a carbon source. In addition, nylon 4 film was decomposed in both mineral media containing KT-1 and KT-2 strains, respectively, and disappeared within two months. The MALDI TOF-MS analysis of nylon 4 recovered during the biodegradation test suggest that the isolated KT-2 strain recognize the acyllactam or carboxy chain end and degrade them or their neighboring amide bond. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.