Biotechnology Bulletin ›› 2025, Vol. 41 ›› Issue (4): 33-46.doi: 10.13560/j.cnki.biotech.bull.1985.2024-0902

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Applied Research of Insect Symbiotic Bacteria in Biodegradation of Plastics and Pesticides

WANG Zheng-yan1(), FAN Fang-lei1, YE Tian-wei1, LUO Qiong1, ZHAO Ya-ru2   

  1. 1.School of Food and Strategic Reserves, Henan University of Technology, Zhengzhou 450001
    2.School of Grain Science and Technology, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang 212100
  • Received:2024-09-17 Online:2025-04-26 Published:2025-04-25
  • Contact: WANG Zheng-yan E-mail:zywang@haut.edu.cn

Abstract:

Symbiotic bacteria have developed close associations with their insect hosts during the long history of coevolution. They are distributed in multiple parts of insects, both inside and outside their bodies, and participate in the regulation of various physiological processes of insect hosts. Some insect symbiotic bacteria produce hydrolases, oxidoreductases, and transferases to degrade polyolefin plastics, polyester plastics and pesticides, and have certain application potential in environmental bioremediation. However, due to the complex structure and relatively stable chemical properties of plastics, complex and changeable degradation environment, many issues have to be overcome before popularization of insect symbiotic bacteria in environmental bioremediation, such as low activity, poor stability, narrow substrate spectrum, unknown safety, toxicity of degraded products of symbiotic bacteria and their enzymes, and their destruction on original ecological balance. This paper reviewed the mechanisms and strains of insect symbiotic bacteria degrading plastic and pesticide, methods of screening them, and application status in environmental bioremediation. This paper also analyzed the existing issues and the solutions to them and prospected the research directions. By this review, it is aimed to provide references and insights for studies in related fields and advance the application of insect symbiotic bacteria in environmental bioremediation.

Key words: insect, symbiotic bacteria, plastic, pesticide, environmental pollution, bioremediation