Draft genome sequence of the plastic-degrading fungus Fusicolla acetilerea strain NIBRFGC000505922

TL;DR

This paper presents the first draft genome of a plastic-degrading fungus, Fusicolla acetilerea, which could help in understanding and improving biodegradable plastic waste treatment.

Contribution

The study provides the first draft genome sequence of Fusicolla acetilerea, revealing genes potentially involved in plastic degradation.

Findings

The genome is 50.2 Mb with 13,961 predicted protein-coding genes, 97.9% complete based on BUSCO analysis.

12 candidate genes linked to plastic degradation were identified, along with 466 CAZymes and 36 biosynthetic gene clusters.

The genome offers insights into the molecular mechanisms of fungal plastic degradation for environmental biotechnology applications.

Abstract

Fusicolla acetilerea is a saprophytic fungus in the family Nectriaceae (order Hypocreales). A strain, NIBRFGC000505922, was isolated from rhizosphere soil in South Korea and showed plastic-degrading activity against polycaprolactone and polylactic acid, indicating its potential for treating biodegradable plastic waste. However, genomic data for F. acetilerea are not yet available, which limits understanding of its biodegradation abilities. The objective of this study is to present the first draft genome sequence of F. acetilerea strain NIBRFGC000505922 to offer insights into its gene content, including carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZymes), biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs), and potential plastic-degrading enzymes.

We assembled the genome of F. acetilerea strain NIBRFGC000505922 using Illumina NovaSeq and PacBio Revio HiFi sequences. The genome sequence is 50.2 Mb across 12 scaffolds (N50: 5.2 Mb, GC: 47.6%). BUSCO analysis against Sordariomycetes_obd10 showed 97.9% completeness. We predicted 13,961 protein-coding genes and assigned functions to 10,824 of them. Among these, 466 are CAZyme and 36 are biosynthetic gene clusters; additionally, 12 candidate genes linked to plastic degradation were identified, supporting the strain’s potential for plastic breakdown. This genome resource offers a valuable foundation for understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying fungal plastic degradation and exploring its applications in environmental biotechnology.