Functional and genomic characterization of polyethylene degrading yeast Meyerozyma carpophila M6.0.2 isolated from marine plastic debris in East Java Indonesia

Polyethylene (PE) is a primary contributor to environmental plastic pollution, posing a critical risk to ecosystems and living organisms. This study screened six yeast strains (BI.4.1.1, K3.1.2, M.5.0.1, M.5.0.3, M.6.0.1, and M.6.0.2) isolated from marine plastic debris in East Java, Indonesia, for their ability to degrade PE. Among these, Meyerozyma carpophila M6.0.2 demonstrated functional characteristics with the highest polyethylene-degrading activity in liquid medium after a 10-day incubation, with a degradation percentage of 0.4923%. This was supported by its biofilm-forming capacity, biosurfactant production, and broad metabolic activity as demonstrated by EcoPlate assays. In addition, Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) analyses of PE films revealed morphological changes and emergence of new peaks, respectively. Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) of strain M6.0.2 was performed using the Illumina NextSeq 2000 platform (PE 150), yielding a genome assembly of 10.34 Mb across 108 contigs with an N50 length of 1.08 Mb. A total of 5,352 putative genes were predicted. These findings highlight Meyerozyma carpophila M6.0.2 as a promising candidate for bioremediation of marine plastic pollution, emphasizing the combination of functional and genomic insights for a better understanding of the mechanism of PE biodegradation.