Taxonomic and Functional Profiling of Bacterial Communities in Leather Biodegradation: Insights into Metabolic Pathways and Diversity

• DOI: 10.20944/preprints202504.0304.v1
• Publication Date: 2025-04-07T02:31:56Z
• Authors: Manuela Bonilla-E...; Marcelo Bertazzo; Irene Lifante-Mar...; Mónica Camacho; Elena Orgilés-Cal...; Francisca Arán-Aís; Maria-José Bonete
• Keywords: Profiling (computer programming); Functional Diversity

Leather biodegradation is a microbially driven process of increasing interest for the development sustainable waste management strategies. In this study, bacterial communities involved in leather tanned with different agents (chrome, zeolite, Biole®) were characterised using high-throughput sequencing. Taxonomic profiling based on 16S rRNA gene amplification revealed that Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and Patescibacteria dominant phyla across samples. Functional analysis, carried out through metatranscriptomic sequencing RNA molecules, identified total 1,302 expressed enzymes, which 46 classified as proteases. The most abundant proteases included Endopeptidase La, Clp, Methionyl aminopeptidase. Although collagen samples exhibited lowest diversity, they showed highest enzyme expression, whereas chrome-treated displayed increased protease activity, indicating selective pressure associated heavy metal content. Additionally, distinct functional sets found to be either shared among or exclusive specific tanning treatments. Genera such Acinetobacter, Pseudomonas, Sphingopyxis key contributors enzymatic activity potential resistance. These results provide new insights into how shape microbial their functions, highlighting taxa enzymes applications bioremediation environmentally friendly processing technologies.