Comparative biodegradation of lignite by Bacillus cereus and Lelliottia amnigena: Elucidating enzymatic, adhesion, and metabolic mechanisms through multi-technique analysis

Wang Y. Cao W. Nussipov D. Bao Y. Li J. Shi Z. Zhou A. Tastambek K. Liu X.
February 2026 Elsevier Ltd

Process Biochemistry
2026 #161 249 - 260 pp.

Chinas abundant low-rank coal suffers from high moisture and low calorific value, limiting its energy efficiency. Biodegradation offers a sustainable quality enhancement strategy. This study assessed the lignite degradation capabilities of bacterial strains Bacillus cereus (ESM1) and Lelliottia amnigena (P1) using enzymatic, interfacial, and metabolomic analyses. ESM1 demonstrated significantly higher degradation efficiency (41.7 %) than P1 (19.4 %). Superior degradation by ESM1 was confirmed by elevated humic acid-like substances detected via fluorescence spectroscopy. Comparative enzyme assays revealed ESM1 produced substantially higher activities of lignin peroxidase (61.32 U/mL vs. 38.25 U/mL), manganese peroxidase (11.23 U/mL vs. 6.67 U/mL), and lipase (13.1 U/mL vs. 7.2 U/mL). Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry showed ESM1 treatment generated more long-chain alkanes (77.7 % vs. 66.0 %). Scanning electron microscopy indicated stronger ESM1 adhesion (adsorption rate: 56.5 % vs. 23.8 %), attributed to polysaccharide-rich extracellular substances and favorable electrostatic interactions. Metabolomic profiling identified 205 differentially expressed metabolites in ESM1, enriched in cofactor biosynthesis, phenylalanine metabolism, pyrimidine metabolism, and styrene degradation pathways, suggesting their critical role in its enhanced degradation ability. These findings provide a foundation for optimizing microbial consortia for sustainable coal conversion. Copyright

Bacillus cereus , Lelliottia amnigena , Low-rank coal , Metabolomics , Microbial degradation

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College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xi’an University of Science and Technology, Xi’an, China
Sustainability of Ecology and Bioresources, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Almaty, Kazakhstan
College of Geology and Environment, Xi’an University of Science and Technology, Xi’an, China
Ecology Research Institute, Khoja Akhmet Yassawi, International Kazakh-Turkish University, Turkestan, 161200, Kazakhstan

College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering
Sustainability of Ecology and Bioresources
College of Geology and Environment
Ecology Research Institute

10 лет помогаем публиковать статьи Международный издатель

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