Fungal bioremediation in environmental pollution and recent strategies
Linthoingambi Ningombam, Techi Mana, Srimay Pradhan, Gemin Apum, Yengkhom Disco Singh
Abstract
Fungi possess diverse metabolic pathways and enzymatic systems, enabling them to degrade a broad spectrum of environmental pollutants, including heavy metals, hydrocarbons, and synthetic dyes. This review highlights recent advancements in fungal bioremediation strategies, with a detailed focus on molecular enzymatic pathways such as ligninolytic and cytochrome P450 systems. It also examines the synergistic role of fungal consortia and plant-fungal interactions in enhancing pollutant degradation efficiency and field adaptability. Fungal consortia are cooperative communities of multiple fungal species that work synergistically, often exhibiting enhanced abilities to degrade complex pollutants compared to individual strains due to their complementary enzymatic activities and interactions (Rezaei Z, Moghimi H in Ecotoxicol Environ Saf 280: 116543, 2024). To better understand these complex interactions and the molecular pathways involved in pollutant degradation and environmental adaptation, researchers increasingly rely on omics technologies which includes genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics. White rot basidiomycetes produce laccases and class II peroxidases that degrade organic pollutants. The integration of fungal genomics, omics technologies, and nanobiotechnology-based delivery systems is also critically examined. Importantly, this review outlines the current challenges in scalability, substrate specificity, and bioreactor design, while suggesting future research directions, including genetic modification and optimization of consortia compositions. By bridging molecular mechanisms with field-level implementation, this work provides new insights into the potential of fungi as efficient, adaptable, and sustainable agents for environmental remediation.