Simultaneous production of biosurfactant and extracellular unspecific peroxygenases by Moesziomyces aphidis XM01 enables an efficient strategy for crude oil degradation.

Crude oil is a hazardous pollutant that poses significant and lasting harm to human health and ecosystems. In this study, Moesziomyces aphidis XM01, a biosurfactant mannosylerythritol lipids (MELs)-producing yeast, was utilized for crude oil degradation. Unlike most microorganisms relying on cytochrome P450, XM01 employed two extracellular unspecific peroxygenases, MaUPO.1 and MaUPO.2, with preference for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and n-alkanes respectively, thus facilitating efficient crude oil degradation. The MELs produced by XM01 exhibited a significant emulsification activity of 65.9% for crude oil and were consequently supplemented in an "exogenous MELs addition" strategy to boost crude oil degradation, resulting in an optimal degradation ratio of 72.3%. Furthermore, a new and simple "pre-MELs production" strategy was implemented, achieving a maximum degradation ratio of 95.9%. During this process, the synergistic up-regulation of MaUPO.1, MaUPO.1 and the key MELs synthesis genes contributed to the efficient degradation of crude oil. Additionally, the phylogenetic and geographic distribution analysis of MaUPO.1 and MaUPO.1 revealed their wide occurrence among fungi in Basidiomycota and Ascomycota, with high transcription levels across global ocean, highlighting their important role in biodegradation of crude oil. In conclusion, M. aphidis XM01 emerges as a novel yeast for efficient and eco-friendly crude oil degradation.