The first archaeal PET-degrading enzyme belongs to the feruloyl-esterase family
2022
5 citations
?
Citation count from OpenAlex, updated daily. May differ slightly from the publisher's own count.
Score: 30
?
0–100 AI score estimating relevance to the microplastics field. Papers below 30 are filtered from public browse.
Jonas Dittrich,
Pablo Pérez-García,
Pablo Pérez-García,
Robert F. Dierkes,
Pablo Pérez-García,
Wolfgang R. Streit
Jonas Dittrich,
Dominik Danso,
Jennifer Chow,
Jennifer Chow,
Pablo Pérez-García,
Jennifer Chow,
Wolfgang R. Streit
Pablo Pérez-García,
Robert F. Dierkes,
Robert F. Dierkes,
Elisa Costanzi,
Pablo Pérez-García,
Jennifer Chow,
Wolfgang R. Streit
Wolfgang R. Streit
Pablo Pérez-García,
Pablo Pérez-García,
Elisa Costanzi,
Pablo Pérez-García,
Robert F. Dierkes,
Dominik Danso,
Elisa Costanzi,
Elisa Costanzi,
Robert F. Dierkes,
Marno Gurschke,
Marno Gurschke,
Marno Gurschke,
Jennifer Chow,
Pablo Pérez-García,
Marno Gurschke,
Jennifer Chow,
Golo Feuerriegel,
Jennifer Chow,
Jonas Dittrich,
Marno Gurschke,
Pablo Pérez-García,
Golo Feuerriegel,
Marno Gurschke,
Jonas Dittrich,
Robert F. Dierkes,
Wolfgang R. Streit
Wolfgang R. Streit
Robert F. Dierkes,
Jonas Dittrich,
Wolfgang R. Streit
Violetta Applegate,
Jennifer Chow,
Wolfgang R. Streit
Robert F. Dierkes,
Golo Feuerriegel,
Violetta Applegate,
Violetta Applegate,
Wolfgang R. Streit
Holger Gohlke,
Prince Tete,
Golo Feuerriegel,
Sander H. J. Smits,
Golo Feuerriegel,
Prince Tete,
Robert F. Dierkes,
Prince Tete,
Dominik Danso,
Prince Tete,
Wolfgang R. Streit
Wolfgang R. Streit
Wolfgang R. Streit
Prince Tete,
Prince Tete,
Holger Gohlke,
Dominik Danso,
Dominik Danso,
Dominik Danso,
Dominik Danso,
Julia Schumacher,
Holger Gohlke,
Christopher Pfleger,
Julia Schumacher,
Christopher Pfleger,
Julia Schumacher,
Holger Gohlke,
Christopher Pfleger,
Holger Gohlke,
Sander H. J. Smits,
Ruth A. Schmitz,
Sander H. J. Smits,
Wolfgang R. Streit
Ruth A. Schmitz,
Wolfgang R. Streit
Ruth A. Schmitz,
Holger Gohlke,
Ruth A. Schmitz,
Jennifer Chow,
Sander H. J. Smits,
Jennifer Chow,
Wolfgang R. Streit
Wolfgang R. Streit
Ruth A. Schmitz,
Wolfgang R. Streit
Summary
Researchers discovered the first archaeal enzyme capable of degrading polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic, belonging to the feruloyl-esterase family. Previously, all known plastic-degrading enzymes came from bacteria or fungi. This finding opens new possibilities for using microorganisms from extreme environments in plastic biodegradation and recycling.
ABSTRACT Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is a commodity polymer known to globally contaminate marine and terrestrial environments. Today, around 40 bacterial and fungal PET-active enzymes (PETases) are known, originating from four bacterial and two fungal phyla. In contrast, no archaeal enzyme has been identified to degrade PET. Here we report on the structural and biochemical characterization of PET46, an archaeal promiscuous feruloyl esterase exhibiting degradation activitiy on PET, bis-, and mono-(2-hydroxyethyl) terephthalate (BHET and MHET). The enzyme, found by a sequence-based metagenome search, was derived from a non-cultivated, deep-sea Candidatus Bathyarchaeota archaeon. Biochemical characterization demonstrated that PET46 is a promiscuous, heat-adapted hydrolase. Its crystal structure was solved at a resolution of 1.71 Å. It shares the core alpha/beta-hydrolase fold with bacterial PETases, but contains a unique lid common in feruloyl esterases, which is involved in substrate binding. Thus, our study significantly widens the currently known diversity of PET-hydrolyzing enzymes, by demonstrating PET depolymerization by a lignin-degrading esterase.