Download MendeleyStructural insight into molecular mechanism of poly(ethylene terephthalate) degradation.
Joo, S., Cho, I.J., Seo, H., Son, H.F., Sagong, H.-Y., Shin, T.J., Choi, S.Y., Lee, S.Y., Kim, K.-J.(2018) Nat Commun 9: 382-382
- PubMed: 29374183
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-018-02881-1
- Primary Citation of Related Structures:
5XJH, 5YNS - PubMed Abstract:
Plastics, including poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET), possess many desirable characteristics and thus are widely used in daily life. However, non-biodegradability, once thought to be an advantage offered by plastics, is causing major environmental problem. Recently, a PET-degrading bacterium, Ideonella sakaiensis, was identified and suggested for possible use in degradation and/or recycling of PET. However, the molecular mechanism of PET degradation is not known. Here we report the crystal structure of I. sakaiensis PETase (IsPETase) at 1.5 Å resolution. IsPETase has a Ser-His-Asp catalytic triad at its active site and contains an optimal substrate binding site to accommodate four monohydroxyethyl terephthalate (MHET) moieties of PET. Based on structural and site-directed mutagenesis experiments, the detailed process of PET degradation into MHET, terephthalic acid, and ethylene glycol is suggested. Moreover, other PETase candidates potentially having high PET-degrading activities are suggested based on phylogenetic tree analysis of 69 PETase-like proteins.
Organizational Affiliation:
School of Life Sciences (KNU Creative BioResearch Group), KNU Institute for Microorganisms, Kyungpook National University, Daehak-ro 80, Buk-gu, Daegu, 41566, Republic of Korea.
