PETase
Sign in to savePETases are an esterase class of enzymes that catalyze the breakdown (via hydrolysis) of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic to monomeric mono-2-hydroxyethyl terephthalate (MHET).
Key facts
- Enzyme.name
- PETase
- Enzyme.AltNames
- PET hydrolase, poly(ethylene terephthalate) hydrolase
- Enzyme.image
- PETase_5XH3_with_HEMT-cartoon.png
- Enzyme.caption
- I. sakaiensis PETase () in complex with HEMT, a PET analogue ().
- Enzyme.EC_number
- 3.1.1.101
via Wikipedia infobox
Article
6 sectionsContents
- History
- Structure
- Mutations
- Biological pathway {{anchor|MHET breakdown in I. sakaiensis}}
- See also
- References
PETases are an esterase class of enzymes that catalyze the breakdown (via hydrolysis) of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic to monomeric mono-2-hydroxyethyl terephthalate (MHET).
The idealized chemical reaction is: (ethylene terephthalate)n + H2O → (ethylene terephthalate)n-1 + MHET, where n is the number of monomers in the polymer chain, though a trace amount of the PET breaks down instead to bis(2-hydroxyethyl) terephthalate (BHET). PETases can also break down PEF-plastic (polyethylene-2,5-furandicarboxylate), which is a bioderived PET replacement, into the analogous . PETases can't catalyze the hydrolysis of aliphatic polyesters like polybutylene succinate or polylactic acid.