title: Synthetic polyester-hydrolyzing enzymes from thermophilic actinomycetes.
abstract: Thermophilic actinomycetes produce enzymes capable of hydrolyzing synthetic polyesters such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET). In addition to carboxylesterases, which have hydrolytic activity predominantly against PET oligomers, esterases related to cutinases also hydrolyze synthetic polymers. The production of these enzymes by actinomycetes as well as their recombinant expression in heterologous hosts is described and their catalytic activity against polyester substrates is compared. Assays to analyze the enzymatic hydrolysis of synthetic polyesters are evaluated, and a kinetic model describing the enzymatic heterogeneous hydrolysis process is discussed. Structure-function and structure-stability relationships of actinomycete polyester hydrolases are compared based on molecular dynamics simulations and recently solved protein structures. In addition, recent progress in enhancing their activity and thermal stability by random or site-directed mutagenesis is presented.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Bioprocess Technology, Institute of Biochemistry, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Ren
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Bioprocess Technology, Institute of Biochemistry, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Thorsten
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Oeser
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Bioprocess Technology, Institute of Biochemistry, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany. Electronic address: wolfgang.zimmermann@uni-leipzig.de.
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zimmermann
mesh_terms: D039903:Actinobacteria / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D055162:Biocatalysis; D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D006867:Hydrolases / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D007700:Kinetics; D011091:Polyesters / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D011091:Polyesters; D006867:Hydrolases
keywords: Actinomycetes; Polyester hydrolases; Polyethylene terephthalate; Synthetic polyester; Thermobifida; Thermomonospora