A bacterium that degrades and assimilates poly(ethylene terephthalate)

Science. 2016 Mar 11;351(6278):1196-9. doi: 10.1126/science.aad6359.

Abstract

Poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) is used extensively worldwide in plastic products, and its accumulation in the environment has become a global concern. Because the ability to enzymatically degrade PET has been thought to be limited to a few fungal species, biodegradation is not yet a viable remediation or recycling strategy. By screening natural microbial communities exposed to PET in the environment, we isolated a novel bacterium, Ideonella sakaiensis 201-F6, that is able to use PET as its major energy and carbon source. When grown on PET, this strain produces two enzymes capable of hydrolyzing PET and the reaction intermediate, mono(2-hydroxyethyl) terephthalic acid. Both enzymes are required to enzymatically convert PET efficiently into its two environmentally benign monomers, terephthalic acid and ethylene glycol.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Betaproteobacteria / enzymology*
  • Environmental Restoration and Remediation
  • Enzymes / classification
  • Enzymes / genetics
  • Enzymes / metabolism
  • Hydrolysis
  • Microbial Consortia
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Phthalic Acids / metabolism
  • Phylogeny
  • Plastics / metabolism*
  • Polyethylene Terephthalates / metabolism*
  • Recycling

Substances

  • Enzymes
  • Phthalic Acids
  • Plastics
  • Polyethylene Terephthalates
  • terephthalic acid

Associated data

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