Knott BC, Erickson E, Allen MD, Gado JE, Graham R, Kearns FL, Pardo I, Topuzlu E, Anderson JJ, Austin HP, Dominick G, Johnson CW, Rorrer NA, Szostkiewicz CJ, Copié V, Payne CM, Woodcock HL, Donohoe BS, Beckham GT, McGeehan JE.

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2020 Oct 13;117(41):25476-25485. doi:10.1073/pnas.2006753117

Characterization and engineering of a two-enzyme system for plastics depolymerization.

“No MHETase activity was detected for [mono(2-hydroxyethyl)-isophthalate (MHEI) and mono(2-hydroxyethyl)-furanoate (MHEF)].” “Degradation scales with PETase loading and the presence of MHETase, even at low concentrations relative to PETase, improves total degradation.” “Chimeric proteins covalently linking the C terminus of MHETase to the N terminus of PETase, using flexible glycine-serine linkers of 8, 12, and 20 total glycine and serine residues, were generated.” “When comparing the extent of degradation achieved by PETase alone, MHETase alone, and an equimolar mix of PETase and MHETase, the chimeric proteins outperform PETase, as well as the mixed reaction containing both PETase and MHETase unlinked in solution.”