Reaction: (ethylene terephthalate)n + H2O = (ethylene terephthalate)n-1 + 4-[(2-hydroxyethoxy)carbonyl]benzoate
Glossary: poly(ethylene terephthalate) = PET
4-[(2-hydroxyethoxy)carbonyl]benzoate = mono(ethylene terephthalate) =MHET
Other name(s): PETase; PET hydrolase
Systematic name: poly(ethylene terephthalate) hydrolase
Comments: The enzyme, isolated from the bacterium Ideonella sakaiensis, also produces small amounts of terephthalate (cf. EC 3.1.1.102, mono(ethylene terephthalate) hydrolase). The reaction takes place on PET-film placed in solution.
Links to other databases: BRENDA, EXPASY, KEGG, MetaCyc, PDB, CAS registry number:
References:
1. Yoshida, S., Hiraga, K., Takehana, T., Taniguchi, I., Yamaji, H., Maeda, Y., Toyohara, K., Miyamoto, K., Kimura, Y. and Oda, K. A bacterium that degrades and assimilates poly(ethylene terephthalate). Science 351 (2016) 1196-1199. [PMID: 26965627]