TY  - JOUR
AU  - Jäckering, Anna
AU  - Göttsch, Frederike
AU  - Schäffler, Moritz
AU  - Doerr, Mark
AU  - Bornscheuer, Uwe T.
AU  - Wei, Ren
AU  - Strodel, Birgit
TI  - From Bulk to Binding: Decoding the Entry of PET into Hydrolase Binding Pockets
JO  - JACS Au
VL  - 4
IS  - 10
SN  - 2691-3704
CY  - Washington, DC
PB  - ACS Publications
M1  - FZJ-2024-06051
SP  - 4000 - 4012
PY  - 2024
AB  - Plastic-degrading enzymes facilitate the biocatalyticrecycling of poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET), a significantsynthetic polymer, and substantial progress has been made inutilizing PET hydrolases for industrial applications. To fully exploitthe potential of these enzymes, a deeper mechanistic understandingfollowed by targeted protein engineering is essential. Throughadvanced molecular dynamics simulations and free energy analysismethods, we elucidated the complete pathway from the initialbinding of two PET hydrolases�the thermophilic leaf-branchcompost cutinase (LCC) and polyester hydrolase 1 (PES-H1)�toan amorphous PET substrate, ultimately leading to a PET chainentering the active site in a hydrolyzable conformation. Ourfindings indicate that initial PET binding is nonspecific and drivenby polar and hydrophobic interactions. We demonstrate that the subsequent entry of PET into the active site can occur via one ofthree key pathways, identifying barriers related to both PET−PET and PET−enzyme interactions, as well as specific residueshighlighted through in silico and in vitro mutagenesis. These insights not only enhance our understanding of the mechanismsunderlying PET degradation and facilitate the development of targeted enzyme enhancement strategies but also provide a novelframework applicable to enzyme studies across various disciplines.
LB  - PUB:(DE-HGF)16
C6  - 39483243
UR  - <Go to ISI:>//WOS:001323931400001
DO  - DOI:10.1021/jacsau.4c00718
UR  - https://juser.fz-juelich.de/record/1032182
ER  -