articleScienceMar 10, 2016Closed access

A bacterium that degrades and assimilates poly(ethylene terephthalate)

SYShosuke YoshidaKHKazumi HiragaTTToshihiko TakehanaITIkuo TaniguchiHYHironao Yamaji

Keio University · Kyoto Institute of Technology · +2 more institutions

PubMed
Indexed incrossrefpubmed

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…

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Topics & keywords

Topics
Keywords
  • Bacteria
  • Biodegradation
  • Bottle
  • Bioremediation
  • Ethylene
  • Hydrolysis
  • Waste management
  • Pulp and paper industry
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