Polyethylene terephthalate hydrolase IsPETase and its application prospect

Abstract:

As biotechnology advances, biodegradation of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) has emerged as an attractive strategy, promising to reduce the environmental burden caused by waste PET. Among many PET hydrolases, PETase from Ideonella sakaiensis has become a hot research topic owing to high specificity to PET substrate. Based on the structure and function of PETase, this review summarized modifications of this enzyme in recent years to improve the degradation activity, thermostability, and adsorption of the enzyme. Moreover, we also introduced the secretory expression systems and the cell surface display of PETase, as well as the application of the PETase together with MHETase. Finally, we summed up the challenges in and possible solutions to plastic biodegradation. This study is expected to provide a reference for promoting the practical application of polymer biodegradation.