Conformational Selection in Enzyme-Catalyzed Depolymerization of Bio-based Polyesters.

ABSTRACT: Enzymatic degradation of polymers holds promise for advancing towards a bio-based economy. However, the bulky nature of polymers presents challenges in accessibility for biocatalysts, hindering depolymerization reactions. Beyond the impact of crystallinity, polymer chains can reside in different conformations affecting binding efficiency to the enzyme active site. We previously showed that the gauche and trans chain conformers associated with crystalline and amorphous regions of the synthetic polyethylene terephthalate (PET) display different affinity to PETase, thus affecting the depolymerization rate. However, structural-function relationships for biopolymers remain poorly understood in biocatalysis. In this study, we explored the biodegradation of previously synthesized bio-polyesters m

SUBMITTER: Lopez-Lorenzo X 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11776369 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature