Role of dienelactone hydrolases in PET biodegradation by flavobacteria
Trinh LTT, Ochmann C, Alio I, Perez-Garcia P, Keuter S
Plastic Degradation
Plastic fragments washing from bottles and packaging into the soil and waterways around your garden may have natural microbial allies — ocean bacteria that secrete enzymes capable of dissolving PET, offering a biological path toward cleaner ecosystems for plants and wildlife alike.
Scientists discovered that certain ocean bacteria can break down the plastic used in water bottles and food containers using special enzymes they naturally produce and release into their surroundings. These bacteria are common in the marine environment, meaning they could already be working to break down floating plastic waste right now. The finding opens a door toward using these tiny ocean organisms as biological tools to help clean up one of the world's most pressing pollution problems.
Key Findings
Two new marine Flavobacteria strains were isolated that degrade both PET foil and PET powder using secreted dienelactone hydrolase (DLH) enzymes — the first documented PET-active function for this enzyme class
Dienelactone hydrolases (EC 3.1.1.45), previously known only for breaking down cyclic esters in soil bacteria, were found to act on PET plastic in a marine bacterial lineage
Flavobacteria are widespread in marine environments and secrete these enzymes externally, suggesting a potentially large-scale, naturally occurring role in ocean PET remediation
chevron_right Technical Summary
Marine bacteria called Flavobacteria produce enzymes that can break down PET plastic — the kind found in bottles and packaging — marking the first known link between this enzyme family and plastic degradation. Their widespread ocean distribution and the fact that these enzymes are released into the environment suggest they may already be quietly dissolving plastic pollution in the sea.
Abstract Preview
Dienelactone hydrolases (DLHs, EC 3.1.1.45) are bacterial enzymes primarily involved in the breakdown of cyclic esters. So far, this enzyme class is generally not well-known for PET degradation, an...
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