Biochemical characterization and NMR study of a PET-hydrolyzing cutinase from Fusarium solani pisi

Abstract

In recent years, the drawbacks of plastics have become evident, with plastic pollution becoming 14 a major environmental issue. There is an urgent need to find solutions to efficiently manage 15 plastic waste by using novel recycling methods. Biocatalytic recycling of plastics by using 16 enzyme-catalyzed hydrolysis is one such solution that has gained interest, in particular for 17 recycling polyethylene terephthalate (PET). To provide insights into PET hydrolysis by 18 cutinases, we have here characterized the kinetics of a PET-hydrolyzing cutinase from Fusarium 19 solani pisi (FsC) at different pH values, mapped the interaction between FsC and the PET analog 20 BHET by using NMR spectroscopy, and monitored product release directly and in real time by 21 using time-resolved NMR experiments.