Powerful ester-group-cleaving enzyme
Reference Number TO 02-00059
The Challenge
Polymers and macromolecular materials susceptible to controlled biological degradation have become increasingly important in recent years. Polymers like polyesters are potentially biodegradable, since the ester bonds constitute points of attack for extracellular microbial hydrolysing enzymes. While many aliphatic polyesters have proved to be susceptible to biological degradation, aromatic polyesters, which have some advantageous processing and application properties, are resistant against biodegradation. Therefore aliphatic-aromatic coployesters have been developed that combine the advantageous properties of both substance classes. Due to the aromatic component, the rate of biodegradation of aliphatic-aromatic coployesters is drastically reduced. Only few lipases are known that are capable of degrading aliphatic-aromatic coployesters, but the reaction is very slowly. Therefore there is a great demand for highly active ester-group-cleaving enzymes, that are able to degrade polyester-based polymers.
The Technology
The invention relates to an ester-group-cleaving enzyme from the Ascomycete Thermomonospora fusca, that can be used for the degradation and treatment of ester-group-containing polymers and low molecular weight compounds. The enzyme works within a temperature-range from 30 to 80°C and pH-range of 4 to 8 and is able to degrade aliphatic-aromatic coployesters in an exceptionally high rate. Substrates can be natural polymers like lignin, cutin or suberin or synthetic polyesters like polycaprolactone, terephthal- and adipinacid-containing polyester and polyesterurethanes.
Commercial Opportunity
The inventive enzyme can be used for surface modifications of fibres, films or mouldings, for recycling and compost and selective removal of polyester adhesive plaster as well as for the pre-paration of detergents. In contrast to available detergent lipases the inventive enzyme does not adsorb to wovens. This is extremely favourable with regard to the compatibility to skin.
Advantages are:
- exceptional high rate of degradation
- broad range of natural and synthetic substrates, including aliphatic-aromatic coployesters
- broad temperature- and pH-working range
- non-adhesive to wovens
Patent situation
Patent applications pending in USA, Europe, Canada, Korea and Japan (WO 01/23581 A1).
Further Reading
Gouda MK, Kleeberg I, van den Heuvel J, Muller RJ, Deckwer WD.: Biotechnol Prog. 2002 Sep Oct; 18(5): 927-34.
Witt U, Einig T, Yamamoto M, Kleeberg I, Deckwer WD, Muller RJ.: Chemosphere. 2001 Jul;44(2):289-99.
