Computer-aided discovery of a novel thermophilic laccase for low-density polyethylene degradation

Natural and engineered enzymes for polyester degradation: a review

“…These enzymes act to produce oxidative species to oxidize the polymer, but the degradation efficacy is still very low (Fujisawa et al 2001;Santo et al 2013). Compared to peroxidases, more studies on laccasemediated PE decomposition are reported (Santo et al 2013;Yao et al 2022;Zhang et al 2023). Laccase-mediator system constructed by laccases from the fungus Botrytis aclada and a bacterium B. subtilis in combination with three synthetic mediators shows oxidation, molecular weight reduction and surface erosion on low-density polyethylene films that were pretreated with high-temperature UV irradiation (Yao et al 2022).…”

“…Two laccase-like multicopper oxidases induced in Rhodococcus opacus that can utilize polyethylene as the only carbon and energy source to grow can afford polyethylene oxidation, various alkyl compounds and oxygenated products in 48 h (Zampolli et al 2023). A thermophilic laccase from polyethylene-degrading bacterium Lysinibaccillus fusiformis (LfLAC3) that was expected to possess a relatively open catalytic pocket was selected by using the computer-aided discovery and activity-based screening (Zhang et al 2023). The formation of various functional groups was detected and the surface damage on the polyethylene films was observed, though only 3.75% weight loss of polyethylene films was achieved at 28 °C in eight weeks.…”