Reaction: ethylene terephthalate + H2O = terephthalate + ethylene glycol
Glossary: ethylene terephthalate = mono(ethylene terephthalate) = MHET = 4-[(2-hydroxyethoxy)carbonyl]benzoate
Other name(s): MHET hydrolase; MHETase
Systematic name: ethylene terephthalate acylhydrolase
Comments: The enzyme, isolated from the bacterium Ideonella sakaiensis, has no activity with poly(ethylene terephthalate) PET (cf. EC 3.1.1.101, poly(ethylene terephthalate) hydrolase).
Links to other databases: BRENDA, EXPASY, KEGG, MetaCyc, PDB, CAS registry number:
References:
1. Yoshida, S., Hiraga, K., Takehana, T., Taniguchi, I., Yamaji, H., Maeda, Y., Toyohara, K., Miyamoto, K., Kimura, Y. and Oda, K. A bacterium that degrades and assimilates poly(ethylene terephthalate). Science 351 (2016) 1196-1199. [PMID: 26965627]