Rational mutagenesis of Thermobifida fusca cutinase to modulate the enzymatic degradation of polyethylene terephthalate

Thermobifida fusca cutinase (TfCut2) is a carboxylesterase (CE) which degrades polyethylene terephthalate (PET) as well as its degradation intermediates [such as oligoethylene terephthalate (OET), or bis‐/mono‐hydroxyethyl terephthalate (BHET/MHET)] into terephthalic acid (TPA). Comparisons of the surfaces of certain CEs (including TfCut2) were combined with docking and molecular dynamics simulations involving 2HE‐(MHET)3, a three‐terephthalate OET, to support the rational design of 22 variants with potential for improved generation of TPA from PET, comprising 15 single mutants (D12L, E47F, G62A, L90A, L90F, H129W, W155F, ΔV164, A173C, H184A, H184S, F209S, F209I, F249A, and F249R), 6 double mutants [H129W/T136S, A173C/A206C, A173C/A210C, G62A/L90F, G62A/F209I, and G62A/F249R], and 1 triple mutant [G62A/F209I/F249R]. Of these, nine displayed no activity, three displayed decreased activity, three displayed comparable activity, and seven displayed increased (~1.3‐ to ~7.2‐fold) activity against solid PET, while all variants displayed activity against BHET. Of the variants that displayed increased activity against PET, four displayed more activity than G62A, the most‐active mutant of TfCut2 known till date. Of these four, three displayed even more activity than LCC (G62A/F209I, G62A/F249R, and G62A/F209I/F249R), a CE known to be ~5‐fold more active than wild‐type TfCut2. These improvements derived from changes in PET binding and not changes in catalytic efficiency. A total of twenty‐two mutation‐bearing variants of TfCut2 were generated. Each variant was generated on the basis of a specific rationale. Five variants showed improved activity over wild‐type TfCut2. Three showed higher activity than wild‐type LCC, which is considered to be amongst the most promising of all PET‐degrading enzymes discovered in recent times.