From Gene Towards Selective Biomass Valorization: Bacterial β-Etherases with Catalytic Activity on Lignin-Like Polymers

Microbial -etherases, which selectively cleave the -O-4 aryl ether linkage present in lignin, hold great promise for future applications in lignin valorization. However, very few members have been reported so far and little is known about these enzymes. By using a database mining approach, four novel bacterial -etherases were identified, recombinantly produced in Escherichia coli, and investigated together with known -etherases in the conversion of various lignin and non-lignin-type model compounds. The resulting activities revealed the significant influence of the substituents at the phenyl ring adjacent to the ether bond. Finally, -etherase activity on polymeric substrates, measured by using a fluorescently labeled synthetic lignin, was also proven; this underlined the applicability of the enzymes for the conversion of lignin into renewable chemicals.