Polyhydroxyalkanoates extracellular degradation

Papaneophytou CP, Velah EE, Pantazaki AA (2011) Purification and characterization of an extracellular medium-chain length polyhydroxyalkanoate depolymerase from Thermus thermophilus HB8. Polym Degrad Stab 96 670-678... 

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Jendrossek D. Extracellular polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) depolymerases The key enzymes of PHA degradation. In Doi Y, Steinbiichel A, editors. Biopolymers. Hoboken Wiley-VCH 2002. p 41-83. 

The compatibility of the individual components of polymeric blends can lead to significant effects on the degradation of the polyhydroxyalkanoate component. This has been illustrated in a study on blends of PHB homopolymer with polycaprolactone, poly( 1,4-butylene adipate) and polyvinyl acetate [57]. Blends over wide composition ranges were incubated as thin films in aqueous solutions of an extracellular PHB depolymerase at 37 °C. The relative degradation rates were related to the miscibility and microstructure of the polymeric phases. For blends where PHB formed the continuous phase, degradation was relatively fast. 

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