近日，日本东京大学Tadahisa Iwata团队报道了用于加速深海生物降解的酶嵌入聚酯。2026年10月21日，《自然》杂志发表了这一成果。

持久性塑料在海洋中的积累正在引发广泛的环境问题。一些为解决这些问题而开发的市售可堆肥塑料在工业堆肥条件下可高效降解；然而，它们在海洋环境、尤其是深海环境中的降解仍然有限。

研究组证明，将酶热嵌入可堆肥聚酯（聚丁二酸丁二醇酯（PBS）、聚丁二酸-共-己二酸丁二醇酯（PBSA）、聚ε-己内酯（PCL）和聚己二酸-共-对苯二甲酸丁二醇酯（PBAT））中，可显著加速其在海岸和深海环境（水深2–6 m至5,503 m）中的降解。嵌入酶的聚酯在757 m深海深度下于5个月内实现近完全降解。此外，在5,503 m深海海底的极端条件下，也观察到嵌入酶的聚酯发生适度生物降解。

在海岸海水中，嵌入痕量（0.1 wt%）酶的薄膜发生快速降解。嵌入酶的聚酯的力学性能与不含酶的聚酯相似。化学分析证实形成了低分子质量降解产物，生化需氧量测量支持嵌入酶的聚酯发生矿化。该酶嵌入策略能够增强可堆肥聚酯的海洋降解，并可能成为解决海洋塑料污染的一种潜在方案。

附：英文原文

Title: Enzyme-embedded polyesters for accelerated biodegradation in the deep sea

Author: Huang, QiuYuan, Iida, Noriko, Isobe, Noriyuki, Kabe, Taizo, Omura, Taku, Ilangovan, Manikandan, Kimura, Satoshi, Seok, Jin Ho, Nomaki, Hidetaka, Kasuya, Ken-ichi, Iwata, Tadahisa

Issue&Volume: 2026-10-21

Abstract: The accumulation of persistent plastics in the ocean is causing wide-ranging environmental problems1,2,3. Some commercially available compostable plastics4,5,6,7, developed to address these issues, degrade efficiently under industrial composting conditions; however, their degradation in marine environments, particularly in the deep sea, remains limited8,9,10. Here we demonstrate that thermally embedding enzymes into compostable polyesters (poly(butylene succinate) (PBS), poly(butylene succinate-co-adipate) (PBSA), poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) and poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT)) significantly accelerates their degradation in both coastal and deep-sea environments from water depths of 2–6m to 5,503m. Enzyme-embedded polyesters achieved near-complete degradation at a deep-sea depth of 757m within 5 months. Furthermore, moderate biodegradation of enzyme-embedded polyesters was observed under extreme conditions on deep-sea floors of 5,503m. In coastal seawater, films embedded with trace amounts (0.1wt%) of enzyme underwent rapid degradation. The mechanical properties of enzyme-embedded polyesters were similar to those of enzyme-free polyesters. Chemical analysis confirmed the formation of low-molecular-mass degradation products and biochemical oxygen demand measurements supported the mineralization of the enzyme-embedded polyesters. The enzyme-embedding strategy enables enhanced marine degradation of compostable polyesters and represents a potential solution to marine plastic pollution.

DOI: 10.1038/s41586-026-11192-1

Source:https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-026-11192-1