Fungal laccase: properties and aplications

Abstract

Laccase (EC 1.10.3.2; benzenediol:oxygen oxidoreductase) was first discovered at the end of the 19th century in the sap of Oriental lacquer trees. Later on, the laccase from the white-rot basidiomycete Trametes versicolor was thoroughly characterized using biochemical and biophysical methods. It is an extracellular blue multicopper glycoprotein. The copper ions are involved in the catalytic process, in which a reducing substrate, typically a phenol, is oxidized and molecular oxygen is reduced to water. Today, a multitude of different laccases and laccase genes from various sources have been characterized. The enzyme seems to have different physiological roles in different types of organisms. Several of the best characterized laccases come from basidiomycete fungi causing white-rot decay of wood. These laccases are generally regarded to be associated with the biodegradation of lignin, although more research is needed to shed light on the fundamental molecular mechanisms. Recent advances with regard to the structural and functional diversity of laccases will be discussed in relation to efforts to clarify the physiological roles of the enzyme and to elucidate its potential in various applications, including detoxification, bleaching, and analysis.