Laccase

Laccase from Trametes versicolor has been used:

• to assess the use of four laccase-producing strains in waste water treatment
• in laccase assay
• in screening the lignols

Laccase EC 1.10.3.2, a glycoprotein, is an extracellular multicopper enzyme and is considered as a metal. Laccase is widely distributed in fungi and also found among the higher plants, bacteria and insects.

Lee et al. isolated and identified an extracellular laccase-producing strain of Y. lipolytica from soil. Extracellular laccase (YlLac) was purified by anionexchange and gel filtration chromatography. YlLac is a monomeric glycoprotein with 14 % carbohydrate content and a molecular weight of 67 kDa. It showed a higher catalytic efficiency toward 2,20-Azino-bis (3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (kcat/Km = 19.3 s-1 lM-1) and 2,6-dimethoxyphenol (kcat/Km = 13 s-1 lM-1) than any other reported laccases. This enzyme was able to oxidize phenolic compounds of pretreated rice straw. The use of YlLac for the removal of cellulase inhibitory compounds from biomass slurries is a promising approach for improving the efficiency of biorefineries (Lee et al. 2012).