Kinetics and physico-chemical properties of white-rot fungal laccases
Loading...
Files
Date
2001-12
Authors
Bar, Marièlle
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of the Free State
Abstract
Laccase (EC 1.10.3.2, p-diphenol oxidase) is one of a few enzymes that have been
studied since the nineteenth century. Yoshida first described laccase in 1883 when he
extracted it from the exudates of the Japanese lacquer tree, Rhus vernicifera.
(Thurston, 1994; Levine, 1965). In 1896 laccase was demonstrated to be a fungal
enzyme for the first time by both Bertrand and Laborde (Thurston, 1994; Levine,
1965). Laccase is a member of the large blue copper proteins or blue copper oxidases,
which comprise a small group of enzymes. Other enzymes in this group are the plant
ascorbate oxidases and the mammalian plasma protein ceruloplasmin (Thurston,
1994; Xu, 1996; Ducros et al., 1998).
Laccases are either mono or multimeric copper-containing oxidases that catalyse the
one-electron oxidation of a vast amount of phenolic substrates. Molecular oxygen
serves as the terminal electron acceptor and is thus reduced to two molecules of water
(Ducros et al., 1998). The ability of laccases to oxidise phenolic compounds as well
as their ability to reduce molecular oxygen to water has lead to intensive studies of
these enzymes (Jolivalt et al., 1999; Xu, 1996; Thurston, 1994). The biotechnological
importance of these enzymes can also be attributed to their substantial retention of
activity in organic solvents with applications in organic synthesis.
Laccases have widespread applications, ranging from effluent decolouration and
detoxification to pulp bleaching, removal of phenolics from wines and dye transfer
blocking functions in detergents and washing powders, many of which have been
patented (Yaver et al., 2001). The biotechnological application of laccase has been
expanded by the introduction of laccase- mediator systems, which are able to oxidise
non-phenolic compounds that are otherwise not attacked and are thus able to degrade
lignin in kraft pulps (Bourbonnais and Paice, 1990).
Description
Keywords
Lignin -- Biodegradation, Basidiomycetes, Oxidoreductases, Laccases, Fungal, White-rot, Physico-chemical properties, Kinetics, Dissertation (M.Sc. (Microbiology and Biochemistry))--University of the Free State, 2002