Quantitative estimation of laccase forms in some white-rot fungi using syringaldazine as a substrate

The specific syringaldazine test for the detection of fungal laccase originally used by Harkin and Obst has been adapted for the quantitative estimation of the enzyme in Trametes versicolor, Pleurotus ostreatus and Pholiota mutabilis. The method is based on the observed increase in the absorbance at 525 nm due to the formation of coloured tetramethoxy-azo-bis-methylenequinone resulting from the reaction of laccase with syringaldazine.     

Enhanced production of laccase fromTrametes sp. by combination of various inducers

In this study, we have attempted to determine the optimum concentration of inducers responsible for efficient laccase production by the white-rot fungus,Trametes sp. Variations in laccase activity were investigated with changing concentrations of 2,5-xylidine, syringaldazine, ABTS, and guaiacol. Enhancement of peak laccase activity was achieved via the combination of 2,5-xylidine with ABTS, syringaldazine, or guaiacol, resulting in increases of up to 359, 313, and 340%, respectively, as compared to control values. Among the tested inducers, the addition of 0.1 mM of ABTS coupled with 1.0 mM of 2,5-xylidine in the medium after 24 h of cultivation proved optimal with regard to laccase enzyme production.     

Characterization and immobilization of the laccase from Pleurotus ostreatus and its use for the continuous elimination of phenolic pollutants

A laccase, the only ligninolytic enzyme produced by the basidiomycete Pleurotus ostreatus strain RK 36 was purified to homogeneity and characterized. The enzyme is a monomeric protein with a molecular weight of 67 000 Da and an isoelectric point of 3.6. Type I and type III Cu(2+) centers were identified by spectrophotometry. With syringaldazine as substrate laccase showed the highest oxidation rates at pH 5.8, 50 degrees C, and in 40 mM phosphate buffer. Among the tested stabilization parameters laccase retained most of its activity in high ionic buffer, pH 10, -20 degrees C, in the presence of 10 mM benzoic acid and with 35% ethylene glycol respectively. Crude laccase was covalently immobilized to Eupergit((R))C. Benzoate was found to stabilize the enzyme during the immobilization process. The activity loss of laccase during 10 days at 25 degrees C storage was 2% on average. Continuous elimination of 2,6-dimethoxyphenol by immobilized laccase was carried out in a packed bed reactor followed by filtration of the formed precipitate. The solubility of the polymerisates of oxidized syringaldazine, o-dianisidine, and 2,6-dimethoxyphenol with respect to temperature, pH-value and organic solvents were examined. The precipitates were found to be insoluble under non-extreme environmental conditions.     

Laccase activity in melanin-producing strains of Sinorhizobium meliloti

Laccase-like activity was detected in melanin-producing strains of Sinorhizobium meliloti mainly in cells at the stationary growth phase when copper was added to the medium. The laccase showed both syringaldazine and ABTS (2,2'-azino-bis-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) oxidase activities and was activated by the addition of 1.7 mM sodium dodecyl sulfate. Activity was totally inhibited by the addition of 1.0 mM EDTA, suggesting that the enzyme is a metal-dependent one. The enzyme was found to be cytosolic having an optimum pH of 5.0, an estimated molecular mass of 95 kDa and a K(m) of 4 microM for syringaldazine. Both laccase and tyrosinase activities were detected in melanin-producing S. meliloti strains. Plant growth-promoting (PGP) effect in rice by a laccase-producing S. meliloti strain when co-inoculated with Azospirillum brasilense Cd was observed. PGP effect by co-inoculation significantly increased plant yield compared to A. brasilense by itself. To the best of our knowledge this is the first report on laccase production in rhizobia and cooperation between Azospirillum and Sinorhizobium in rice.     

Studies on the <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pycnoporus sanguineus</Emphasis> CCT-4518 laccase purified by hydrophobic interaction chromatography

A laccase from Pycnoporus sanguineus was purified by two steps using phenyl-Sepharose columm. A typical procedure provided 54.1-fold purification, with a yield of 8.37%, using syringaldazine as substrate. The molecular weight of the purified laccase was 69 and 68 kDa as estimated by 12% (w/v) SDS-PAGE gel and by gel filtration, respectively. The K _m values for the substrates ABTS, syringaldazine, and guaiacol were 58, 8.3, and 370 μM, respectively. The enzyme’s pH optimum for syringaldazine was 4.2 and optimal activity was 50°C. The enzyme showed to be thermostable because when kept at 50°C for 24 and 48 h it retained 93 and 76% activity. This laccase was inhibited by l-cysteine, β-mercaptoethanol, NaN₃, NaF, and HgCl₂.     

Purification and Characterization of Laccase from Chaetomium thermophilium and Its Role in Humification

Chaetomium thermophilium was isolated from composting municipal solid waste during the thermophilic stage of the process. C. thermophilium, a cellulolytic fungus, exhibited laccase activity when it was grown at 45°C both in solid media and in liquid media. Laccase activity reached a peak after 24 h in liquid shake culture. Laccase was purified by ultrafiltration, anion-exchange chromatography, and affinity chromatography. The purified enzyme was identified as a glycoprotein with a molecular mass of 77 kDa and an isoelectric point of 5.1. The laccase was stable for 1 h at 70°C and had half-lives of 24 and 12 h at 40 and 50°C, respectively. The enzyme was stable at pH 5 to 10, and the optimum pH for enzyme activity was 6. The purified laccase efficiently catalyzed a wide range of phenolic substrates but not tyrosine. The highest levels of affinity were the levels of affinity to syringaldazine and hydroxyquinone. The UV-visible light spectrum of the purified laccase had a peak at 604 nm (i.e., Cu type I), and the activity was strongly inhibited by Cu-chelating agents. When the hydrophobic acid fraction (the humic fraction of the water-soluble organic matter obtained from municipal solid waste compost) was added to a reaction assay mixture containing laccase and guaiacol, polymerization took place and a soluble polymer was formed. C. thermophilium laccase, which is produced during the thermophilic stage of composting, can remain active for a long period of time at high temperatures and alkaline pH values, and we suggest that this enzyme is involved in the humification process during composting.     

Purification and Characterization of an Extracellular,Thermo-Alkali-Stable,Metal Tolerant Laccase from Bacillus tequilensis SN4

A novel extracellular thermo-alkali-stable laccase from Bacillus tequilensis SN4 (SN4LAC) was purified to homogeneity. The laccase was a monomeric protein of molecular weight 32 KDa. UV-visible spectrum and peptide mass fingerprinting results showed that SN4LAC is a multicopper oxidase. Laccase was active in broad range of phenolic and non-phenolic substrates. Catalytic efficiency (k _cat/K _m) showed that 2, 6-dimethoxyphenol was most efficiently oxidized by the enzyme. The enzyme was inhibited by conventional inhibitors of laccase like sodium azide, cysteine, dithiothreitol and β-mercaptoethanol. SN4LAC was found to be highly thermostable, having temperature optimum at 85°C and could retain more than 80% activity at 70°C for 24 h. The optimum pH of activity for 2, 6-dimethoxyphenol, 2, 2′-azino bis[3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonate], syringaldazine and guaiacol was 8.0, 5.5, 6.5 and 8.0 respectively. Enzyme was alkali-stable as it retained more than 75% activity at pH 9.0 for 24 h. Activity of the enzyme was significantly enhanced by Cu²⁺, Co²⁺, SDS and CTAB, while it was stable in the presence of halides, most of the other metal ions and surfactants. The extracellular nature and stability of SN4LAC in extreme conditions such as high temperature, pH, heavy metals, halides and detergents makes it a highly suitable candidate for biotechnological and industrial applications.     

一株产漆酶细菌的分离鉴定及酶学性质研究

[目的]分离获得产漆酶的细菌菌株,研究漆酶的酶学性质并应用于染料脱色.[方法]利用含铜的富集培养基筛选产漆酶细菌;通过形态特征、生理生化试验及16SrDNA序列分析等方法进行鉴定;以丁香醛连氮为底物测定漆酶的酶学性质;通过测定染料在最大吸收波长下吸光值的变化评价漆酶对染料的脱色效果.[结果]从森林土壤中筛选到一株漆酶高产菌株LS05,初步鉴定为解淀粉芽孢杆菌(Bacillus amyloliquefaciens);菌株LS05的芽孢漆酶以丁香醛连氮为底物的最适pH为6.6,最适温度为70℃;该酶具有较好的稳定性,经70℃处理10h或在pH 9.0条件下放置10d后可保留活性.对抑制剂SDS和EDTA具有一定的抗性,在碱性条件下可有效脱色不同的工业染料,RB亮蓝、活性黑和靛红1h内的脱色率达93％以上.[结论]Bacillus amyloliquefaciens LS05的芽孢漆酶在高温和碱性条件下稳定性强,相对于真菌漆酶具有更好的工业应用特性,可有效用于工业染料废水的处理.     

Purification and characterization of laccase from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pycnoporus sanguineus</Emphasis> and decolorization of an anthraquinone dye by the enzyme

The white rot fungus Pycnoporus sanguineus produced high amount of laccase in the basal liquid medium without induction. Laccase was purified using ultrafiltration, anion-exchange chromatography, and gel filtration. The molecular weight of the purified laccase was estimated as 61.4 kDa by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The enzyme oxidized typical substrates of laccases including 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonate), 2,6-dimethoxyphenol, and syringaldazine. The optimum pH and temperature for the purified laccase were 3.0 and 65°C, respectively. The enzyme was stable up to 40°C, and high laccase activity was maintained at pH 2.0–5.0. Sodium azide, l-cysteine, and dithiothreitol strongly inhibited the laccase activity. The purified enzyme efficiently decolorized Remazol Brilliant Blue R in the absence of added redox mediators. The high production of P. sanguineus laccase as well as its decolorization ability demonstrated its potential applications in dye decolorization.     

Certain biochemical and physicochemical properties of the inducible form of extracellular laccase from basidiomycetes Coriolus hirsutus

An inducible form of extracellular laccase (EC 1.14.18.1) was isolated from the basidiomycete Coriolus hirsutus. The induction was performed with 0.11 microM syringaldazine, a substrate of laccase. The inducible form of the enzyme consisted of two isoforms, laccase I1 and laccase I2, whose molecular weights were 69 +/- 2 and 67 +/- 2 kDa, respectively. The isoelectric points of these isoenzymes were found to be 3.5 and 4.2, respectively. The optimum pH range for both laccases was 4.4-4.6, and the optimum temperature was 50 degrees C. The thermal stability of these isoenzymes was examined, and KM values for the substrates syringaldazine and pyrocatechol were determined. Our biochemical and physicochemical studies demonstrated that inducible laccase isoforms differed from constitutive forms in molecular weight, IP, KM, and thermal stability. However, their optimum pH ranges and temperatures were identical.     

An alkali-stable enzyme with laccase activity from entophytic fungus and the enzymatic modification of alkali lignin

Mycelia Sterilia YY-5, an entophytic fungus, was isolated from Rhus chinensis Mill and its extracellular enzyme had a higher laccase activity (MS-Lac). After been purified by anion exchange and gel filtration chromatography, MS-Lac, which had a molecular mass of 45 kDa, was found to be an alkali-stable enzyme with an optimum pH of 10.0 and capable of retaining 80% activity after incubation for 72 h with syringaldazine as substrate. It was also found that syringaldazine had a higher affinity than 2,2′-azino-bis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline)-6-sulphonate (ABTS) as substrate for MS-Lac, which was determined in sodium phosphate buffer (pH 6.0, 0.1 M) at 30 °C. Meanwhile, the lignin modification, catalyzed by MS-Lac, indicated that it could oxidize the phenolic hydroxyl, side chain substituent or carbonyl group of spruce alkali lignin in cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) reversed micelles (20 mM, pH 6.0, W/O = 40) and steam-exploded wheat straw alkali lignin in NaOH solution (20 mM, pH 10.0).     

Characterization of the Alkaline Laccase Ssl1 from Streptomyces sviceus with Unusual Properties Discovered by Genome Mining

Fungal laccases are well investigated enzymes with high potential in diverse applications like bleaching of waste waters and textiles, cellulose delignification, and organic synthesis. However, they are limited to acidic reaction conditions and require eukaryotic expression systems. This raises a demand for novel laccases without these constraints. We have taken advantage of the laccase engineering database LccED derived from genome mining to identify and clone the laccase Ssl1 from Streptomyces sviceus which can circumvent the limitations of fungal laccases. Ssl1 belongs to the family of small laccases that contains only few characterized enzymes. After removal of the twin-arginine signal peptide Ssl1 was readily expressed in E. coli. Ssl1 is a small laccase with 32.5 kDa, consists of only two cupredoxin-like domains, and forms trimers in solution. Ssl1 oxidizes 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) and phenolic substrates like 2,6-dimethoxy phenol, guaiacol, and syringaldazine. The k_cat value for ABTS oxidation was at least 20 times higher than for other substrates. The optimal pH for oxidation reactions is substrate dependent: for phenolic substrates the highest activities were detected at alkaline conditions (pH 9.0 for 2,6-dimethoxy phenol and guaiacol and pH 8.0 for syringaldazine), while the highest reaction rates with ABTS were observed at pH 4.0. Though originating from a mesophilic organism, Ssl demonstrates remarkable stability at elevated temperatures (T_1/2,60°C = 88 min) and in a wide pH range (pH 5.0 to 11.0). Notably, the enzyme retained 80% residual activity after 5 days of incubation at pH 11. Detergents and organic co-solvents do not affect Ssl1 stability. The described robustness makes Ssl1 a potential candidate for industrial applications, preferably in processes that require alkaline reaction conditions.     

Yellow laccase from the fungus Pleurotus ostreatus D1: Purification and characterization

Yellow laccase was isolated from a solid-phase culture of the fungus Pleurotus ostreatus D1 and characterized. It is a copper-containing enzyme with a molecular weight of 64 kDa. Its lacks an absorption spectrum maximum at 610 nm, a result which is characteristic of fungal laccases and corresponds to the presence of type I copper atoms. The optimum pH values for the enzyme are determined. They prove to be 7.0 for syringaldazine, 8.0 for pyrocatechol, and 4.0 for 2,2′-azine-bis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonate and 2,6-dimethoxyphenol. Kinetic parameters (K _m and V _max) for oxidation of these substrates are determined. The effect of inhibitors (SDS, 2-mercaptoethanol, and EDTA) on the activity of the enzyme is studied. It is shown that yellow laccase from Pleurotus ostreatus D1 in the absence of a mediator oxidizes anthracene to anthraquinone to 95%.     

Studies of some biochemical and physicochemical properties of an inducible form of extracellular laccase from the basidiomyceteCoriolus hirsutus

An inducible form of extracellular laccase (EC 1.14.18.1) was isolated from the basidiomyceteCoriolus hirsutus. The induction was performed with 0.11 μM syringaldazine, a substrate of laccase. The inducible form of the enzyme consisted of two isoforms, laccase II and laccase 12, whose molecular weights were 69 ±2 and 67 ±2 kDa, respectively. The isoelectric points of these isoenzymes were found to be 3.5 and 4.2, respectively. The optimum pH range for both laccases was 4.4–4.6, and the optimum temperature was 50°C. The thermal stability of these isoenzymes was examined, andK _m values for the substrates syringaldazine and pyrocatechol were determined. Our biochemical and physicochemical studies demonstrated that inducible laccase isoforms differed from constitutive forms in molecular weight, IEP,K _m, and thermal stability. However, their optimum pH ranges and temperatures were identical.     

Enhanced activity by poly(ethylene glycol) modification of Coriolopsis gallica laccase

We are studying the enzymatic modification of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) by the laccase from Coriolopsis gallica UAMH 8260. The enzyme was produced during growth in a stirred tank reactor to 15 units ml⁻¹, among the highest levels described for a wild-type fungus; the enzyme was the major protein produced under these conditions. After purification, it exhibited characteristics typical of a white rot fungal laccase. Fifteen azo and phenolic compounds at 1 mM concentration were tested as mediators in the laccase oxidation of anthracene. Higher anthracene oxidation was obtained with the mediator combination of ABTS and HBT, showing a correlation between the oxidation rate and the mediator concentration. Reactions with substituted phenols and anilines, conventional laccase substrates, and PAHs were compared using the native laccase and enzyme preparations chemically modified with 5000 MW-poly(ethylene glycol). Chemically modified laccase oxidized a similar range of substituted phenols as the native enzyme but with a higher catalytic efficiency. The k _cat increase by the chemical modification may be as great as 1300 times for syringaldazine oxidation. No effect was found of chemical modification on mediated PAH oxidation. Both unmodified and PEG-modified laccases increased PAH oxidation up to 1000 times in the presence of radical mediators. Thus, a change of the protein surface improves the mediator oxidation efficiency, but does not affect non-enzymatic PAH oxidation by oxidized mediators. Received 10 December 2001/ Accepted in revised form 20 July 2002     

Purification and characterisation of a novel laccase from the ascomycete Melanocarpus albomyces

A novel laccase from the ascomycete Melanocarpus albomyces was purified and characterised. The enzyme was purified using anion exchange chromatography, hydrophobic interaction chromatography and gel filtration, and the purified laccase was biochemically characterised. It had activity towards typical substrates of laccases including 2,2'-azinobis-(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulphonate), dimethoxyphenol, guaiacol, and syringaldazine. The laccase showed good thermostability and it had a pH optimum at neutral pH, both unusual properties for most known fungal laccases. The activity of the laccase from M. albomyces was highest at 60-70 degrees C. With guaiacol and syringaldazine the pH optima were rather broad: 5-7.5 and 6-7, respectively. It retained 50% of its activity after 5 h incubation at 60 degrees C. The molecular weight of the laccase was about 80 kDa and the isoelectric point 4.0. The ultraviolet-visible absorption and electron paramagnetic resonance spectra of the purified laccase indicated that the typical three types of copper were present.     

Production of a thermostable metal-tolerant laccase from Trametes versicolor and its application in dye decolorization

Production of laccase using a submerged culture of Trametes versicolor sdu-4 was optimized using a central composite design of the Response Surface Methodology. Optimized conditions gave a laccase yield of 4,213 U/L which was approximately three times of that in basal medium. The laccase was purified to homogeneity using a three-step process. The overall yield of the purification was 58%, with a purification fold of 11.4 and a specific activity of 1320.7 U/mg protein. The molecular mass of the laccase was 60 kDa. The optimum pH values of the enzyme were 2.2, 3.7, and 7 for the oxidations of ABTS, DMP, and syringaldazine, respectively. The enzyme had adaptability to a broad pH range and high temperature and wsa stable at pH 3.0 ∼ 10.0. The half-life of this laccase at 70°C was 2.2 h. Methyl red, 2-bromophenol, and 4-bromophenol were oxidized by the purified laccase in the absence of mediators. Purified laccase was effective in the decolorization of several dyes and was not inhibited by Cu²⁺, Mn²⁺, Zn²⁺, Na⁺, K⁺, Mg²⁺, Ba²⁺, and Ca²⁺ at 5 mM. These excellent characteristics made it a highly attractive candidate for industrial use.     

Oxidation of aromatic compounds in organic solvents with laccase from Trametes versicolor

Summary Laccase purified from Trametes versicolor oxidizes 2,6-dimethoxyphenol (2,6-DMP) and syringaldazine in hydrophobic solvents presaturated with water, and in hydrophilic organic solvents provided that a sufficient amount of water is added. Ease of performance of the laccase test in organic solvents is improved after immobilization of the enzyme by entrapping in Sepharose CL-6B during enzyme filtration through the gel beads. The gel-enzyme association has been shown to be stable in water-presaturated solvents. Efficiency of the immobilized laccase in organic solvents containing 7% water was 10%–20% of that in potassium-citrate buffer. Immobilized laccase in organic solvents showed good stability and high tolerance to elevated temperatures.     

Purification and characterization of laccase produced by a white rot fungus Pleurotus sajor-caju under submerged culture condition and its potential in decolorization of azo dyes

An extracellular laccase was isolated and purified from Pleurotus sajor-caju grown in submerged culture in a bioreactor, and used to investigate its ability to decolorize three azo dyes. The extracellular laccase production was enhanced up to 2.5-fold in the medium amended with xylidine (1 mM). Purification was carried out using ammonium sulfate (70% w/v), DEAE-cellulose, and Sephadex G-100 column chromatography. The enzyme was purified up to 10.3-fold from the initial protein preparation with an overall yield of 53%. The purified laccase was monomeric with an apparent molecular mass of 61.0 kDa. The purified enzyme exerted its optimal activity with 2,2-azino–bis(3-ethylbenzo-thiazoline-6-sulfonate (ABTS) and oxidized various lignin-related phenols. The catalytic efficiencies k _cat/K _m determined for ABTS and syringaldazine were 9.2×10⁵ and 8.7×10⁵, respectively. The optimum pH and temperature for the purified enzyme was 5.0 and 40 °C, respectively. Sodium azide completely inhibited the laccase activity. The absorption spectrum revealed type 1 and type 3 copper signals. The purified enzyme decolorized azo dyes such as acid red 18, acid Black 1, and direct blue 71 up to 90, 87, and 72%, respectively. Decolorization ability of P. sajor-caju laccase suggests that this enzyme could be used for decolorization of industrial effluents.