Laccase: Microbial Sources, Production, Purification, and Potential Biotechnological Applications

TLDR

Laccase is a blue multicopper oxidase found in plants and fungi that catalyzes cross‑linking, polymer degradation, and aromatic ring cleavage, and is exploited in textiles, pulp, food, biosensors, biofuel cells, diagnostics, and bioremediation because it oxidizes phenolic and non‑phenolic lignin‑related compounds and recalcitrant pollutants. This review surveys laccase occurrence, mode of action, properties, production, applications, and immobilization across industrial sectors. The review discusses laccase’s catalytic mechanism in oxidizing amines and phenols to form dimers and oligomers via radical coupling, and examines its production and immobilization strategies.

Abstract

Laccase belongs to the blue multicopper oxidases and participates in cross-linking of monomers, degradation of polymers, and ring cleavage of aromatic compounds. It is widely distributed in higher plants and fungi. It is present in Ascomycetes, Deuteromycetes and Basidiomycetes and abundant in lignin-degrading white-rot fungi. It is also used in the synthesis of organic substance, where typical substrates are amines and phenols, the reaction products are dimers and oligomers derived from the coupling of reactive radical intermediates. In the recent years, these enzymes have gained application in the field of textile, pulp and paper, and food industry. Recently, it is also used in the design of biosensors, biofuel cells, as a medical diagnostics tool and bioremediation agent to clean up herbicides, pesticides and certain explosives in soil. Laccases have received attention of researchers in the last few decades due to their ability to oxidize both phenolic and nonphenolic lignin-related compounds as well as highly recalcitrant environmental pollutants. It has been identified as the principal enzyme associated with cuticular hardening in insects. Two main forms have been found: laccase-1 and laccase-2. This paper reviews the occurrence, mode of action, general properties, production, applications, and immobilization of laccases within different industrial fields.