- Laccase
Laccases (EC number|1.10.3.2) are copper-containing
oxidase enzyme s that are found in many plants, fungi, and microorganisms. The copper is bound in several sites; Type 1, Type 2, and/or Type 3. The ensemble of types 2 and 3 copper is called a trinuclear cluster (see figure). Laccases act onphenol s and similar molecules, performing a one-electronoxidation s, which remain poorly defined. It is proposed that laccases play a role in the formation of lignin by promoting the oxidative coupling of lignols, a family of naturally occurring phenols. [Edward I. Solomon, Uma M. Sundaram, Timothy E. Machonkin "Multicopper Oxidases and Oxygenases" Chemical Reviews, 1996, Volume 96, pp. 2563-2606.] Laccases can be polymeric, and the enzymatically active form can be a dimer or trimer.The easiest way to detect activity in laccases is spectrophotometrically. Substrates that are commonly used with this method are
ABTS , syringaldazine,2,6-dimethoxyphenol , anddimethyl-p-phenylenediamine . Activity can also be monitored with anoxygen sensor as the oxidation of the substrate is paired with the reduction of oxygen to water.Applications and potential utility
Laccases have been examined as cathode in an
enzyme catalyzed fuel cell . They can be paired with an electron mediator to facilitate electron transfer to a solid electrode wire.Laccase is one of the few oxidoreductases commercialized as industrial catalysts. The enzyme can be used for textile dyeing/finishing, wine cork making, tooth whitening, and many other industrial, environmental, diagnostic, and synthetic uses [Feng Xu, (2005) Applications of oxidoreductases: Recent progress, Industrial Biotechnology 1, 38-50] .
Bioremediation - Protein ligand docking can also be used to predict the putative pollutants that can be degradable by the biodegradative proteins using Laccase enzyme. [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?db=pubmed&cmd=search&term=17606396]References
External links
* [http://www.brenda.uni-koeln.de/php/result_flat.php4?ecno=1.10.3.2&organism= BRENDA]
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