Published July 1, 2025 | Version v1
Journal article Open

A Review of Laccase Enzyme Research for Green Industry Applications

  • 1. Department of Lifesciences, University of Calicut.

Contributors

  • 1. Department of Microbiology, EMEA College of Arts and Science, Kondotty
  • 2. Department of Microbiology, Govt. Arts and Science college, Kozhinjampara.

Description

Laccase is an important category of multicopper oxidases that facilitate the oxidation of diverse aromatic and non-aromatic substances while simultaneously reducing molecular oxygen to water. This review investigates the potential of laccase as a sustainable biocatalyst for different bioremediation purposes. The laccase molecular structure showcases a unique configuration of copper atoms categorized into three types (T1, T2, and T3), which create the catalytic core vital for electron transfer during oxidation processes. The microbial production of laccase has attracted significant interest due to the benefits of regulated cultivation environments, the ability to manipulate genes, and greater enzyme yields compared to plant-derived sources. A variety of natural and synthetic mediators have been discovered, which broaden the applicability of laccases in industrial applications. Bacterial laccases exhibit considerable adaptability in their use for environmental purposes. In the textile sector, they aid in the breakdown of dyes and the decolorization of wastewater without producing harmful byproducts. In the pulp and paper industry, laccases provide environmentally friendly substitutes for traditional chlorine-based bleaching methods. Furthermore, these enzymes can effectively break down a range of environmental pollutants, such as phenolic compounds, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and pharmaceutical waste. Recent developments have utilized laccase in the creation of biosensors that can identify phenolic compounds, pesticides, and environmental toxins, as well as in the development of biofuel cells for renewable energy generation. This review highlights the promise of laccase as a green catalyst that supports sustainable development objectives by presenting eco-friendly alternatives to traditional chemical methods in various industrial and environmental contexts.

Files

14-21-A Review-Jisha P J-785014644.pdf

Files (426.7 kB)

Name Size Download all
md5:88b1935e51f5e59d78ed258f97f69ab5
426.7 kB Preview Download

Additional details

Dates

Available
2025-07-01
Volume 15 issue 3 2025

References

  • 1. Janusz, G., Rogalski, J., Barwinska, M., Szczodra k, J.,2006. Effect of culture conditions on production of extracellular laccase by Rhizoctonia praticola. Polish J. of Microbiol.55,309-319. 2. Kim, BS, Ryu, SJ & Shin, SS 1996, 'Effect of culture parameters on the decolourization of remazol brilliant blue R by Pleurotus ostreatus', Journal of Microbiology, vol.34, pp.101-104. 3. Couta, SR, Sanroman, MA & Gubitz, GM 2005, 'Influence of redox mediators and metal ions on synthetic acid dye decolorization by crude laccase from Tramates Hirsuta,Chemosphere, vol.58, pp.417-422. 4. Singh, G., Bhalla, A., Kaur, P., Capalash, N., Sharma, P. (2011). Laccase from prokaryotes: a new source for an old enzyme. Rev. Environ. Sci. Biotechnol. 10(4): 309–326. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11157-011-9257-4. 5. Yoshida, H 1883, 'Chemistry of Lacquer (Uroshi)', Journal of Chemical Society, vol.43, pp.472-486. 6. Bertrand, G 1895, 'Sur la laccase et sur le pouvoir oxydant de cette diastase', Academic Science, Paris, vol.120, pp.266-269. 7. Reinhammar, B and Malmstram, BG 1981, 'Blue copper-containing oxidaces. Copper proteins', Metal ions in Biology, Spiro TG, (ed.) pp.109-149. Wiley, New York, USA. 8. Assavanig, A, Amornkitticharoen, B, Ekpaisal, N, Meevootisom, V & Flegel, TW 1992,'Isolation, characterization and function of Laccase from Trichoderma', Applied Microbiology Biotechnology, vol.38, pp.198-202. 9. Chefetz, B, Chen, Y & Hadar, Y 1998, 'Purification and characterization of laccase from Chaetomium thermophilium and its role in humification, Appl Environ Microbiol, vol.64, pp.3175-3179. 10. Alfred M. Mayer, Richard C. Staples (2002), Laccase: new functions for an old enzyme, Phytochemistry, Volume 60, Issue 6, Pages 551-565. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0031-9422(02)00171-1. 11. Jeyabalan J, Veluchamy A, Kumar A, Chandrasekar R, Narayanasamy S (2023) A review on the laccase assisted decolourization of dyes: recent trends and research progress. J Taiwan Inst Chem Eng 151:105081. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtice.2023.105081 12. Brijwani, K., Rigdon, A., and Vadlani, P. V. (2010). Fungal Laccases: Production, Function, and Applications in Food Processing. Enzyme Research. 2010. doi:10.4061/2010/149748. 13. Diamantidis, G., Effosse, A., Potier , P., and Bally, R. (2000). Purification andcharacterization of the first bacterial laccase in the rhizospheric bacterium Azospirillum lipoferum. Soil Biol. Biochem., 32(7): 919-927. 14. Sondhi, S., Sharma, P., George, N., Chauhan, P. S., Puri, N., and Gupta, N. (2015). Anextracellular thermo-alkali-stable laccase from Bacillus tequilensis SN4, with apotential to biobleach softwood pulp. 3 Biotech, 5(2): 175–185. 15. Forootanfar, H., Faramarzi, M.A. (2015). Insights into laccase producing organisms, fermentation states, purification strategies, and biotechnological applications. Biotechnol. Prog. 31: 1443–1463. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ btpr.2173 16. Solomon, EI, Chen, P, Metz, M, Lec, SK & Palmer, AE 2001, 'Oxygen binding, activation and reduction to water by copper proteins', Angew Chemistry, vol.40, pp.4570-4574. 17. Baldrian, P 2004, 'Purification and characterization of laccase from the white-rot fungus Daedalea quercina and decolorization of synthetic dyes by the enzyme', Appl Microbial Biotechnology, vol.63, pp.560–563. 18. Morozova, O. V., Shumakovich, G. P., Shleev, S. V., and Yaropolov, Y. I. (2007b). Laccasemediator systems and their applications: a review. Appl. Biochem. Biotechnol. 43:523–535. doi:10.1134/S0003683807050055 19. Thurston, C. F. (1994). The structure and function of fungal laccases. Microbiology.140: 9 26. 20. Giardina, P., Faraco, V., Pezzella, C., Piscitelli, A., Vanhulle, S., Sannia, G. (2010). Laccases: a never-ending story. Cell. Mol. Life Sci. 67: 369–385, doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00018-009-0169-1 21. Riva, S., 2006. Laccases: blue enzymes for green chemistry. Trends Biotechnol. 24, 219–226. Roberts, S.A., Weichsel 22. Narayanan, M. P., Murugan, S., Eva, A. S., Devina, S. U., Kalidass, S. (2015). Application of immobilized laccase from Bacillus subtilis MTCC 2414 on decolourization of synthetic dyes. Res J Microbiol.10: 421–432. doi: 10.3923/jm.2015.421.432. 23. Rezaei, S., Shahverdi, A. R., Faramarzi, M. A. (2017). Isolation, one-step affinity purification, and characterization of a polyextremotolerant laccase from the halophilic bacterium Aquisali bacillus elongatus and its application in the delignification of sugar beet pulp, Bioresour. Technol. 230: 67–75. 24. Madhavi, S, Revankar, S.S. Lele 2006, 'Enhanced production of laccase using a new isolate of white rot fungus WR-1', Process Biochemistry, vol.41, pp.581-588. 25. Canas AI, Camarero S. 2010. Laccases and their natural mediators: biotechnological tools for sustainable eco-friendly processes. Biotechnol Adv 28:694–705. 26. Fernandez-Fernandez, M., Sanroman, M. A., Moldes, D. (2013). Recent developments and applications of immobilized laccase. Biotechnol. Adv. 31: 1808–1825. 27. Li, K., Xu, F., and Eriksson, K.-E. (1999). Comparison of fungal laccases and redox mediators in oxidation of a nonphenolic lignin model compound. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 65: 2654–2660. 28. Christopher, L. P., Yao, B. and Ji, Y. (2014). Lignin biodegradation with laccase-mediator systems Front. Energy Res. 2, article id :12. https://doi.org/10.3389/fenrg.2014.00012 29. Esteban, D. B., Alejandro, R., Jorge, R., Lisbeth, K., Henrik, L., Javier, R., José, C., del Río, Á. T., Martínez, A. G. (2011). Towards industrially-feasible delignification and pitch removal by treating paper pulp with Myceliophthora thermophila laccase and a phenolic mediator. Bioresource Technology.102(12): 6717-6722. 30. Fabbrini, M., Galli, C., Gentili, P. (2002). Comparing the catalytic efficiency of some mediators of laccase. J Mol Cat B: Enzym., 16: 231–240. 31. Kunamneni, A., Ghazi, I., Camarero, S., Ballesteros, A., Plou, F. J., Alcalde, M. (2008). Decolorization of synthetic dyes by laccase immobilized on epoxy-activated carriers. Process Biochemistry. 43(2): 169-178. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.procbio.2007.11.009 32. Sondhi, S., Kaur, R., Kaur, S., Kaur, P. S. (2018). Immobilization of laccase-ABTS system for the development of a continuous flow packed bed bioreactor for decolorization of textile effluent. Int. J. Biol. Macromol. 117: 1093– 1100. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2018.06.007 33. Telke, A. A., Kalyani, D. C., Jadhav, U. U., Parshetti, G. K., Govindwar, S. P. (2009). Purification and characterization of an extracellular laccase from a Pseudomonas sp. LBC1 and its application for the removal of bisphenol A. Journal of Molecular Catalysis B: Enzymatic, 61(3-4): 252-260. 34. Garzillo, AMV, Colao, MC, Caruso C, Caporale, C, Celletti, D & Buonocore, V 1998,'Laccase from the white-rot fungus Trametes trogii', Applied Microbiology Biotechnology, vol.49, pp.545-551. 35. Nishizawa, Y, Nakabayashi, K & Shinagawa, E 1995, 'Purification and characterization of laccase from white-rot fungus Trametes sanguinea M85-2', Journal Fermentation Bioengineering, vol.80, pp.91-93. 36. Xu, F, Shin, WS, Brown, SH, Wahleithner, JJA, Sundaram, UM & Solomon, EI 1996, 'A study of a series of recombinant fungal laccases and bilirubin oxidase that exhibit significant differences in redox potential, substrate specificity, and stability', Biochemistry Biophysics Acta, vol.1292, pp.303-311. 37. Heinzkill, M, Bech, L, Halkier, T, Schneider, P & Anke, T 1998, 'Characterization of laccases and peroxidases from wood-rotting fungi (family Coprinaceae)', Applied Microbiology Biotechnology, vol.64, pp.1601-1606. 38. Schneider, P, Caspersen, MB, Mondorf, K, Halkier, T, Skov, LK, Ostergaard, PR, Brown, KM, Brown, SH & Xu, F 1999, 'Characterization of a Coprinus cinereus laccase', Enzyme Microbial Technology, vol.25, pp.502-508. 39. Jung, R, Steinle, D & Anliker, R 2002, 'A compilation of genotoxicity and carcinogenicity data on aromatic aminosulphonic acids', Food Chemistry Toxicology, vol.30, pp.635-660. 40. Iark, D., dos Reis Buzzo, A.J., Garcia, J.A.A., Cˆorrea, V.G., Helm, C.V., Corrˆea, R.C.G., et al., 2019. Enzymatic degradation and detoxification of azo dye Congo red by a new laccase from Oudemansiella canarii. Bioresour. Technol. 289, 121655. 41. Zhang, C., You, S., Zhang, J., Qi, W., Su, R., He, Z., 2020. An effective in-situ method for laccase immobilization: excellent activity, effective antibiotic removal rate and low potential ecological risk for degradation products. Bioresour. Technol. 308, 123271. 42. Backes, E., Kato, C.G., Corrˆea, R.C.G., Moreira, RdFPM, Peralta, R.A., Barros, L., et al., 2021. Laccases in food processing: current status, bottlenecks and perspectives. Trends Food Sci. Technol. 115, 445–460. 43. Sooch, B.S., Lugani, Y., 2023. Role of microbes in the synthesis of industrial products from lignocellulosic materials. In: Sustainable Agriculture Reviews 60: Microbial Processes in Agriculture. Springer, pp. 415–458. 44. Akbarpour, I., 2023. Surface characterization of pulp fiber from mixed waste newspaper and magazine deinked-pulp with combined cellulase and laccase-violuric acid system (LVS). Bioresour. Technol. Rep. 23, 101551. 45. Angural, S., Jassal, S., Warmoota, R., Rana, M., Puri, N., Gupta, N., 2023. An integrated approach for pulp biobleaching: application of cocktail of enzymes. Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res. 30, 57155–57163. 46. Verma, S., Thakur, D., Pandey, C.M., Kumar, D., 2023. Recent prospects of carbonaceous nanomaterials-based laccase biosensor for electrochemical detection of phenolic compounds. Biosensors 13, 305. 47. Zhao, Y., Yang, J., Wu, Y., Huang, B., Xu, L., Yang, J., et al., 2023. Construction of bacterial laccase displayed on the microbial surface for ultrasensitive biosensing of phenolic pollutants with nanohybrids-enhanced performance. J. Hazard. Mater. 452, 131265. 48. Samuchiwal, S., Gola, D., Malik, A., 2021. Decolourization of textile effluent using native microbial consortium enriched from textile industry effluent. J. Hazard. Mater. 402,123835 49. Legersk´a, B., Chmelov´a, D., Ondrejoviˇc, M., 2016. Degradation of synthetic dyes by laccases–a mini-review. Nova Biotechnol. Chim. 15, 90-106. 50. Othman, A.M., Elsayed, M.A., Elshafei, A.M., Hassan, M.M., 2018. Purification and biochemical characterization of two isolated laccase isoforms from Agaricus bisporus CU13 and their potency in dye decolorization. Int. J. Biol. Macromol. 113, 1142–1148. 51. Singh, D., Sharma, K.K., Jacob, S., Gakhar, S., 2014. Molecular docking of laccase protein from Bacillus safensis DSKK5 isolated from earthworm gut: a novel method to study dye decolorization potential. Water Air Soil Pollut. 225, 1–12. 52. Jeon, S. J., Park, J.H., 2020. Refolding, characterization, and dye decolorization ability of a highly thermostable laccase from Geobacillus sp. JS12. Protein Expr. Purif. 173, 105646. 53. Chandra, R.; Abhishek, A.; Sankhwar, M. Bacterial decolorization and detoxification of black liquor from rayon grade pulp manufacturing paper industry and detection of their metabolic products. Bioresour. Technol. 2011, 102, 6429–6436. [CrossRef] [PubMed] 54. Virk AP, Puri M, Gupta V, Capalash N, Sharma P (2013) Combined enzymatic and physical deinking methodology for efficient ecofriendly recycling of old newsprint. PLoS ONE 8: e72346 55. Saxena A, Chauhan PS (2016) Role of various enzymes in deinking of paper: a review. Crit Rev Biotechnol 15:1–15 56. Singh G, Ahuja N, Batish M, Capalash N, Sharma P (2008) Biobleaching of wheat straw-rich soda pulp with alkalophilic laccase from gamma-proteobacterium JB: optimization of process parameters using response surface methodology. BioresourTechnol 99:7472–7479 57. Valls C, Roncero MB (2009) Using both xylanase and laccase enzymes for pulp bleaching. Bioresour Technol 100:2032–2039 58. Zeng J, Lin X, Zhang J, Li X, Wong MH (2011) Oxidation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons by the bacterial laccase CueO from E. coli. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 89:1841–1849 59. Li X, Lin X, Zhang J, Wu Y, Yin R, Feng Y, Wang Y (2010) Degradation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons by crude extracts from spent mushroom substrate and its possible mechanisms. Curr Microbiol 60:336–342 60. Ihssen J, Reiss R, Luchsinger R, Meyer LT, Richter M (2015) Biochemical properties and yields of diverse bacterial laccase like multicopper oxidases expressed in Escherichia coli. SciRep. doi:10.1038/srep1046. 61. Menaka S, Lone TA, Lone RA (2015) Cloning of laccase gene from a newly isolated 2, 4-dichlorophenol degrading Bacillus subtilis from dyeing industry sites. Am Eur J Agric Environ Sci1:1602–1608 62. Rajeshwari M, Bhuvaneswari V (2016) Production of the extracellular laccase from the newly isolated Bacillus sp. PK4. Afri J.Biotechnol 15:1813–1826 63. Viswanath, B., Rajesh, B., Janardhan, A., Kumar, A. P., Narasimha, G. (2014). Fungal laccases and their applications in bioremediation. Enzyme Res. 2014, article id:163242. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2014/163242 64. Chauhan, P. S., Goradia, B., Saxena, A. (2017). Bacterial laccase: recent update on production, properties and industrial applications. 3 Biotech. 7(5), article no.: 323. doi:10.1007/s13205-017-0955-7 65. Palmore, G. T. R., Kim, H.-H. (1999). Electro-enzymatic reduction of dioxygen to water in the cathode compartment of a biofuel cell. Journal of Electroanalytical Chemistry. 464(1): 110–117. 66. Fogel, R., Limson, J. C. (2013). Electrochemically predicting phenolic substrates suitability for detection by amperometric laccase biosensors. Electroanalysis. 25: 1237–1246. 67. Giovanelli, G., Ravasini, G. (1993). Apple juice stabilization by combined enzyme membrane filtration process. LWT-Food Science and Technology. 26(1): 1–7. 68. Ahmad, A. A., Othman, R., Yusof, F., Wahab, M. F. A. (2011). Zinc-laccase biofuel cell. IIUM Engineering Journal. 12: 153–160. 69. Edens, W. A., Goins, T. Q., Dooley, D., Henson, J. M. (1999). Purification and characterization of a secreted laccase of Gaeumannomyces graminis var. tritici. Applied and Environmental Microbiology. 65(7): 3071–3074. 70. Slomczynski, D., Nakas, J. P., Tanenbaum, S. W. (1995). Production and characterization of laccase from Botrytis cinerea 61–34. Applied and Environmental Microbiology. 61(3): 907–912.