RECENT ADVANCES OF LACCASE ENZYME IN INDUSTRIAL BIOTECHNOLOGY : A REVIEW
About Authors:
Alpeshkumar J.Shiroya*
Bhagwan Mahavir College Of Biotechnology,
Surat
alpeshshiroya45@yahoo.in
ABSTRACT
Laccases are an interesting group of multi-nuclear copper-containing oxidoreductases, which have been subject of intensive research in last decades due to their ability to oxidize both phenolic and nonphenolic lignin related compounds as well as highly recalcitrant environmental pollutants, which makes them very useful for their application to several biotechnological processes. These oxidase enzymes catalyze oxidation of substrates at the expense of molecular oxygen and produce water as the only by-product. Lacasses are present in higher plants, bacteria, fungi, insects and lichens. The oxidative ability of laccases is employed in a number of industrial and environmental applications including bioremediation, food technology, nanobiotechnology, medicine, pulp and paper industry, textile industry, and cosmetology. Owing to its versatility, laccase is continuously under investigation for new applications. In the recent years, laccases are also used as cleaning agents for certain water purification systems, as catalysts for the manufacture of anti-cancer drugs and even as ingredients in cosmetics. More 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. This paper reviews the occurrence, mode of action, general properties, production, immobilization, molecular cloning, and important application of laccases within different industrial and biotechnological area.
About Authors:
