Phylogenetic comparison and classification of laccase and related multicopper oxidase protein sequences

Laccases: a never-ending story

Laccases (benzenediol:oxygen oxidoreductases, EC 1.10.3.2) are blue multicopper oxidases that catalyze the oxidation of an array of aromatic substrates concomitantly with the reduction of molecular oxygen to water. In fungi, laccases carry out a variety of physiological roles during their life cycle. These enzymes are being increasingly evaluated for a variety of biotechnological applications due to their broad substrate range. In this review, the most recent studies on laccase structural features and catalytic mechanisms along with analyses of their expression are reported and examined with the aim of contributing to the discussion on their structure-function relationships. Attention has also been paid to the properties of enzymes endowed with unique characteristics and to fungal laccase multigene families and their organization.

Cloning, expression in Escherichia coli, and enzymatic properties of laccase from Aeromonas hydrophila WL-11

A strain WL-11 with high laccase activity was isolated from activated sludge collected from the effluent treatment plant of a textile and dyeing industry. It was identified as Aeromonas hydrophila by physiological test and 16S rDNA sequence analysis. A gene encoding of laccase from a newly isolated Aeromonas hydrophila WL-11 was cloned and characterized. Nucleotide sequence analysis showed an open reading frame of 1605 bp encoding a polypeptide comprised of 534 amino acids. The primary structure of the enzyme predicted the structural features characteristic of other laccases, including the conserved regions of four histidine-rich copper-binding sites. The predicted amino acid sequence showed a high homology (more than 60%) with bacterial laccases in the genome and protein databases and the highest degree of similarity (61% identity) was observed with the multicopper oxidase of Klebsiella sp. 601. When expressed in Escherichia coli, the recombinant enzyme was overproduced in the cytoplasm as soluble and active form. The purified enzyme had an optimum pH of 2.6 and 8.0 for ABTS (2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzthiazolinesulfonic acid) and DMP (2,6-dimethoxyphenol), respectively. The kinetic study on ABTS revealed a higher affinity of this enzyme to this substrate than DMP.

LccA, an archaeal laccase secreted as a highly stable glycoprotein into the extracellular medium by Haloferax volcanii

Laccases couple the oxidation of phenolic compounds to the reduction of molecular oxygen and thus span a wide variety of applications. While laccases of eukaryotes and bacteria are well characterized, these enzymes have not been described in archaea. Here, we report the purification and characterization of a laccase (LccA) from the halophilic archaeon Haloferax volcanii. LccA was secreted at high levels into the culture supernatant of a recombinant H. volcanii strain, with peak activity (170 +/- 10 mU.ml(-)(1)) at stationary phase (72 to 80 h). LccA was purified 13-fold to an overall yield of 72% and a specific activity of 29.4 U.mg(-)(1) with an absorbance spectrum typical of blue multicopper oxidases. The mature LccA was processed to expose an N-terminal Ala after the removal of 31 amino acid residues and was glycosylated to 6.9% carbohydrate content. Purified LccA oxidized a variety of organic substrates, including bilirubin, syringaldazine (SGZ), 2,2,-azino-bis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS), and dimethoxyphenol (DMP), with DMP oxidation requiring the addition of CuSO(4). Optimal oxidation of ABTS and SGZ was at 45 degrees C and pH 6 and pH 8.4, respectively. The apparent K(m) values for SGZ, bilirubin, and ABTS were 35, 236, and 670 muM, with corresponding k(cat) values of 22, 29, and 10 s(-)(1), respectively. The purified LccA was tolerant of high salt, mixed organosolvents, and high temperatures, with a half-life of inactivation at 50 degrees C of 31.5 h.

Parallel metatranscriptome analyses of host and symbiont gene expression in the gut of the termite Reticulitermes flavipes

BACKGROUND

Termite lignocellulose digestion is achieved through a collaboration of host plus prokaryotic and eukaryotic symbionts. In the present work, we took a combined host and symbiont metatranscriptomic approach for investigating the digestive contributions of host and symbiont in the lower termite Reticulitermes flavipes. Our approach consisted of parallel high-throughput sequencing from (i) a host gut cDNA library and (ii) a hindgut symbiont cDNA library. Subsequently, we undertook functional analyses of newly identified phenoloxidases with potential importance as pretreatment enzymes in industrial lignocellulose processing.

RESULTS

Over 10,000 expressed sequence tags (ESTs) were sequenced from the 2 libraries that aligned into 6,555 putative transcripts, including 171 putative lignocellulase genes. Sequence analyses provided insights in two areas. First, a non-overlapping complement of host and symbiont (prokaryotic plus protist) glycohydrolase gene families known to participate in cellulose, hemicellulose, alpha carbohydrate, and chitin degradation were identified. Of these, cellulases are contributed by host plus symbiont genomes, whereas hemicellulases are contributed exclusively by symbiont genomes. Second, a diverse complement of previously unknown genes that encode proteins with homology to lignase, antioxidant, and detoxification enzymes were identified exclusively from the host library (laccase, catalase, peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, carboxylesterase, cytochrome P450). Subsequently, functional analyses of phenoloxidase activity provided results that were strongly consistent with patterns of laccase gene expression. In particular, phenoloxidase activity and laccase gene expression are mostly restricted to symbiont-free foregut plus salivary gland tissues, and phenoloxidase activity is inducible by lignin feeding.

CONCLUSION

To our knowledge, this is the first time that a dual host-symbiont transcriptome sequencing effort has been conducted in a single termite species. This sequence database represents an important new genomic resource for use in further studies of collaborative host-symbiont termite digestion, as well as development of coevolved host and symbiont-derived biocatalysts for use in industrial biomass-to-bioethanol applications. Additionally, this study demonstrates that: (i) phenoloxidase activities are prominent in the R. flavipes gut and are not symbiont derived, (ii) expands the known number of host and symbiont glycosyl hydrolase families in Reticulitermes, and (iii) supports previous models of lignin degradation and host-symbiont collaboration in cellulose/hemicellulose digestion in the termite gut. All sequences in this paper are available publicly with the accession numbers FL634956-FL640828 (Termite Gut library) and FL641015-FL645753 (Symbiont library).

Multicopper oxidases: a workshop on copper coordination chemistry, electron transfer, and metallophysiology

Multicopper oxidases (MCOs) are unique among copper proteins in that they contain at least one each of the three types of biologic copper sites, type 1, type 2, and the binuclear type 3. MCOs are descended from the family of small blue copper proteins (cupredoxins) that likely arose as a complement to the heme-iron-based cytochromes involved in electron transport; this event corresponded to the aerobiosis of the biosphere that resulted in the conversion of Fe(II) to Fe(III) as the predominant redox state of this essential metal and the solubilization of copper from Cu(2)S to Cu(H(2)O)( n ) (2+). MCOs are encoded in genomes in all three kingdoms and play essential roles in the physiology of essentially all aerobes. With four redox-active copper centers, MCOs share with terminal copper-heme oxidases the ability to catalyze the four-electron reduction of O(2) to two molecules of water. The electron transfers associated with this reaction are both outer and inner sphere in nature and their mechanisms have been fairly well established. A subset of MCO proteins exhibit specificity for Fe(2+), Cu(+), and/or Mn(2+) as reducing substrates and have been designated as metallooxidases. These enzymes, in particular the ferroxidases found in all fungi and metazoans, play critical roles in the metal metabolism of the expressing organism.

Laccase-mediated synthesis of novel substituted phenoxazine chromophores featuring tuneable water solubility

Laccases are members of the blue copper oxidases family found in nature. They commonly oxidise a wide range of phenol and aniline derivatives, which in turn are involved in oxidative coupling reactions. Yet, laccases remain rarely described as biocatalysts in organic synthesis. This paper describes the chemical preparation of original sulfonated aminophenol substrates and their enzyme-mediated dimerisation into phenoxazine chromophores that feature tuneable water solubility as a function of the sulfonyl substituent. The scope and limitations of the biocatalysed synthetic process are outlined. Kinetic data were collected to evaluate the influence of physicochemical parameters. The structure of the novel phenoxazine dyes ("head-to-head" or "head-to-tail" dimer) was assessed by NMR spectroscopic analysis. Two crystalline compounds were analysed by X-ray diffraction. Such laccase-mediated synthesis (a green chemistry process) was proven to be more efficient than the chemical oxidation of o-aminophenols with silver oxide.

Characterization of endogenous and recombinant forms of laccase-2, a multicopper oxidase from the tobacco hornworm, Manduca sexta

Laccases belong to the group of multicopper oxidases that exhibit wide substrate specificity for polyphenols and aromatic amines. They are found in plants, fungi, bacteria, and insects. In insects the only known role for laccase is in cuticle sclerotization. However, extracting laccase from the insect's cuticle requires proteolysis, resulting in an enzyme that is missing its amino-terminus. To circumvent this problem, we expressed and purified full-length and amino-terminally truncated recombinant forms of laccase-2 from the tobacco hornworm, Manduca sexta. We also purified the endogenous enzyme from the pharate pupal cuticle and used peptide mass fingerprinting analysis to confirm that it is laccase-2. All three enzymes had pH optima between 5 and 5.5 when using N-acetyldopamine (NADA) or N-beta-alanyldopamine-alanyldopamine (NBAD) as substrates. The laccases exhibited typical Michaelis-Menten kinetics when NADA was used as a substrate, with K(m) values of 0.46 mM, 0.43 mM, and 0.63 mM, respectively, for the full-length recombinant, truncated recombinant, and cuticular laccases; the apparent k(cat) values were 100 min(-1), 80 min(-1), and 290 min(-1). The similarity in activity of the two recombinant laccases suggests that laccase-2 is expressed in an active form rather than as a zymogen, as had been previously proposed. This conclusion is consistent with the detection of activity in untanned pupal wing cuticle using the laccase substrate 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS). Immunoblot analysis of proteins extracted from both tanned and untanned cuticle detected only a single protein of 84 kDa, consistent with the full-length enzyme. With NBAD as substrate, the full-length recombinant and cuticular laccases showed kinetics indicative of substrate inhibition, with K(m) values of 1.9 mM and 0.47 mM, respectively, and apparent k(cat) values of 200 min(-1) and 180 min(-1). These results enhance our understanding of cuticle sclerotization, and may aid in the design of insecticides targeting insect laccases.

Biochemical and molecular genetic characterisation of a novel laccase produced by the aquatic ascomycete Phoma sp. UHH 5-1-03

A laccase from the aquatic ascomycete Phoma sp. UHH 5-1-03 (DSM 22425) was purified upon hydrophobic interaction and size exclusion chromatography (SEC). Mass spectrometric analysis of the laccase monomer yielded a molecular mass of 75.6 kDa. The enzyme possesses an unusual alkaline isoelectric point above 8.3. The Phoma sp. laccase undergoes pH-dependent dimerisation, with the dimer ( approximately 150 kDa, as assessed by SEC) predominating in a pH range of 5.0 to 8.0. The enzyme oxidises common laccase substrates still at pH 7.0 and 8.0 and is remarkably stable at these pH values. The laccase is active at high concentrations of various organic solvents, all together indicating a considerable biotechnological potential. One laccase gene (lac1) identified at the genomic DNA level and transcribed in laccase-producing cultures was completely sequenced. The deduced molecular mass of the hypothetical protein and the predicted isoelectric point of 8.1 well agree with experimentally determined data. Tryptic peptides of electrophoretically separated laccase bands were analysed by nano-liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. By using the nucleotide sequence of lac1 as a template, eight different peptides were identified and yielded an overall sequence coverage of about 18%, thus confirming the link between lac1 and the expressed laccase protein.

Thermotolerant and thermostable laccases

Laccases are phenol-oxidizing, usually four-copper containing metalloenzymes. For industrial and biotechnological purposes, laccases were among the first fungal oxidoreductases providing larger-scale applications such as removal of polyphenols in wine and beverages, conversion of toxic compounds and textile dyes in waste waters, and in bleaching and removal of lignin from wood and non-wood fibres. In order to facilitate novel and more efficient bio-catalytic process applications, there is a need for laccases with improved biochemical properties, such as thermostability and thermotolerance. This review gives a current overview on the sources and characteristics of such laccases, with particular emphasis on the fungal enzymes.

Cuticle laccase of the silkworm, Bombyx mori: purification, gene identification and presence of its inactive precursor in the cuticle

Laccase is a multi-copper enzyme found in variety of organisms including plants, fungi and bacteria. In insects, laccase is thought to play an important role in cuticle sclerotization with its ability to catalyze the oxidation of phenolic compounds to their corresponding quinones. From the newly ecdysed pupae of the silkworm, Bombyx mori, we purified a dimer form of cuticular laccase with 70-kDa polypeptides. Mass spectrometric analysis of the tryptic fragments and cDNA sequence analysis revealed that the gene for the purified laccase (BmLaccase2) is an ortholog of laccase2, one of the multiple laccase genes found in insect genomes. BmLaccase2 is highly expressed in the epidermis prior to ecdysis, suggesting that the BmLaccase2 protein accumulates before ecdysis. However, the cuticle of newly ecdysed pupa does not have laccase activity, and the activity only becomes detectable several hours after ecdysis. These data suggest that cuticle laccase is synthesized as an inactive precursor, which is later activated after ecdysis. We also found that urea-solubilized cuticle protein extract contains an inactive form of laccase that can be activated by trypsin treatment.

Improving the functional expression of a Bacillus licheniformis laccase by random and site-directed mutagenesis

Background

Laccases have huge potential for biotechnological applications due to their broad substrate spectrum and wide range of reactions they are able to catalyze. These include, for example, the formation and degradation of dimers, oligomers, polymers, and ring cleavage as well as oxidation of aromatic compounds. Potential applications of laccases include detoxification of industrial effluents, decolorization of textile dyes and the synthesis of natural products by, for instance, dimerization of phenolic acids. We have recently published a report on the cloning and characterization of a CotA Bacillus licheniformis laccase, an enzyme that catalyzes dimerization of phenolic acids. However, the broad application of this laccase is limited by its low expression level of 26 mg l^-1 that was achieved in Escherichia coli. To counteract this shortcoming, random and site-directed mutagenesis have been combined in order to improve functional expression and activity of CotA.

Results

A CotA double mutant, K316N/D500G, was constructed by combining random and site-directed mutagenesis. It can be functionally expressed at an 11.4-fold higher level than the wild-type enzyme. In addition, it is able to convert ferulic acid much faster than the wild-type enzyme (21% vs. 14%) and is far more efficient in decolorizing a range of industrial dyes. The investigation of the effects of the mutations K316N and D500G showed that amino acid at position 316 had a major influence on enzyme activity and position 500 had a major influence on the expression of the laccase.

Conclusion

The constructed double mutant K316N/D500G of the Bacillus licheniformis CotA laccase is an appropriate candidate for biotechnological applications due to its high expression level and high activity in dimerization of phenolic acids and decolorization of industrial dyes.

Genome, transcriptome, and secretome analysis of wood decay fungus Postia placenta supports unique mechanisms of lignocellulose conversion

Brown-rot fungi such as Postia placenta are common inhabitants of forest ecosystems and are also largely responsible for the destructive decay of wooden structures. Rapid depolymerization of cellulose is a distinguishing feature of brown-rot, but the biochemical mechanisms and underlying genetics are poorly understood. Systematic examination of the P. placenta genome, transcriptome, and secretome revealed unique extracellular enzyme systems, including an unusual repertoire of extracellular glycoside hydrolases. Genes encoding exocellobiohydrolases and cellulose-binding domains, typical of cellulolytic microbes, are absent in this efficient cellulose-degrading fungus. When P. placenta was grown in medium containing cellulose as sole carbon source, transcripts corresponding to many hemicellulases and to a single putative beta-1-4 endoglucanase were expressed at high levels relative to glucose-grown cultures. These transcript profiles were confirmed by direct identification of peptides by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Also up-regulated during growth on cellulose medium were putative iron reductases, quinone reductase, and structurally divergent oxidases potentially involved in extracellular generation of Fe(II) and H(2)O(2). These observations are consistent with a biodegradative role for Fenton chemistry in which Fe(II) and H(2)O(2) react to form hydroxyl radicals, highly reactive oxidants capable of depolymerizing cellulose. The P. placenta genome resources provide unparalleled opportunities for investigating such unusual mechanisms of cellulose conversion. More broadly, the genome offers insight into the diversification of lignocellulose degrading mechanisms in fungi. Comparisons with the closely related white-rot fungus Phanerochaete chrysosporium support an evolutionary shift from white-rot to brown-rot during which the capacity for efficient depolymerization of lignin was lost.

Long term repeated prescribed burning increases evenness in the basidiomycete laccase gene pool in forest soils

Repeated prescribed burning alters the biologically labile fraction of nutrients and carbon of soil organic matter (SOM). Using a long-term (30 years) repeated burning experiment where burning has been carried out at a 2- or 4-year frequency, we analysed the effect of prescribed burning on gross potential C turnover rates and phenol oxidase activity in relation to shifts in SOM composition as observed using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. In tandem, we assessed the genetic diversity of basidiomycete laccases. While the overall effect of burning was a decline in phenol oxidase activity, Shannon diversity and evenness of laccases was significantly higher in burned sites. Co-correspondence analysis of SOM composition and laccase operational taxonomic unit frequency data also suggested a strong correlation. While this correlation could indicate that the observed increase in laccase genetic diversity due to burning is due to increased resource diversity, a temporal replacement of the most abundant members of the assembly by an otherwise dormant pool of fungi cannot be excluded. As such, our results fit the intermediate disturbance hypothesis. Effects were stronger in plots burned in 2-year rotations, suggesting that the 4-year burn frequency may be a more sustainable practice to ensure the long-term stability of C cycling in such ecosystems.

On the diversity of the laccase gene: a phylogenetic perspective from Botryosphaeria rhodina (Ascomycota: Fungi) and other related taxa

The present study is the first describing the sequencing of a fragment of the copper-oxidase domain of a laccase gene in the family Botryosphaeriaceae. The aim of this work was to assess the degree of genetic and evolutionary relationships of a laccase gene from Botryosphaeria rhodina MAMB-05 with other ascomycete and basidiomycete laccase genes. The 193-amino acid sequences of the copper-oxidase domain from several different fungi, insects, a plant, and a bacterial species were retrieved from GenBank and aligned. Phylogenetic analyses were performed using neighbor-joining, maximum parsimony, and Bayesian inference methods. The organisms studied clustered into five gene clades: fungi (ascomycetes and basidiomycetes), insects, plants, and bacteria. Also, the topologies showed that fungal laccases of the ascomycetes and basidiomycetes are clearly separated into two distinct clusters. This evidence indicated that B. rhodina MAMB-05 and other closely related ascomycetes are a new biological resource given the biotechnological potential of their laccase genes.

Phylogenetic analysis, genomic organization, and expression analysis of multi-copper oxidases in the ectomycorrhizal basidiomycete Laccaria bicolor

In forest soils, ectomycorrhizal and saprotrophic Agaricales differ in their strategies for carbon acquisition, but share common gene families encoding multi-copper oxidases (MCOs). These enzymes are involved in the oxidation of a variety of soil organic compounds. The MCO gene family of the ectomycorrhizal fungus Laccaria bicolor is composed of 11 genes divided into two distinct subfamilies corresponding to laccases (lcc) sensu stricto (lcc1 to lcc9), sharing a high sequence homology with the coprophilic Coprinopsis cinerea laccase genes, and to ferroxidases (lcc10 and lcc11) that are not present in C. cinerea. The fet3-like ferroxidase genes lcc10 and lcc11 in L. bicolor are each arranged in a mirrored tandem orientation with an ftr gene coding for an iron permease. Unlike C. cinerea, L. bicolor has no sid1/sidA gene for siderophore biosynthesis. Transcript profiling using whole-genome expression arrays and quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) revealed that some transcripts were very abundant in ectomycorrhizas (lcc3 and lcc8), in fruiting bodies (lcc7) or in the free-living mycelium grown on agar medium (lcc9 and lcc10), suggesting a specific function of these MCOs. The amino acid composition of the MCO substrate binding sites suggests that L. bicolor MCOs interact with substrates different from those of saprotrophic fungi.

Diversity of laccase among Cryptococcus neoformans serotypes

The pathogenic yeast C. neoformans is classified into three varieties with five serotypes; var. grubii (serotype A), var. neoformans (serotype D), var. gattii (serotypes B and C), and serotype AD. Melanin is a virulence factor in the species, and its biosynthesis is catalyzed by laccase, encoded by the LAC1 gene. In order to estimate the natural variability of the LAC1 gene among Cryptococcus serotypes, the laccase protein sequence from 55 strains was determined and the phylogenetic relationships between cryptococcal and related fungal laccases revealed. The deduced laccase proteins consisted of 624 amino acid residues in serotypes A, D and AD, and 613 to 615 residues in serotypes B and C. Intra-serotype amino acid variation was marginal within serotypes A and D, and none was found within serotypes AD and C. Maximum amino acid replacement occurred in two serotype B strains. The similarity in the deduced sequence ranged from 80 to 96% between serotypes. The sequence in the copper-binding regions was strongly conserved in the five serotypes. The laccases of the five serotypes were grouped together in the same clade of the phylogenetic tree reconstructed from different fungal laccases, suggesting a monophyletic clade.

The Fox1 ferroxidase of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii: a new multicopper oxidase structural paradigm

Multicopper oxidases (MCO) contain at least four copper atoms arrayed in three distinct ligand fields supported by two canonical structural features: (1) multiples of the cupredoxin fold and (2) four unique sequence elements that include the ten histidine and one cysteine ligands to the four copper atoms. Ferroxidases are a subfamily of MCO proteins that contain residues supporting a specific reactivity towards ferrous iron; these MCOs play a vital role in iron metabolism in bacteria, algae, fungi, and mammals. In contrast to the fungal ferroxidases, e.g., Fet3p from Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the mammalian ceruloplasmin (Cp) is twice as large (six vs. three cupredoxin domains) and contains three type 1, or "blue," copper sites. Chlamydomonas reinhardtii expresses a putative ferroxidase, Fox1, which has sequence similarity to human Cp (hCp). Eschewing the standard sequence-based modeling paradigm, we have constructed a function-based model of the Fox1 protein which replicates hCp's six copper-site ligand arrays with an overall root mean square deviation of 1.4 A. Analysis of this model has led also to assignment of motifs in Fox1 that are unique to ferroxidases, the strongest evidence to date that the well-characterized fungal high-affinity iron uptake system is essential to iron homeostasis in green algae. The model of Fox1 also establishes a subfamily of MCO proteins with a noncanonical copper-ligand organization. These diverse structures suggest alternative mechanisms for intramolecular electron transfer and require a new trajectory for the evolution of the MCO superfamily.

Characterization of the multicopper oxidase gene family in Anopheles gambiae

The multicopper oxidase (MCO) family of enzymes includes laccases, which oxidize a broad range of substrates including diphenols, and several oxidases with specific substrates such as iron, copper or ascorbic acid. We have identified five putative MCO genes in the genome of Anopheles gambiae and have cloned cDNAs encompassing the full coding region for each gene. MCO1 mRNA was detected in all developmental stages and in all of the larval and adult tissues tested. We observed an increase in MCO1 transcript abundance in the midguts and Malphighian tubules of adult females following a blood meal and in adult abdominal carcasses in response to an immune challenge. Two alternatively spliced isoforms of MCO2 mRNA were identified. The A isoform of MCO2 was previously detected in larval and pupal cuticle where it probably catalyzes sclerotization reactions (He, N., Botelho, J.M.C., McNall, R.J., Belozerov, V., Dunn, W.A., Mize, T., Orlando, R., Willis, J.H., 2007. Proteomic analysis of cast cuticles from Anopheles gambiae by tandem mass spectrometry. Insect Biochem. Mol. Biol. 37, 135-146). The B isoform was transcriptionally upregulated in ovaries in response to a blood meal. MCO3 mRNA was detected in the adult midgut, Malpighian tubules, and male reproductive tissues; like MCO1, it was upregulated in response to an immune challenge or a blood meal. MCO4 and MCO5 were observed primarily in eggs and in the abdominal carcass of larvae. A phylogenetic analysis of insect MCO genes identified putative orthologs of MCO1 and MCO2 in all of the insect genomes tested, whereas MCO3, MCO4 and MCO5 were found only in the two mosquito species analyzed. MCO2 orthologs have especially high sequence similarity, suggesting that they are under strong purifying selection; the A isoforms are more conserved than the B isoforms. The mosquito specific group shares a common ancestor with MCO2. This initial study of mosquito MCOs suggests that MCO2 may be required for egg development or eggshell tanning in addition to cuticle tanning, while MCO1 and MCO3 may be involved in metal metabolism or immunity.

Molecular cloning and heterologous expression of a laccase gene from Pleurotus eryngii in free and immobilized Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells

A full length cDNA encoding an extracellular laccase was isolated by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction from the mycelia of the mushroom Pleurotus eryngii. The isolated sequence, denoted Ery3, encodes for a mature laccase isoenzyme of 531 amino acid residues with a predicted molecular weight of 56.6 kDa. All sequence motifs, being the signature sequences used to identify the laccases, were found in the Ery3 protein sequence. The Ery3 cDNA was expressed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and the effects of copper concentration and cultivation temperature were investigated. S. cerevisiae cells were immobilized in calcium alginate gel and the optimal immobilization parameters for the enhanced production of laccase were determined. The immobilization was most effective with 3% sodium alginate, 0.1 M calcium chloride and an initial biomass of 4.5 x 10(8) cells. The enzyme yield obtained with immobilized cells (139 mU ml(-1)) showed a 1.6-fold increase compared to the highest yield obtained with free cells. The alginate beads showed good stability and retained 84% capacity of enzyme production after seven repeated cycles of batch fermentation. The immobilization system proved to increase the proteolytic stability of the recombinant Ery3 protein. To our knowledge, this is the first report on S. cerevisiae whole-cell immobilization for recombinant laccase production.

FOLy: an integrated database for the classification and functional annotation of fungal oxidoreductases potentially involved in the degradation of lignin and related aromatic compounds

The breakdown of lignin by fungi is a key step during carbon recycling in terrestrial ecosystems. This process is of great interest for green and white biotechnological applications. Given the importance of these enzymatic processes, we have classified the enzymes potentially involved in lignin catabolism into sequence-based families and integrated them in a newly developed database, designated Fungal Oxidative Lignin enzymes (FOLy). Families were defined after sequence similarity searches starting from protein sequences and validated by the convergence of results with biochemical experiments reported in the literature. The resulting database was applied as a tool for the functional annotation of genomes from different fungi, namely (i) the Basidiomycota Coprinopsis cinerea, Phanerochaete chrysosporium and Ustilago maydis and (ii) the Ascomycota Aspergillus nidulans and Trichoderma reesei. Genomic comparison of the oxidoreductases of these fungi revealed significant differences in the putative enzyme arsenals. Two Ascomycota fungal genomes were annotated and new candidate genes were identified that could be useful for lignin degradation and (or) melanin synthesis, and their function investigated experimentally. This database efforts aims at providing the means to get new insights for the understanding and biotechnological exploitation of the lignin degradation. A WWW server giving access to the routinely updated FOLy classifications of enzymes potentially involved in lignin degradation can be found at http://foly.esil.univ-mrs.fr.

Siderophores in fungal physiology and virulence

Maintaining the appropriate balance of iron between deficiency and toxicity requires fine-tuned control of systems for iron uptake and storage. Both among fungal species and within a single species, different systems for acquisition, storage, and regulation of iron are present. Here we discuss the most recent findings on the mechanisms involved in maintaining iron homeostasis with a focus on siderophores, low-molecular-mass iron chelators, employed for iron uptake and storage. Recently siderophores have been found to be crucial for pathogenicity of animal, as well as plant-pathogenic fungi and for maintenance of plant-fungal symbioses.

Cloning and characterization of the genes encoding the high-affinity iron-uptake protein complex Fet3/Ftr1 in the basidiomycete Phanerochaete chrysosporium

MCO1, a multicopper oxidase from Phanerochaete chrysosporium exhibiting strong ferroxidase activity, has recently been described. This enzyme shows biochemical and structural similarities with the yeast Fet3p, a type I membrane glycoprotein that efficiently oxidizes Fe(II) to Fe(III) for its subsequent transport to the intracellular compartment by the iron permease Ftr1p. The genome database of P. chrysosporium was searched to verify whether it includes a canonical fet3 in addition to mco1, and single copies of fet3 and ftr1 orthologues were found, separated by a divergent promoter. Pc-fet3 encodes a 628 aa protein that exhibits overall identities of about 40 % with other reported Fet3 proteins. In addition to a secretion signal, it has a C-terminal transmembrane domain, characteristic of these cell-surface-attached ferroxidases. Structural modelling of Pc-Fet3 revealed that the active site has all the residues known to be essential for ferroxidase activity. Pc-ftr1 encodes a 393 aa protein that shows about 38 % identity with several Ftr1 proteins from ascomycetes. Northern hybridization studies showed that the mRNA levels of both genes are reduced upon supplementation of the growth medium with iron, supporting the functional coupling of Fet3 and Ftr1 proteins in vivo.

Microbial manganese oxide formation and interaction with toxic metal ions

Diverse bacteria and fungi oxidize Mn(II) enzymatically and produce insoluble Mn(III, IV) oxides, and these organisms are considered to be the primal agents for the occurrence of natural Mn oxide phases in most environments. Biogenic Mn oxides have a high sorption capacity for metal cations and an ability to oxidize numerous inorganic and organic compounds, owing to their structural and redox features. Thus, the microbial process is of significance in both biogeochemical and biotechnological contexts. In this article we summarize the enzymatic Mn(II) oxidation and interactions of biogenic Mn oxides with toxic metal and metalloid ions. Although Mn oxide formation by fungi has not been fully characterized yet, recent researches with ascomycetes emphasize the similarity between the bacterial and fungal Mn(II) oxidation with respect to the involved catalyst (i.e., multicopper oxidase-type enzymes) and the reaction product [i.e., layer-type Mn(IV) oxides]. Laboratory cultures of bacterial and fungal Mn oxidizers are expected to provide fundamental knowledge in their potential use for remediation of environments and effluents contaminated with toxic metal(loid) ions.

Purification and biochemical characterization of a laccase from the aquatic fungus Myrioconium sp. UHH 1-13-18-4 and molecular analysis of the laccase-encoding gene

Myrioconium sp. strain UHH 1-13-18-4 is an ascomycete anamorph isolated from the river Saale, Central Germany. An extracellular, monomeric, and glycosylated laccase with a molecular mass of 72.7 kDa as determined by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight-mass spectrometry and an isoelectric point below 2.8 was purified from CuSO(4) and vanillic acid amended liquid fungal cultures grown in malt extract medium. The catalytic efficiencies (k(cat)/K(m)) for the oxidation of syringaldazine, 2,6-dimethoxyphenol, and 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonate) were 67.3, 46.9, and 28.2 s(-1) mM(-1), respectively, with K(m) values of 4.2, 67.8, and 104.9 microM. After pre-incubation at different pH values and temperatures for 1 h, more than 80% of the initial laccase activity was retained between pH 4 to 6 and 15 degrees C. The laccase-encoding gene was identified and sequenced at both the genomic and complementary DNA (cDNA) level, and corresponding structural characteristics and putative regulatory elements of the promoter region are reported. The identification of two tryptic peptides of the purified enzyme by mass spectrometry confirmed the identity of the functional laccase protein with the translated genomic sequence of the Myrioconium sp. laccase. Myrioconium sp. laccase shows the highest degree of identity with laccases from ascomycetes belonging to the family Sclerotiniaceae, order Helotiales.

Multiplex PCR for species discrimination of Sclerotiniaceae by novel laccase introns

Common PCR-based targets for the identification of filamentous fungi and yeasts are the sequences of the internal transcribed spacer region (ITS1, 5.8S rDNA, ITS2). Within the Sclerotiniaceae the ITS-region is homogenous and the identification is almost impossible. Furthermore, the lack of IGS-data (intergenic spacer region) requires new specific marker genes for a rapid identification of phytopathogenic Sclerotiniaceae. We sequenced and analyzed new laccase2 (lcc2) genes from the phylogenetically related Sclerotinia sclerotiorum (Lib.) de Bary, Sclerotinia minor Jagger, and Monilinia fructigena Honey. Comparative analysis revealed remarkable differences in length and sequence compared to the well-known lcc2 gene of Botrytis cinerea caused by a different number of intron sequences. These results gave us the possibility to develop a primer set for a rapid multiplex PCR-identification of different species in environmental samples, e.g. wine, fruit, or soil. Therefore, the application of this technique allows the simultaneous detection of different phytopathogenic Sclerotiniaceae in complex microbiota like decomposed herbal material. In the present study prevailed problems in the field of a general identification of fungal specimen are highlighted.

Decolorization of anthraquinone-type dye by bilirubin oxidase-producing nonligninolytic fungus Myrothecium sp. IMER1

The decolorization of an anthraquinone dye, Remazol Brilliant Blue R (RBBR), was carried out using a new isolated nonligninolytic fungus, strain Myrothecium sp. IMER1. In potato dextrose broth (PDB) containing RBBR, this strain was able to grow and decolorize the dye efficiently at pHs ranging from 4.0 to 9.0, and the optimal pH and temperature were pH 7.0 and 28 degrees C. A decolorization efficiency of approximately 90% was achieved by cultivation for 7 d at an initial dye concentration of 80 mg l(-1). The adsorption of the dye by cells was observed at the beginning of the decolorization, then the color became faint and finally disappeared when bilirubin oxidase (BOX) was released by the strain. Additionally, the visual observation and ultraviolet- visible (UV-VIS) spectral analysis demonstrated that decolorization involved biosorption and biodegradation. Native polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of crude enzyme and purified BOX confirmed that BOX, which is an important extracellular oxidoreductase, played a major role in decolorization. Furthermore, purified BOX was demonstrated to degrade RBBR and other dyes by in vitro enzymatic experiments. Our results suggest that both the strain and its extracellular BOX have promising applications in dye effluent decolorization.

Diversity of laccase-like multicopper oxidase genes in Morchellaceae: identification of genes potentially involved in extracellular activities related to plant litter decay

Despite the important role played by soil-inhabiting ascomycetes in plant litter decay processes, studies on the diversity and function of their laccase-like multicopper oxidase (LMCO) genes are scarce. In the present work, the LMCO gene diversity in 15 strains representing nine Morchellaceae and one Discinaceae species was evaluated by PCR. One to six different genes were found within the species, representing 26 different sequence types. Cluster analysis revealed LMCO genes belonging to four main gene families encoding different protein classes (Class I-IV). To identify the genes related to extracellular activities and potentially involved in litter decay processes, liquid cultures were induced by different aromatic compounds. Morchella conica and Verpa conica showed the strongest LMCO activity enhancement in the presence of the naturally occurring phenolic compound guaiacol, and their expressed LMCO genes were identified by sequencing. Only genes belonging to the gene families encoding the Class II and III proteins were expressed. Both genes (Class II and III) of the mycorrhizal-like strain M. conica were exclusively expressed in the presence of guaiacol. In contrast to the saprotrophic strain V. conica, the gene encoding the Class III protein was constitutively expressed as it was also found in control cultures without guaiacol.

Expression and molecular properties of a new laccase of the white rot fungus Phlebia radiata grown on wood

Laccases are phenol-oxidizing, multicopper enzymes produced by fungi, plants, insects and bacteria. Fungal laccases are involved in ecologically important processes such as decomposition of lignocellulose (wood and plant material). In this work, in order to find out the role of fungal laccases upon wood colonisation and lignin decay, we describe expression of laccase-encoding genes in the white rot basidiomycete Phlebia radiata 79, when the fungus grows on its natural substrates, that is on softwood (Alnus incana) and hardwood (Picea abies). Clones for two laccase-encoding genes, the previously described Pr-lac1 and a new gene Pr-lac2 were characterized. Pr-lac2 coding region is interrupted by 12 introns and the deduced Lac2 protein displays a higher pI value (5.8) than Lac1 (pI 3.2-3.5). Phylogenetic analysis indicates differential evolution for the two laccases, and Lac2 demonstrates the highest sequence identity with Trametes laccases (66%). Transcripts of Pr-lac1 were the most abundant both in solid-state softwood and semi-solid hardwood cultures, as analyzed by competitive RT-PCR and Northern hybridization. On spruce wood chips, Pr-lac1 and Pr-lac2 were expressed within 2-3 weeks of growth together with manganese and lignin peroxidase-encoding genes. Our results indicate wood-promoted but time-dependent regulation of expression for the two, at protein and gene level distinct P. radiata laccases.

The laccase multi-gene family in Coprinopsis cinerea has seventeen different members that divide into two distinct subfamilies

Seventeen non-allelic laccase genes and one gene footprint are present in the genome of Coprinopsis cinerea. Two gene subfamilies were defined by intron positions and similarity of deduced gene products, one with 15 members (lcc1-lcc15) and one with 2 members (lcc16, lcc17). The first subfamily divides in the phylogenetic tree of deduced proteins into smaller clusters that probably reflect recent gene duplication events. Different laccase genes diverged from each other both by frequent synonymous and non-synonymous codon changes. Mainly synonymous codon changes accumulate in alleles, with up to 12% total codon differences between given pairs of alleles. Overexpression of the 17 laccase genes under the control of a constitutive promoter identified nine active enzymes from subfamily 1. All of these showed laccase activities with DMP (2,6-dimethoxy phenol) as substrate but only eight of them also with ABTS [2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid)]. Lcc16 and Lcc17 share certain sequence features with ferroxidases but enzyme assays failed to show such activity. Lcc15 is expected to be non-functional in laccase activity due to an internal deletion of about 150 amino acids. Transcripts were obtained from all genes but splice junctions for three genes were not congruent with translation into a functional protein.