Microbial and enzymatic control of pitch in the pulp and paper industry

Purification and Characterization of Class III Lipase from a White-Rot Fungus Pleurotus ostreatus

Pleurotus ostreatus is an edible white-rot fungus with lignocellulosic biomass degrading enzymes that have been studied extensively. However, until now, lipolytic enzymes from P. ostreatus, which degrade extractives in lignocellulosic biomass, have not been purified and characterized. In this study, P. ostreatus was inoculated into the rapeseed oil containing culture to induce lipase. The lipase in the culture broth was successfully purified to homogeneity by chromatographic methods. The molecular weight of the purified lipase was 27 kDa, and its optimal pH and temperature were 5.0 and 30 °C, respectively. The purified lipase showed high activity with the substrates 4-methylumbelliferyl (4-MU) decanoate (C10:0) and 4-MU oleate (C18:1), and no activity with 4-MU acetate (C2:0) and 4-MU butyrate (C4:0). The amino acid sequences and substrate specificities of the purified lipase suggested that it belonged to class III. Kinetic parameters measurements (Km and Vmax) showed that 4-MU palmitate had a high affinity for the purified lipase, and it was the substrate most efficiently hydrolyzed by the purified lipase.

Functional Characterization of Laccase Isozyme (PoLcc1) from the Edible Mushroom Pleurotus ostreatus Involved in Lignin Degradation in Cotton Straw

Fungal laccases play important roles in the degradation of lignocellulose. In this study, the laccase producing cotton straw medium for Pleurotus ostreatus was optimized by single-factor and orthogonal experiments, and to investigate the role of Lacc1 gene, one of the laccase-encoding genes, in the degradation of cotton straw lignin, an overexpression strain of Lacc1 gene was constructed, which was analyzed for the characteristics of lignin degradation. The results demonstrated that the culture conditions with the highest lignin degradation efficiency of the P. ostreatus were the cotton straw particle size of 0.75 mm, a solid–liquid ratio of 1:3 and containing 0.25 g/L of Tween in the medium, as well as an incubation temperature of 26 °C. Two overexpression strains (OE L1-1 and OE L1-4) of Lacc1 gene were obtained, and the gene expression increased 12.08- and 33.04-fold, respectively. The results of ¹H-NMR and FTIR analyses of significant changes in lignin structure revealed that Lacc1 gene accelerated the degradation of lignin G-units and involved in the cleavage of β-O-4 linkages and the demethylation of lignin units. These findings will help to improve the efficiency of biodelignification and expand our understanding of its mechanism.

Sources, purification, immobilization and industrial applications of microbial lipases: An overview

Microbial lipase is looking for better attention with the fast growth of enzyme proficiency and other benefits like easy, cost-effective, and reliable manufacturing. Immobilized enzymes can be used repetitively and are incapable to catalyze the reactions in the system continuously. Hydrophobic supports are utilized to immobilize enzymes when the ionic strength is low. This approach allows for the immobilization, purification, stability, and hyperactivation of lipases in a single step. The diffusion of the substrate is more advantageous on hydrophobic supports than on hydrophilic supports in the carrier. These approaches are critical to the immobilization performance of the enzyme. For enzyme immobilization, synthesis provides a higher pH value as well as greater heat stability. Using a mixture of immobilization methods, the binding force between enzymes and the support rises, reducing enzyme leakage. Lipase adsorption produces interfacial activation when it is immobilized on hydrophobic support. As a result, in the immobilization process, this procedure is primarily used for a variety of industrial applications. Microbial sources, immobilization techniques, and industrial applications in the fields of food, flavor, detergent, paper and pulp, pharmaceuticals, biodiesel, derivatives of esters and amino groups, agrochemicals, biosensor applications, cosmetics, perfumery, and bioremediation are all discussed in this review.

Omics analyses and biochemical study of Phlebiopsis gigantea elucidate its degradation strategy of wood extractives

Wood extractives, solvent-soluble fractions of woody biomass, are considered to be a factor impeding or excluding fungal colonization on the freshly harvested conifers. Among wood decay fungi, the basidiomycete Phlebiopsis gigantea has evolved a unique enzyme system to efficiently transform or degrade conifer extractives but little is known about the mechanism(s). In this study, to clarify the mechanism(s) of softwood degradation, we examined the transcriptome, proteome, and metabolome of P. gigantea when grown on defined media containing microcrystalline cellulose and pine sapwood extractives. Beyond the conventional enzymes often associated with cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin degradation, an array of enzymes implicated in the metabolism of softwood lipophilic extractives such as fatty and resin acids, steroids and glycerides was significantly up-regulated. Among these, a highly expressed and inducible lipase is likely responsible for lipophilic extractive degradation, based on its extracellular location and our characterization of the recombinant enzyme. Our results provide insight into physiological roles of extractives in the interaction between wood and fungi.

Enhanced activity towards polyacrylates and poly(vinyl acetate) by site-directed mutagenesis of Humicola insolens cutinase

Previous studies on the hydrolysis of polyacrylates by cutinase have found that cutinase from Humicola insolens can fulfill the requirement for a thermostable cutinase in the treatment of stickies from papermaking, but it has poor hydrolysis ability. To further improve its ability to hydrolyze the polymers in papermaking, we analyzed the structure of cutinase from H. insolens, and constructed three mutants L66A, I169A, and L66A/I169A to reduce the steric hindrance of the substrate binding region. The hydrolysis results for poly(methyl acrylate), poly(ethyl acrylate), and poly(vinyl acetate) showed the catalytic ability of the mutant L66A/I169A most significantly improved. Using polymer macroporous resin composites as substrate, the released products of L66A/I169A were 1.3-4.4 times higher than that of the wild-type enzyme. When polymer suspensions were no longer being deposited, that is, when the turbidity decrease was less than 1%, the amount of L66A/I169A added was reduced by 19%-51% compared with that of the wild-type enzyme. These results indicated that the removal of the gatekeeper structure above the substrate binding region of H. insolens cutinase enhances its ability to hydrolyze polymers, and provided a basis for the application of cutinase in the practical treatment of stickies.

Chemical Characterization and Enzymatic Control of Stickies in Kraft Paper Production

Paper recycling has increased in recent years. A principal consequence of this process is the problem of addressing some polymeric components known as stickies. A deep characterization of stickies sampled over one year in a recycled paper industry in México was performed. Based on their chemical structure, an enzymatic assay was performed using lipases. Compounds found in stickies by Fourier-transform infrared spectrometry were poly (butyl-acrylate), dioctyl phthalate, poly (vinyl-acetate), and poly (vinyl-acrylate). Pulp with 4% (w/w) consistency and pH = 6.2 was sampled directly from the mill once macrostickies were removed. Stickies were quantified by counting the tacky macrostructures in the liquid fraction of the pulp using a Neubauer chamber before the paper was made, and they were analyzed with rhodamine dye and a UV lamp. Of the two commercial enzymes evaluated, the best treatment condition used Lipase 30 G (Specialty Enzymes & Biotechnologies Co^®, Chino, CA, USA) at a concentration of 0.44 g/L, which decreased 35.59% of stickies. SebOil DG (Specialty Enzymes & Biotechnologies^®) showed a stickies reduction of 21.5% when used at a concentration of 0.33 g/L. Stickies in kraft paper processes were actively controlled by the action of lipases, and future research should focus on how this enzyme recognizes its substrate and should apply synthetic biology to improve lipase specificity.

Biodegradation of Residues from the Palo Santo (Bursera graveolens) Essential Oil Extraction and Their Potential for Enzyme Production Using Native Xylaria Fungi from Southern Ecuador

The degradation dynamics of lignin and cellulose were analyzed by means of a solid state biodegradation experiment, using residues from the essential oil extraction of the Palo Santo tree (Bursera graveolens). As such, two native Xylaria spp. and an exotic mushroom Trametes versicolor were incubated on the spent substrate (Residues of B. Graveolens, BGR’s). The relatively high lignin and cellulose contents of the BGRs (9.1% and 19%, respectively) indicated the potential of this resource for the production of methane (biogas) and ethanol. However, the degradation of the lignin and cellulose content could be traced back to the relatively high activity of the enzymes laccase, cellulase, and xylanase, produced by the fungi. The results showed that laccase (30.0 U/L and 26.6 U/L), cellulase (27.3 U/L and 35.8 U/L) and xylanase (189.7U/L and 128.3 U/L) activities of Xylaria feejeensis and Xylaria cf. microceras were generally higher than T. versicolor (9.0 U/L, 29.5 U/L, 99.5 U/L respectively). Furthermore, the total carbon (TC: 47.3%), total nitrogen (TN: 1.5%), total phosphorus (TP: 0.2%) and total potassium (TK: 1.2%) dynamics were analyzed during the experiment and their importance for the degradation process highlighted. The results of this work might serve as guidance for future studies in dry forest areas, while furthering the understanding of the potential use of native fungi as ecologic lignocellulosic decomposers and for industrial proposes.

Identification of lipolytic enzymes isolated from bacteria indigenous to Eucalyptus wood species for application in the pulping industry

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Phenol red screening plates is the best method for detecting lipolytic activity.

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Substrate specificity is affected by temperature and pH.

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Essential to test substrates at various pH and temperature to determine optima.

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Lipolytic enzymes indigenous to Eucalyptus sp. can assist in pitch control.

This study highlights the importance of determining substrate specificity at variable experimental conditions. Lipases and esterases were isolated from microorganisms cultivated from Eucalyptus wood species and then concentrated (cellulases removed) and characterized. Phenol red agar plates supplemented with 1% olive oil or tributyrin was ascertained to be the most favourable method of screening for lipolytic activity. Lipolytic activity of the various enzymes were highest at 45–61 U/ml at the optimum temperature and pH of between at 30–35 °C and pH 4–5, respectively. Change in pH influenced the substrate specificity of the enzymes tested. The majority of enzymes tested displayed a propensity for longer aliphatic acyl chains such as dodecanoate (C₁₂), myristate (C₁₄), palmitate (C₁₆) and stearate (C₁₈) indicating that they could be characterised as potential lipases. Prospective esterases were also detected with specificity towards acetate (C₂), butyrate (C₄) and valerate (C₅). Enzymes maintained up to 95% activity at the optimal pH and temperature for 2–3 h. It is essential to test substrates at various pH and temperature when determining optimum activity of lipolytic enzymes, a method rarely employed. The stability of the enzymes at acidic pH and moderate temperatures makes them excellent candidates for application in the treatment of pitch during acid bi-sulphite pulping, which would greatly benefit the pulp and paper industry.

Marine Fungal and Bacterial Isolates for Lipase Production: A Comparative Study

Lipases, belonging to the class of enzymes called hydrolases, can catalyze triglycerides to fatty acids and glycerol. They are produced by microbes of plant and animal origin, and also by marine organisms. As marine microorganisms thrive in extreme conditions, lipases isolated from their origin possess characteristics of extremozymes, retain its activity in extreme conditions and can catalyze few chemical reactions which are impossible otherwise relative to the lipase produced from terrestrial microorganisms. Lipases are useful in many industries like detergent, food, leather, pharmaceutical, diary, etc. Few commercial enzymes have been developed and the use of them in certain industries like dairy, soaps are proved to be beneficial. There are few research papers reporting the production of lipase from marine bacteria and fungi. Lipase production involves two types of fermentation processes-solid-state fermentation (SSF) and submerged fermentation (SmF). Although SmF process is used conventionally, SSF process produces lipase in higher amounts. The production is also influenced by the composition of the medium, physiochemical parameters like temperature, pH, carbon, and nitrogen sources.

Cold and Hot Extremozymes: Industrial Relevance and Current Trends

The development of enzymes for industrial applications relies heavily on the use of microorganisms. The intrinsic properties of microbial enzymes, e.g., consistency, reproducibility, and high yields along with many others, have pushed their introduction into a wide range of products and industrial processes. Extremophilic microorganisms represent an underutilized and innovative source of novel enzymes. These microorganisms have developed unique mechanisms and molecular means to cope with extreme temperatures, acidic and basic pH, high salinity, high radiation, low water activity, and high metal concentrations among other environmental conditions. Extremophile-derived enzymes, or extremozymes, are able to catalyze chemical reactions under harsh conditions, like those found in industrial processes, which were previously not thought to be conducive for enzymatic activity. Due to their optimal activity and stability under extreme conditions, extremozymes offer new catalytic alternatives for current industrial applications. These extremozymes also represent the cornerstone for the development of environmentally friendly, efficient, and sustainable industrial technologies. Many advances in industrial biocatalysis have been achieved in recent years; however, the potential of biocatalysis through the use of extremozymes is far from being fully realized. In this article, the adaptations and significance of psychrophilic, thermophilic, and hyperthermophilic enzymes, and their applications in selected industrial markets will be reviewed. Also, the current challenges in the development and mass production of extremozymes as well as future prospects and trends for their biotechnological application will be discussed.

Expression and characterization of LacMP, a novel fungal laccase of Moniliophthora perniciosa FA553

OBJECTIVE

To characterize a putative laccase gene, LacMP, of Moniliophthora perniciosa FA553 that had been screened using a genome mining approach, then cloned and expressed in Pichia pastoris.

RESULTS

The purified recombinant LacMP was ~57 kDa with a maximum laccase activity of 232 U/l. The optimal pH for oxidation reactions with 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid), syringaldazine, guaiacol and 2,6-dimethoxyphenol, were 6, 7.5, 6.5, and 6.5, respectively. The laccase activity was optimal at 60, 45, 45, and 55 °C for the four respective substrates. LacMP was stable at pH 6-8 and <30 °C. Li(+), K(+), Co(2+), Ni(2+), Mn(2+), and Mg(2+) at 1 mM had no obvious effect on its activity.

CONCLUSION

Given that LacMP has optimal activity under neutral and alkaline oxidation reaction conditions, it could be a potential candidate for industrial biocatalytic applications.

John F, Glasner J, Sabat G, Splinter BonDurant S, Syed K, Yadav J, Mgbeahuruike AC, Kovalchuk A, Asiegbu FO, Lackner G, Hoffmeister D, Rencoret J, Gutiérrez A, Sun H, Lindquist E, Barry K, Riley R, Grigoriev IV, Henrissat B, Kües U, Berka RM, Martínez AT, Covert SF, Blanchette RA, Cullen D. Analysis of the Phlebiopsis gigantea genome, transcriptome and secretome provides insight into its pioneer colonization strategies of wood

Collectively classified as white-rot fungi, certain basidiomycetes efficiently degrade the major structural polymers of wood cell walls. A small subset of these Agaricomycetes, exemplified by Phlebiopsis gigantea, is capable of colonizing freshly exposed conifer sapwood despite its high content of extractives, which retards the establishment of other fungal species. The mechanism(s) by which P. gigantea tolerates and metabolizes resinous compounds have not been explored. Here, we report the annotated P. gigantea genome and compare profiles of its transcriptome and secretome when cultured on fresh-cut versus solvent-extracted loblolly pine wood. The P. gigantea genome contains a conventional repertoire of hydrolase genes involved in cellulose/hemicellulose degradation, whose patterns of expression were relatively unperturbed by the absence of extractives. The expression of genes typically ascribed to lignin degradation was also largely unaffected. In contrast, genes likely involved in the transformation and detoxification of wood extractives were highly induced in its presence. Their products included an ABC transporter, lipases, cytochrome P450s, glutathione S-transferase and aldehyde dehydrogenase. Other regulated genes of unknown function and several constitutively expressed genes are also likely involved in P. gigantea's extractives metabolism. These results contribute to our fundamental understanding of pioneer colonization of conifer wood and provide insight into the diverse chemistries employed by fungi in carbon cycling processes.

The wood decay fungus Phlebiopsis gigantea degrades all components of plant cell walls and is uniquely able to rapidly colonize freshly exposed conifer sapwood. However, mechanisms underlying its conversion of lignocellulose and resinous extractives have not been explored. We report here analyses of the genetic repertoire, transcriptome and secretome of P. gigantea. Numerous highly expressed hydrolases, together with lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases were implicated in P. gigantea's attack on cellulose, and an array of ligninolytic peroxidases and auxiliary enzymes were also identified. Comparisons of woody substrates with and without extractives revealed differentially expressed genes predicted to be involved in the transformation of resin. These expression patterns are likely key to the pioneer colonization of conifers by P. gigantea.

Coriolopsis rigida, a potential model of white-rot fungi that produce extracellular laccases

In the last two decades, a significant amount of work aimed at studying the ability of the white-rot fungus Coriolopsis rigida strain LPSC no. 232 to degrade lignin, sterols, as well as several hazardous pollutants like dyes and aliphatic and aromatic fractions of crude oil, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, has been performed. Additionally, C. rigida in association with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi appears to enhance plant growth, albeit the physiological and molecular bases of this effect remain to be elucidated. C. rigida's ability to degrade lignin and lignin-related compounds and the capacity to transform the aromatic fraction of crude oil in the soil might be partially ascribed to its ligninolytic enzyme system. Two extracellular laccases are the only enzymatic components of its lignin-degrading system. We reviewed the most relevant findings regarding the activity and role of C. rigida LPSC no. 232 and its laccases and discussed the work that remains to be done in order to assess, more precisely, the potential use of this fungus and its extracellular enzymes as a model in several applied processes.

Organic solvent tolerant lipases and applications

Lipases are a group of enzymes naturally endowed with the property of performing reactions in aqueous as well as organic solvents. The esterification reactions using lipase(s) could be performed in water-restricted organic media as organic solvent(s) not only improve(s) the solubility of substrate and reactant in reaction mixture but also permit(s) the reaction in the reverse direction, and often it is easy to recover the product in organic phase in two-phase equilibrium systems. The use of organic solvent tolerant lipase in organic media has exhibited many advantages: increased activity and stability, regiospecificity and stereoselectivity, higher solubility of substrate, ease of products recovery, and ability to shift the reaction equilibrium toward synthetic direction. Therefore the search for organic solvent tolerant enzymes has been an extensive area of research. A variety of fatty acid esters are now being produced commercially using immobilized lipase in nonaqueous solvents. This review describes the organic tolerance and industrial application of lipases. The main emphasis is to study the nature of organic solvent tolerant lipases. Also, the potential industrial applications that make lipases the biocatalysts of choice for the present and future have been presented.

Microbial enzymes: tools for biotechnological processes

Microbial enzymes are of great importance in the development of industrial bioprocesses. Current applications are focused on many different markets including pulp and paper, leather, detergents and textiles, pharmaceuticals, chemical, food and beverages, biofuels, animal feed and personal care, among others. Today there is a need for new, improved or/and more versatile enzymes in order to develop more novel, sustainable and economically competitive production processes. Microbial diversity and modern molecular techniques, such as metagenomics and genomics, are being used to discover new microbial enzymes whose catalytic properties can be improved/modified by different strategies based on rational, semi-rational and random directed evolution. Most industrial enzymes are recombinant forms produced in bacteria and fungi.

Pretreatment with laccase and a phenolic mediator degrades lignin and enhances saccharification of Eucalyptus feedstock

BACKGROUND

Biofuel production from lignocellulosic material is hampered by biomass recalcitrance towards enzymatic hydrolysis due to the compact architecture of the plant cell wall and the presence of lignin. The purpose of this work is to study the ability of an industrially available laccase-mediator system to modify and remove lignin during pretreatment of wood (Eucalyptus globulus) feedstock, thus improving saccharification, and to analyze the chemical modifications produced in the whole material and especially in the recalcitrant lignin moiety.

RESULTS

Up to 50% lignin removal from ground eucalypt wood was attained by pretreatment with recombinant Myceliophthora thermophila laccase and methyl syringate as mediator, followed by alkaline peroxide extraction in a multistage sequence. The lignin removal directly correlated with increases (approximately 40%) in glucose and xylose yields after enzymatic hydrolysis. The pretreatment using laccase alone (without mediator) removed up to 20% of lignin from eucalypt wood. Pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry of the pretreated wood revealed modifications of the lignin polymer, as shown by lignin markers with shortened side chains and increased syringyl-to-guaiacyl ratio. Additional information on the chemical modifications produced was obtained by two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance of the whole wood swollen in dimethylsulfoxide-d6. The spectra obtained revealed the removal of guaiacyl and syringyl lignin units, although with a preferential removal of the former, and the lower number of aliphatic side-chains per phenylpropane unit (involved in main β-O-4' and β-β' inter-unit linkages), in agreement with the pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry results, without a substantial change in the wood polysaccharide signals. However, the most noticeable modification observed in the spectra was the formation of Cα-oxidized syringyl lignin units during the enzymatic treatment. Further insight into the modifications of lignin structure, affecting other inter-unit linkages and oxidized structures, was attained by nuclear magnetic resonance of the lignins isolated from the eucalypt feedstock after the enzymatic pretreatments.

CONCLUSIONS

This work shows the potential of an oxidative enzymatic pretreatment to delignify and improve cellulase saccharification of a hardwood feedstock (eucalypt wood) when applied directly on the ground lignocellulosic material, and reveals the main chemical changes in the pretreated material, and its recalcitrant lignin moiety, behind the above results.

Isolation and characterization of a thermostable esterase from a metagenomic library

A novel esterase gene was isolated by functional screening of a metagenomic library prepared from an activated sludge sample. The gene (est-XG2) consists of 1,506 bp with GC content of 74.8 %, and encodes a protein of 501 amino acids with a molecular mass of 53 kDa. Sequence alignment revealed that Est-XG2 shows a maximum amino acid identity (47 %) with the carboxylesterase from Thermaerobacter marianensis DSM 12885 (YP_004101478). The catalytic triad of Est-XG2 was predicted to be Ser₁₉₂-Glu₃₁₃-His₄₁₂ with Ser₉₂ in a conserved pentapeptide (GXSXG), and further confirmed by site-directed mutagenesis. Phylogenetic analysis suggested Est-XG2 belongs to the bacterial lipase/esterase family VII. The recombinant Est-XG2, expressed and purified from Escherichia coli, preferred to hydrolyze short and medium length p-nitrophenyl esters with the best substrate being p-nitrophenyl acetate (K(m) and k(cat) of 0.33 mM and 36.21 s⁻¹, respectively). The purified enzyme also had the ability to cleave sterically hindered esters of tertiary alcohols. Biochemical characterization of Est-XG2 revealed that it is a thermophilic esterase that exhibits optimum activity at pH 8.5 and 70 °C. Est-XG2 had moderate tolerance to organic solvents and surfactants. The unique properties of Est-XG2, high thermostability and stability in the presence of organic solvents, may render it a potential candidate for industrial applications.

Clean Method for Stickies Control with StickAway Enzyme in ONP Pulps

Recovery and use of secondary fiber for paper production is increasing all over the word. In recovered paper recycling, stickies are the most detrimental among the contaminants, affecting both the process efficiency and the quality of the final product. In this study, StickAway enzyme was used to treat the old newspaper(ONP) pulps. The effect of enzymatic treatment on the macro and micro-stickies, the drainage property, as well as the formation of paper products were investigated. After treatment of samples with 3LU/g (o.d pulp) doses of enzymatic for 1.5 h, it was found that 14.6% of the micro-stickies could be removed. The cationic demand, turbidity value and particle size were decreased 7.23%, 14.4% and 6.02% respectively compared the control sample. Furthermore, enzymatic treatment also improved the drainage properties of pulp slurry and the formation of paper products. Results confirmed that under the optimal conditions, the StickAway enzyme show the excellent performance in the treatment of the stickies of recovered pulps.

Demonstration of laccase-based removal of lignin from wood and non-wood plant feedstocks

The ability of Trametes villosa laccase, in conjuction with 1-hydroxybenzotriazole (HBT) as mediator and alkaline extraction, to remove lignin was demonstrated during treatment of wood (Eucalyptus globulus) and non-wood (Pennisetum purpureum) feedstocks. At 50 Ug(-1) laccase and 2.5% HBT concentration, 48% and 32% of the Eucalyptus and Pennisetum lignin were removed, respectively. Two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance of the feedstocks, swollen in dimethylsulfoxide-d(6), revealed the removal of p-hydroxyphenyl, guaiacyl and syringyl lignin units and aliphatic (mainly β-O-4'-linked) side-chains of lignin, and a moderate removal of p-coumaric acid (present in Pennisetum) without a substantial change in polysaccharide cross-signals. The enzymatic pretreatment (at 25 Ug(-1)) of Eucalyptus and Pennisetum feedstocks increased the glucose (by 61% and 12% in 72 h) and ethanol (by 4 and 2 g L(-1) in 17 h) yields from both lignocellulosic materials, respectively, as compared to those without enzyme treatment.

Use of laccase in pulp and paper industry

Laccase, through its versatile mode of action, has the potential to revolutionize the pulping and paper making industry. It not only plays a role in the delignification and brightening of the pulp but has also been described for the removal of the lipophilic extractives responsible for pitch deposition from both wood and nonwood paper pulps. Laccases are capable of improving physical, chemical, as well as mechanical properties of pulp either by forming reactive radicals with lignin or by functionalizing lignocellulosic fibers. Laccases can also target the colored and toxic compounds released as effluents from various industries and render them nontoxic through its polymerization and depolymerization reactions. This article reviews the use of both fungal and bacterial laccases in improving pulp properties and bioremediation of pulp and paper mill effluents.

Towards industrially-feasible delignification and pitch removal by treating paper pulp with Myceliophthora thermophila laccase and a phenolic mediator

The ability of two natural phenols to act as mediators of the recombinant Myceliophthora thermophila laccase (MtL) in eucalypt-pulp delignification was investigated. After alkaline peroxide extraction, the properties of the enzymatically-treated pulps improved with respect to the control. The pulp brightness increased (3.1 points) after the enzymatic treatment with MtL alone, but the highest improvements were obtained after the MtL treatment using syringaldehyde (4.7 points) and especially methyl syringate (8.3 points) as mediators. Likewise, a decrease in kappa number up to 2.7 points was obtained after the MtL-methyl syringate treatment, followed by decreases of 1.4 and 0.9 points after the treatments with MtL-syringaldehyde and MtL alone, respectively. On the other hand, removal of the main lipophilic extractives present in eucalypt pulp was observed after the above laccase-mediator treatments. Finally, the doses of both MtL and methyl syringate were reduced, and results compatible with industrial implementation were obtained.

Exploring the potential of fungal manganese-containing lipoxygenase for pitch control and pulp delignification

The potential of the lipoxygenase from Gaeumannomyces graminis to remove lipophilic extractives from eucalypt and flax pulps was investigated. Pulp treatments were performed with the lipoxygenase both in the presence and absence of linoleic acid, and were followed by a peroxide bleaching stage. The main lipophilic extractives from eucalypt pulp such as conjugated and free sterols decreased up to 40% and 7%, respectively, by the lipoxygenase treatment in the presence of linoleic acid. Different degradation patterns were observed among the lipophilic compounds present in flax pulp, although a high removal of all the extractives classes, including alkanes (21-55%), fatty alcohols (42-61%), and free (16-55%) and glycosylated (45-71%) sterols, was attained in all the lipoxygenase treatments. Reactions of the lipoxygenase with model lipid mixtures were carried out to better understand the degradation patterns observed in pulps. Finally, pulp delignification by the lipoxygenase treatments was also evaluated.

Enzymatic delignification of plant cell wall: from nature to mill

Lignin removal is a central issue in paper pulp manufacture, and production of other renewable chemicals, materials, and biofuels in future lignocellulose biorefineries. Biotechnology can contribute to more efficient and environmentally sound deconstruction of plant cell wall by providing tailor-made biocatalysts based on the oxidative enzymes responsible for lignin attack in Nature. With this purpose, the already-known ligninolytic oxidoreductases are being improved using (rational and random-based) protein engineering, and still unknown enzymes will be identified by the application of the different 'omics' technologies. Enzymatic delignification will be soon at the pulp mill (combined with pitch removal) and our understanding of the reactions produced will increase by using modern techniques for lignin analysis.