Overlap of laccases/cellobiose dehydrogenase activities during the decolourisation of anthraquinonic dyes with close chemical structures by Pycnoporus strains

Efficient removal of azo-dye Orange II by fungal biomass absorption and laccase enzymatic treatment

In this study, the exact contribution of T. versicolor fungal biomass and laccase in the removal of the Orange II dye from liquid culture was determined. Biomass and laccase were produced with three different carbon sources [bran flakes (BF), wheat bran (WB) and wheat flour (WF)]. The contribution of the biomass and the laccase enzyme in the removal of the Orange II dye was assessed as follows: (A) in vivo treatment with fungal biomass; in vivo treatment with fungal biomass and inhibited laccase (using 0.6 mM sodium azide); and (B) in vitro treatment with crude laccase. The results of fungal biomass production were similar for all the carbon sources evaluated, while laccase volumetric activities were different. The highest enzyme production was obtained with WB, followed by BF and WF. In the in vivo treatment with fungal biomass-laccase, dye removal was over 84% for all the carbon sources. Dye adsorption by fungal biomass varied from 1.5-2%, presenting enzymatic activities ranging from 62 to 163 U L^-1. In the in vivo treatment with fungal biomass-inhibited laccase, the removal of the dye varied from 30 to 72%. In this case, the percentage of dye adsorption by fungal biomass was significantly increased and ranged from 18 to 53%. In the in vitro treatment with laccase, the removal ranged from 80 to 84%. The best treatment for dye removal involved the use of both fungal biomass and laccase. The carbon source for biomass and laccase production had an impact on dye removal.

Effect of textile dyes on activity and differential regulation of laccase genes from Pleurotus ostreatus grown in submerged fermentation

This research was conducted to extend the knowledge on the differential regulation of laccase genes in response to dyes. In order to accomplish this, we analyzed both, the expression of five laccase genes by real time RT-qPCR, and also the laccase activity and isoforms patterns during the time-course of a Pleurotus ostreatus submerged fermentation supplemented with either acetyl yellow G (AYG) or remazol brilliant blue R (RBBR) dyes. For the purpose of obtaining a stable reference gene for optimal normalization of RT-quantitative PCR gene expression assays, we tested four candidate reference genes. As a result of this analysis, gpd was selected as reference index for data normalization. The addition of dyes had an induction effect on the enzymatic activity and also modified the zymogram profile. Fermentation with RBBR showed the highest laccase activity and number of isoforms along the course of the fermentation. Laccase gene expression profiles displayed up/down regulation along the fermentation time in four laccase genes (pox4, pox3, poxa1b and pox2), while pox1 was not expressed in either of the fermentation conditions. AYG addition caused the highest induction and repression levels for genes pox3 and poxa1b respectively. The expression level for all genes in the presence of RBBR were lower than in AYG, being in both conditions this response growth time dependent. These results show the influence of the nature of dyes on the induction level of laccase activity and on the differential regulation of the laccase genes expression in P. ostreatus.

Evaluation of cellobiose dehydrogenase and laccase containing culture fluids of Termitomyces sp. OE147 for degradation of Reactive blue 21

•

Use of culture filtrates of Termitomyces sp. OE147.

•

Decolourization and degradation of Reactive blue 21.

•

Cellobiose dehydrogenase and laccase as effective redox couple.

This study evaluates culture filtrate, rich in cellobiose dehydrogenase and laccases, of Termitomyces sp. OE 147, in decolouration and degradation of Reactive blue (RB) 21. About 35% decolouration was achieved at low volumes of the culture supernatant without addition of external redox mediators. An optimized dye to culture fluid ratio (75 ppm: 0.1 ml) at a pH of 4–5 resulted in removal of colour by 60%. The degradation products of RB21 were analysed by Electron Spray Ionization-Mass Spectrometry and several small molecules (of m/z 106–199) were detected. These were concluded to be o-Xylene, 2,3-Dihydro-1H-isoindole, Isoindole-1,3-dione, 2,Benzenesulfonyl-ethanol, (4-Hydroxy-phenyl)-sulfamic acid, 2,3-Dihydro-1H-isoindole-5-sulfonic acid and proposed to result from joint action of cellobiose dehydrogenase, laccase, peroxidases and unidentified oxidoreductases present in the culture fluids. Based on the products formed and the known reactions of these enzymes, a degradation pathway was proposed for RB21. The culture fluid was also effective in decolouration (by about 50%) and detoxification (by ∼25%) of the combined effluent collected from a local mill indicating a treatment process that bypasses use of H₂O₂ and toxic mediators.

Identification and characterization of laccase-type multicopper oxidases involved in dye-decolorization by the fungus Leptosphaerulina sp

Background

Fungal laccases are multicopper oxidases (MCOs) with high biotechnological potential due to their capability to oxidize a wide range of aromatic contaminants using oxygen from the air. Albeit the numerous laccase-like genes described in ascomycete fungi, ascomycete laccases have been less thoroughly studied than white-rot basidiomycetous laccases. A variety of MCO genes has recently been discovered in plant pathogenic ascomycete fungi, however little is known about the presence and function of laccases in these fungi or their potential use as biocatalysts. We aim here to identify the laccase-type oxidoreductases that might be involved in the decolorization of dyes by Leptosphaerulina sp. and to characterize them as potential biotechnological tools.

Results

A Leptosphaerulina fungal strain, isolated from lignocellulosic material in Colombia, produces laccase as the main ligninolytic oxidoreductase activity during decolorization of synthetic organic dyes. Four laccase-type MCO genes were partially amplified from the genomic DNA using degenerate primers based on laccase-specific signature sequences. The phylogenetic analysis showed the clustering of Lac1, Lac4 and Lac3 with ascomycete laccases, whereas Lac2 grouped with fungal ferroxidases (together with other hypothetical laccases). Lac3, the main laccase produced by Leptosphaerulina sp. in dye decolorizing and laccase-induced cultures (according to the shotgun analysis of both secretomes) was purified and characterized in this study. It is a sensu-stricto laccase able to decolorize synthetic organic dyes with high efficiency particularly in the presence of natural mediator compounds.

Conclusions

The searching for laccase-type MCOs in ascomycetous families where their presence is poorly known, might provide a source of biocatalysts with potential biotechnological interest and shed light on their role in the fungus. The information provided by the use of genomic and proteomic tools must be combined with the biochemical evaluation of the enzyme to prove its catalytic activity and applicability potential.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12896-015-0192-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Continuous Decolorization of Acid Blue 62 Solution in an Enzyme Membrane Reactor

This paper focuses on using an enzyme membrane reactor (EMR) for the effective continuous decolorization of Acid Blue 62 (AB62). The following factors were considered for the effective use of Cerrena unicolor laccase immobilized in the EMR volume: the enzyme was stable in six successive runs in a batch reactor; no aeration was necessary; AB62 and the oxidized products were sorbed onto the membrane but were not rejected; and the enzyme was stable in the EMR system. It is obvious that any continuous process must be predictable, and thus, the objective was to verify the process model experimentally. For this reason, a proper isoenzyme kinetic equation was selected and the parameters were evaluated. The obtained kinetic parameters were used to plan processes and to verify their applicability to long-term AB62 decolorization, and a very good agreement between the calculated and the measured data was obtained. In the main designed continuous decolorization process, the conversion reached 98 % and was stable for 4 days. The membrane reactor with C. unicolor laccase appears to be very promising for AB62 decolorization.

Adsorption of cinnabarinic acid from culture fluid with magnetic microbeads

In this study, antimicrobial pigment cinnabarinic acid (CA) was produced from Pycnoporus cinnabarinus in laboratory-scale batch cultures. Magnetic poly(ethylene glycol dimethacrylate-N-methacryloyl-l-tryptophan methyl ester) [m-poly(EGDMA-MATrp)] beads (average diameter = 53-103 µm) were synthesized by copolymerizing of N-methacryloyl-l-tryptophan methyl ester (MATrp) with ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA) in the presence of magnetite (Fe3O4) and used for the adsorption of CA. The m-poly(EGDMA-MATrp) beads were characterized by N2 adsorption/desorption isotherms (Brunauer Emmet Teller), X-ray photoelecron spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, infrared spectroscopy, thermal gravimetric analysis, electron spin resonance and swelling studies. The efficiency of m-poly(EGDMA-MATrp) beads for separation of CA from culture fluid was evaluated. The effects of pH, initial concentration, contact time and temperature on adsorption were analyzed. The maximum CA adsorption capacity of the m-poly(EGDMA-MATrp) beads was 272.9 mg g(-1) at pH 7.0, 25 °C. All the isotherm data can be fitted with the Langmuir, Freundlich and Dubinin-Radushkevich isotherm models. The adsorption process obeyed pseudo-second-order kinetic model. Thermodynamic parameters ΔH = 5.056 kJ mol(-1), ΔS = 52.44 J K(-1)  mol(-1) and ΔG = -9.424 kJ mol-(1) to -11.27 kJ mol-(1) with the rise in temperature from 4 to 40 °C indicated that the adsorption process was endothermic and spontaneous.

Enhanced production of thermostable laccases from a native strain of Pycnoporus sanguineus using central composite design

The production of thermostable laccases from a native strain of the white-rot fungus Pycnoporus sanguineus isolated in Mexico was enhanced by testing different media and a combination of inducers including copper sulfate (CuSO4). The best conditions obtained from screening experiments in shaken flasks using tomato juice, CuSO4, and soybean oil were integrated in an experimental design. Enhanced levels of tomato juice as the medium, CuSO4 and soybean oil as inducers (36.8% (v/v), 3 mmol/L, and 1% (v/v), respectively) were determined for 10 L stirred tank bioreactor runs. This combination resulted in laccase titer of 143,000 IU/L (2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid), pH 3.0), which represents the highest activity so far reported for P. sanguineus in a 10-L fermentor. Other interesting media resulting from the screening included glucose-bactopeptone which increased laccase activity up to 20,000 IU/L, whereas the inducers Acid Blue 62 and Reactive Blue 19 enhanced enzyme production in this medium 10 times. Based on a partial characterization, the laccases of this strain are especially promising in terms of thermostability (half-life of 6.1 h at 60 °C) and activity titers.

Evaluation of the genotoxic potential of reactive black 5 solutions subjected to decolorizing treatments by three fungal strains

The genotoxic potential of solutions of the textile dye "Reactive Black 5" that were subjected to decolorizing treatments with the fungal strains Coriolopsis polyzona MUCL33483, Penicillium sp. MUBA001 and Pycnoporus sp. MUBA002 was tested. The genotoxicity of the solutions was determined by evaluation of micronuclei formation in Vicia faba root cells and calculation of a damage index (MN(ID)). Non-treated Reactive Black 5 solutions (50-1000 ppm) caused a statistically significant increase in micronuclei formation and, by then, in damage index. Solutions of dye treated with C. polyzona MUCL33483 and Pycnoporus sp. MUBA002 showed color loss, probably due to enzymatic breakdown of the colorant, but maintenance or even an increase in genotoxicity. On the other hand, the Penicillium sp. strain MUBA001 caused decolorization of the dye, apparently by adsorption on mycelia, and, for solutions that initially contained 50 ppm of colorant, an elimination of the genotoxicity was observed after three weeks of treatment.

Biodegradation of tetrabromobisphenol A by oxidases in basidiomycetous fungi and estrogenic activity of the biotransformation products

Tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) degradation was investigated using white rot fungi and their oxidative enzymes. Strains of the Trametes, Pleurotus, Bjerkandera and Dichomitus genera eliminated almost 1 mM TBBPA within 4 days. Laccase, whose role in TBBPA degradation was demonstrated in fungal cultures, was applied to TBBPA degradation alone and in combination with cellobiose dehydrogenase from Sclerotium rolfsii. Purified laccase from Trametes versicolor degraded approximately 2 mM TBBPA within 5 h, while the addition of cellobiose dehydrogenase increased the degradation rate to almost 2.5 mM within 3 h. Laccase was used to prepare TBBPA metabolites 2,6-dibromo-4-(2-hydroxypropane-2-yl) phenol (1), 2,6-dibromo-4-(2-methoxypropane-2-yl) phenol (2) and 1-(3,5-dibromo-4-hydroxyphen-1-yl)-2,2',6,6'-tetrabromo-4,4'-isopropylidene diphenol (3). As compounds 1 and 3 were identical to the TBBPA metabolites prepared by using rat and human liver fractions (Zalko et al., 2006), laccase can provide a simple means of preparing these metabolites for toxicity studies. Products 1 and 2 exhibited estrogenic effects, unlike TBBPA, but lower cell toxicity.

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.

Fungal laccase, cellobiose dehydrogenase, and chemical mediators: combined actions for the decolorization of different classes of textile dyes

Dyes belonging to the mono-, di-, tri- and poly-azo as well as anthraquinonic and mono-azo Cr-complexed classes, chosen among the most utilized in textile applications, were employed for a comparative enzymatic decolorization study using the extracellular crude culture extracts from the white rot fungus Funalia (Trametes) trogii grown on different culture media and activators able to trigger different levels of expression of oxidizing enzymes: laccase and cellobiose dehydrogenase. Laccase containing extracts were capable to decolorize some dyes from all the different classes analyzed, whereas the recalcitrant dyes were subjected to the combined action of laccase and the chemical mediator HBT, or laccase plus cellobiose dehydrogenase. Correlations among the decolorization degree of the various dyes and their electronic and structural diversities were rationalized and discussed. The utilization of cellobiose dehydrogenase in support to the activity of laccase for the decolorization of azo textile dyes resulted in substantial increases in decolorization for all the refractory dyes proving to be a valid alternative to more expensive and less environmentally friendly chemical treatments of textile dyes wastes.

Decolorization, cytotoxicity, and genotoxicity reduction during a combined ozonation/fungal treatment of dye-contaminated wastewater

In view of compliance with increasingly stringent environmental legislation imposed by regional, national, and supranational (e.g., European Union) authorities, innovative environmental technologies for the treatment of dye-contaminated effluents are necessary in the color industry. In this study, effluents of an industrial dye producer were subjected to distinct treatment trains following an initial qualitative characterization. The effectiveness of ozonation and a treatment using white rot fungi (WRF) and their enzymes were compared with respect to parameters such as residual color, toxicity on human cells, and genotoxicity. A combined ozonation/WRF process was also investigated. The effluent exhibited significant toxicity that was reduced by only 10% through ozonation, whereas the fungal treatment achieved a 35% reduction. A combined treatment (ozone/WRF) caused an abatement of the toxicity by more than 70%. In addition, the initial genotoxicity of the effluent was still present after the ozone treatment, while it was completely removed through the fungal treatment.

Coupling occurs before breakdown during biotransformation of Acid Blue 62 by white rot fungi

Only few data exist on the metabolites produced during the biotransformation of anthraquinonic dyes by white rot fungi (WRF). During the biotransformation of an anthraquinonic dye Acid Blue 62 (ABu62) using Pycnoporus sanguineus MUCL 41582 strain, it was previously demonstrated that the blue colour of the medium turned to red before complete dye decolourisation. To better understand the phenomenon, this study carried out ABu62 biotransformation with five different WRF strains (Coriolopsis polyzona MUCL 38443, Perenniporia ochroleuca MUCL 41114, Perenniporia tephropora MUCL 41562, P. sanguineus MUCL 38531 and Trametes versicolor MUCL 38412) and compared with P. sanguineus MUCL 41582 previously described. A multi-methodological approach (using capillary electrophoresis, mass spectrometry, HPLC, UV, NMR and IR spectroscopies) was developed to characterise the metabolites involved and monitor their apparition. Seven metabolites were commonly found with all strains, suggesting a common metabolic pathway for ABu62 biotransformation. During the first days, dimer and oligomers of the initial ABu62 molecule were observed: the main one absorbed in the 500nm region, explaining the red colour appearance of the medium. This main metabolite was made up of two molecules of ABu62 linked by an azo bond, minus a cyclohexyl moiety. After a longer incubation time, breakdown products were observed. Based on these products characterizations, a bioconversion pathway was proposed.