[Tuan-Hua David Ho] Organic solvent pretreatment surprisingly enhances laccase activity and stability
POST:
Lignins are common phenolic compounds present in plant cell walls. In pulp and paper industry, it is necessary to remove lignins from cellulose fibers due to their deep color. However, the chemical degradation of lignins heavily relies on chlorides that have severe impacts on our environments. Laccases are copper-containing oxidases that can oxidize and degrade phenolic compounds, providing an eco-friendly alternative for lignin degradation. Our recent research (Wu et al*. 2019) discovered that the activity of fungal laccases were 2 – 3 fold enhanced in the presence of certain organic solvents (e.g. 30% acetone), together with increase in their protein stabilities. The enhancement is reversible and did not affect the crystal structure of laccase protein. The research will be beneficial in improving the lignin processing efficiency of laccases and decrease the cost of its use in industry.
* Meng-Hsuan Wu and Meng-Chun Lin contributed equally