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Life Science Research and Sustainable Development ISBN: 978-98-84663-33-9

Prune and Sycamore (Arora and shamra 2010). In fungi it is present in Ascomycetes,
Deuteromycetes and Basidiomycetes and abundant in lignin-degrading white-rot fungi. It is
found very commonly in white rot fungus (Shraddha et al., 2011). Laccase has been reported only
in few bacteria including Azospirillum lipoferum, Marinomonas mediterranea, Streptomyces griseus,
Bacillus subtilis and Streptomyces lavendule (Suzuki et al., 2003). Laccase is also found to be present
in dozen of insects genera that include Bombyx, Calliphora, Diploptera, Drosophilla, Lucilia, Monduca,
Musca, Orytes Papilio, Phormia, Rhodnius, Sarcophaga, Schistocera and Tenebrio (Xu 1999; Arora and
Sharma 2010).
3. Functions of lacccase:
Laccases carry out vital role during fungal life cycle including morphogenesis, fungal
plant pathogen/ host interaction, stress defence and lignin degradation, delignification,
pigmentation, fruiting body formation, pathogenesis and protection from toxic phenolic
monomers of polyphenol (Thruston 1994; Fatima et al., 2015). In plants, laccases have been found
in the wood and cellular walls and carry out lignin biosynthesis (Giardina et al., 2010). Bacterial
laccases appear to have a role in morphogenesis, in the biosynthesis of the brown spore pigment
and in the protection afforded by the spore-coat against UV light and hydrogen peroxide, and in
copper homeostasis. The main function of the laccase-type proteins in insects is believed to be
sclerotization of the cuticle in the epidermis (Giardina et al., 2010). Fungal laccases have higher
redox potential than bacterial or plant laccases.
4. Applications of Laccase:
4.1 Food Industry:
Laccase used in the food industry based on polymerization ability. They can be applied
to certain processes that enhance or modify the colour appearance of food or beverage for the
elimination of undesirable phenolics, responsible for the browning, haze formation and turbidity
in clear fruit juice, beer and wine (Shraddha et al., 2011). They are also employed to ascorbic acid
determination, sugar beet pectin gelation, baking and in the treatment of olive mill wastewater.
4.2 Pulp and paper Industry:
Laccases are able to depolymerize lignin and delignify wood pulps, kraft pulp fibers and
chlorine-free in the biopolpation process. Laccases can be used for binding fiber-, particle- and
paper-boards Brijwani et al. (2010).
4.3 Textile Industry:
Different chemicals are used and most of them are difficult to decolourise due to their
synthetic origin. Conventional processes to treat dye wastewater are ineffective and not
economical. Therefore, the development of processes based on laccases seems to be an attractive
solution due to their potential in degrading dyes of diverse chemical structure, including
synthetic dyes currently employed in the industry Brijwani et al. (2010). It is reported that laccase-
mediator system finds potential application in enzymatic modification of dye bleaching in the
textile and dyes industries.
4.4 Bioremediation:
Laccases are involved in green biodegradation due to its catalytic properties. They could
be used for decolorizing dye house effluents that are hardly decolorized by conventional sewage
treatment plants. Immobilized laccase was found to be useful to remove phenolic and chlorinated
phenolic pollutants. Laccase mediator systems have been also used to oxidize alkenes, carbazole,
N-ethylcarbazole, fluorene, and dibenzothiophene (Brijwani, et al., 2010).
4.5 Pharmaceutical Industry:
Laccases are very specific and bio-based in nature having potential applications in the
pharmaceutical sector. These enzymes had been used by pharma companies for the synthesis of
https://jesjalna.org/Zoology-Publications/index.html 130 Department of Zoology, J. E. S. College, Jalna