[Comparative study of the extracellular laccases from Cerrena unicolor 059 0784 and Pleurotus oastreatus 0432]

The laccases of the basidiomycetes Cerrena unicolor 059, C. unicolor 0784, and Pleurotus oastreatus 0432 were assayed comparatively. The laccases were isolated as homogenous preparations with molecular weight 55, 56, and 57 kD, respectively. The three enzymes were found to be glycoproteins. The carbohydrate moiety of the glycoproteins included mannose, galactose, and N-acetylglucosamine. The carbohydrate moiety of the laccases from C. unicolor 059, C. unicolor 0784, and P. oastreatus 0432 accounted for 17, 23, and 24%, respectively. The pH optimum of the enzymes was at 4.0, 3.75, and 5.6, respectively. Thermal stability testing of laccases at 40 degrees C revealed that the C. unicolor 0784 enzyme was characterized by the highest thermal stability (after 172-h incubation the enzyme activity was maintained at a level of 25%). The Michaelis constant (Km) values of the reactions of oxidation of pyrocatechol, hydroquinone, and potassium ferrocyanide catalyzed by the basidiomycete laccases were determined.