Laccases of Pleurotus sapidus: characterization and cloning

Peanut shells, a major waste stream of food processing, served as a renewable substrate for inducing the production of laccases by basidiomycetes. Of 46 surface cultures examined, 29 showed laccase activity under the experimental conditions. The edible fungus Pleurotus sapidus was selected as the most active producer, immobilized on the shells, and cultivated in the fed-batch mode. A continuous rise in laccase activity was found, indicating the inducibility of laccase secretion by the peanut shells and the reusability of the mycelium. Two laccase isoenzymes were purified by decoupled 2-D electrophoresis, and amino acid sequence information was obtained by electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry. cDNAs of the corresponding gene and another laccase were cloned and sequenced using a PCR-based screening of a synthesized P. sapidus cDNA library. Data bank searches against public databases returned laccases of P. ostreatus and P. sajor-caju as the best hits. The potential use of laccases by the food industry is discussed.