Low pH dye decolorization with ascomycete Lamprospora wrightii laccase

In a screening of saprotrophic, ectomycorrhizal and plant pathogen ascomycetes a frequent occurrence of laccase was observed. Lamprospora wrightii, the best producing organism, was chosen to elucidate the properties of a laccase from a moss-associated, saprotrophic ascomycete. The expression of laccase by this bryophilic fungus could be increased by the addition of tomato juice or copper sulfate to the medium. The obtained volumetric activity after optimization was 420 U/mL in either shaking flask or bioreactor-based cultivations. The purified laccase has a molecular mass of 68 kDa and an isoelectric point of 3.4. Although of ascomycete origin, its catalytic properties are similar to typical basidiomycte laccases, and an excellent activity and stability was observed at low pH, which makes it suitable for bioremediation in acidic environments. As an example, the decolorization reactions of azo-, anthraquinone-, trimethylmethane- and indigoid dyes at pH 3.0 and 5.0 were investigated. All ten selected dyes were decolorized, five of them very efficiently. Depending on the dye, the decolorization was found to be a combination of two reactions, degradation of the chromophore and formation of polymerized products, which contributed to the overall process in a dye-specific pattern.