Laccase

• 20 Mar 2023

Recently, scientists have discovered that an enzyme called laccase, generated by fungi, has the potential to degrade a variety of hazardous organic dye molecules found in waterbodies after being discharged by the textile industry.

• The enzyme has a substrate promiscuity that makes it useful for designing enzyme-coated cassettes that can treat heavily dye-polluted water.
• Through testing the efficacy of laccase in degrading standard dye molecules like Methyl Green, Crystal Violet, Thioflavin T, Coumarin 343, and Brilliant Blue, scientists have found that the enzyme can degrade a wide range of dye molecules with varying kinetics, charge, size, and shape. (Note: Methyl Green, Crystal Violet, Thioflavin T, Coumarin 343, and Brilliant Blue, are different types of dyesthat laccase has the ability to break down).
• Using UV/Visible spectroscopy and computer simulations, researchers demonstrated that laccase contains an active site that can adapt to accommodate a wide range of dye molecules due to conformational plasticity of a loop covering the active site.
• The substrate promiscuity of laccase offers potential for a broad-spectrum degrader for industrial dye effluents, which can help in making the environment greener.