Thermotolerant and Thermostable Laccases

Laccases are phenol-oxidizing, usually four-copper containing metalloenzymes. For industrial and biotechnological purposes, laccases were among the first fungal oxidoreductases providing larger-scale applications such as removal of polyphenols in wine and beverages, conversion of toxic compounds and textile dyes in waste waters, and in bleaching and removal of lignin from wood and non-wood fibres. In order to facilitate novel and more efficient bio-catalytic process applications, there is a need for laccases with improved biochemical properties, such as thermostability and thermotolerance. This review gives a current overview on the sources and characteristics of such laccases, with particular emphasis on the fungal enzymes.