title: Laccases and their natural mediators: biotechnological tools for sustainable eco-friendly processes.
abstract: Laccases are oxidoreductases which oxidize a variety of aromatic compounds using oxygen as the electron acceptor and producing water as by-product. The interest for these old enzymes (first described in 19th century) has progressively increased due to their outstanding biotechnological applicability. The presence of redox mediators is required for a number of biotechnological applications, providing the oxidation of complex substrates not oxidized by the enzyme alone. The efficiency of laccase-mediator systems to degrade recalcitrant compounds has been demonstrated, but still the high cost and possible toxicity of artificial mediators hamper their application at the industrial scale. Here, we present a general outlook of how alternative mediators can change this tendency. We focus on phenolic compounds related to lignin polymer that promotes the in vitro transformation of recalcitrant non-phenolic structures by laccase and are seemingly the natural mediators of laccases. The use of eco-friendly mediators easily available from lignocellulose, could contribute to the industrial implementation of laccases and the development of the 21th century biorefineries.
authors.affiliation: Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas, CSIC, Ramiro de Maeztu 9, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Ana I
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Cañas
authors.forename: Susana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Camarero
mesh_terms: D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D001709:Biotechnology; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources / Q000379:methods*; D020536:Enzyme Activators / Q000378:metabolism*; D042845:Laccase / Q000378:metabolism*; D010636:Phenols / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D020536:Enzyme Activators; D010636:Phenols; D042845:Laccase