Oxidation of hydroquinones by the versatile ligninolytic peroxidase from Pleurotus eryngii. H2O2 generation and the influence of Mn2+

Multiple Effects of Humic Components on Microbially Mediated Iron Redox Processes and Production of Hydroxyl Radicals

Microbially mediated iron redox processes are of great significance in the biogeochemical cycles of elements, which are often coupled with soil organic matter (SOM) in the environment. Although the influences of SOM fractions on individual reduction or oxidation processes have been studied extensively, a comprehensive understanding is still lacking. Here, using ferrihydrite, Shewanella oneidensis MR-1, and operationally defined SOM components including fulvic acid (FA), humic acid (HA), and humin (HM) extracted from black soil and peat, we explored the SOM-mediated microbial iron reduction and hydroxyl radical (^•OH) production processes. The results showed that the addition of SOM inhibited the transformation of ferrihydrite to highly crystalline iron oxides. Although FA and HA increased Fe(II) production over four times on average due to complexation and their high electron exchange capacities, HA inhibited 30-43% of the ^•OH yield, while FA had no significant influence on it. Superoxide (O₂^•-) was the predominant intermediate in ^•OH production in the FA-containing system, while one- and two-electron transfer processes were concurrent in HA- and HM-containing systems. These findings provide deep insights into the multiple mechanisms of SOM in regulating microbially mediated iron redox processes and ^•OH production.

Phenoloxidases in Plants-How Structural Diversity Enables Functional Specificity

The metabolism of polyphenolic polymers is essential to the development and response to environmental changes of organisms from all kingdoms of life, but shows particular diversity in plants. In contrast to other biopolymers, whose polymerisation is catalysed by homologous gene families, polyphenolic metabolism depends on phenoloxidases, a group of heterogeneous oxidases that share little beyond the eponymous common substrate. In this review, we provide an overview of the differences and similarities between phenoloxidases in their protein structure, reaction mechanism, substrate specificity, and functional roles. Using the example of laccases (LACs), we also performed a meta-analysis of enzyme kinetics, a comprehensive phylogenetic analysis and machine-learning based protein structure modelling to link functions, evolution, and structures in this group of phenoloxidases. With these approaches, we generated a framework to explain the reported functional differences between paralogs, while also hinting at the likely diversity of yet undescribed LAC functions. Altogether, this review provides a basis to better understand the functional overlaps and specificities between and within the three major families of phenoloxidases, their evolutionary trajectories, and their importance for plant primary and secondary metabolism.

Enhanced Fenton Reaction for Xenobiotic Compounds and Lignin Degradation Fueled by Quinone Redox Cycling by Lytic Polysaccharide Monooxygenases

The Fenton reaction is considered to be of great significance in the initial attack of lignocellulose in wood-decaying fungi. Quinone redox cycling is the main way to induce the Fenton reaction in fungi. We show that lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases (LPMOs), through LPMO-catalyzed oxidation of hydroquinone, can efficiently cooperate with glucose dehydrogenase (GDH) to achieve quinone redox cycling. The LPMO/GDH system can enhance Fe3+-reducing activity, H2O2 production, and hydroxyl radical generation, resulting in a fueled Fenton reaction. The system-generated hydroxyl radicals exhibited a strong capacity to decolorize different synthetic dyes and degrade lignin. Our results reveal a potentially critical connection between LPMOs and the Fenton reaction, suggesting that LPMOs could be involved in xenobiotic compound and lignin degradation in fungi. This new role of LPMOs may be exploited for application in biorefineries.

Efficient antibacterial activity of hydroxyapatite through ROS generation motivated by trace Mn(iii) coupled H vacancies

Hydroxyapatite (HA) has attracted wide attention for medical application due to its biocompatibility and bioactivity. However, the infection problems of HA remain among the leading reasons for implantation failure. Thus, it is urgent to endow HA biomaterials with antibacterial activity. Herein, the high antibacterial activity was achieved by introducing trace Mn³⁺ and H vacancy couples in HA through a facile heat-treatment strategy in air. The theoretical results indicated that Mn³⁺ was preferentially substituted for the Ca(2) site in the HA structure with a charge-compensating H vacancy appearing at the adjacent OH^- site. The antibacterial tests showed that Mn-HA possessed antibacterial activity towards both E. coli and S. aureus with trace Mn content at the ppm level, and implied that Mn³⁺ and centers may play an important role in the antibacterial process. The Mn³⁺ and couples in Mn-HA, serving as oxidative and reductive centers respectively, could then collectively participate in the CoQ/CoQH₂ redox cycling and synergistically facilitate the accumulation of CoQ˙^- and ROS radicals. This enhanced ROS production was the main factor to endow Mn-HA with efficient antibacterial activity. Moreover, the in vitro bioactivity assay showed that Mn-HA materials exhibited enhanced osteogenic activity and good biocompatibility. Therefore, this work not only provides a feasible method to control the oxidation state of Mn elements in HA, but also proposes a novel trace Mn³⁺-doped HA for potential applications in tissue engineering.

Differential proteomic analysis of the secretome of Irpex lacteus and other white-rot fungi during wheat straw pretreatment

BACKGROUND

Identifying new high-performance enzymes or enzyme complexes to enhance biomass degradation is the key for the development of cost-effective processes for ethanol production. Irpex lacteus is an efficient microorganism for wheat straw pretreatment, yielding easily hydrolysable products with high sugar content. Thus, this fungus was selected to investigate the enzymatic system involved in lignocellulose decay, and its secretome was compared to those from Phanerochaete chrysosporium and Pleurotus ostreatus which produced different degradation patterns when growing on wheat straw. Extracellular enzymes were analyzed through 2D-PAGE, nanoLC/MS-MS, and homology searches against public databases.

RESULTS

In wheat straw, I. lacteus secreted proteases, dye-decolorizing and manganese-oxidizing peroxidases, and H2O2 producing-enzymes but also a battery of cellulases and xylanases, excluding those implicated in cellulose and hemicellulose degradation to their monosaccharides, making these sugars poorly available for fungal consumption. In contrast, a significant increase of β-glucosidase production was observed when I. lacteus grew in liquid cultures. P. chrysosporium secreted more enzymes implicated in the total hydrolysis of the polysaccharides and P. ostreatus produced, in proportion, more oxidoreductases.

CONCLUSION

The protein pattern secreted during I. lacteus growth in wheat straw plus the differences observed among the different secretomes, justify the fitness of I. lacteus for biopretreatment processes in 2G-ethanol production. Furthermore, all these data give insight into the biological degradation of lignocellulose and suggest new enzyme mixtures interesting for its efficient hydrolysis.

Versatile peroxidase as a valuable tool for generating new biomolecules by homogeneous and heterogeneous cross-linking

The modification and generation of new biomolecules intended to give higher molecular-mass species for biotechnological purposes, can be achieved by enzymatic cross-linking. The versatile peroxidase (VP) from Pleurotus eryngii is a high redox-potential enzyme with oxidative activity on a wide variety of substrates. In this study, VP was successfully used to catalyze the polymerization of low molecular mass compounds, such as lignans and peptides, as well as larger macromolecules, such as protein and complex polysaccharides. Different analytical, spectroscopic, and rheological techniques were used to determine structural changes and/or variations of the physicochemical properties of the reaction products. The lignans secoisolariciresinol and hydroxymatairesinol were condensed by VP forming up to 8 unit polymers in the presence of organic co-solvents and Mn(2+). Moreover, 11 unit of the peptides YIGSR and VYV were homogeneously cross-linked. The heterogeneous cross-linking of one unit of the peptide YIGSR and several lignan units was also achieved. VP could also induce gelation of feruloylated arabinoxylan and the polymerization of β-casein. These results demonstrate the efficacy of VP to catalyze homo- and hetero-condensation reactions, and reveal its potential exploitation for polymerizing different types of compounds.

Sugar recoveries from wheat straw following treatments with the fungus Irpex lacteus

Irpex lacteus is a white-rot fungus capable of increasing sugar recovery from wheat straw; however, in order to incorporate biopretreatment in bioethanol production, some process specifications need to be optimized. With this objective, I. lacteus was grown on different liquid culture media for use as inoculums. Additionally, the effect of wheat straw particle size, moisture content, organic and inorganic supplementations, and mild alkali washing during solid-state fermentation (SSF) on sugar yield were investigated. Wheat thin stillage was the best medium for producing inoculums. Supplementation of wheat straw with 0.3mM Mn(II) during SSF resulted in glucose yields of 68% as compared to yields of 62% and 33% for cultures grown without supplementation or on untreated raw material, respectively after 21 days. Lignin loss, wheat straw digestibility, peroxidase activity, and fungal biomass were also correlated with sugar yields in the search for biopretreatment efficiency indicators.

Multi-catalysis reactions: new prospects and challenges of biotechnology to valorize lignin

Considerable effort has been dedicated to the chemical depolymerization of lignin, a biopolymer constituting a possible renewable source for aromatic value-added chemicals. However, these efforts yielded limited success up until now. Efficient lignin conversion might necessitate novel catalysts enabling new types of reactions. The use of multiple catalysts, including a combination of biocatalysts, might be necessary. New perspectives for the combination of bio- and inorganic catalysts in one-pot reactions are emerging, thanks to green chemistry-driven advances in enzyme engineering and immobilization and new chemical catalyst design. Such combinations could offer several advantages, especially by reducing time and yield losses associated with the isolation and purification of the reaction products, but also represent a big challenge since the optimal reaction conditions of bio- and chemical catalysis reactions are often different. This mini-review gives an overview of bio- and inorganic catalysts having the potential to be used in combination for lignin depolymerization. We also discuss key aspects to consider when combining these catalysts in one-pot reactions.

Induction of extracellular hydroxyl radical production by white-rot fungi through quinone redox cycling

A simple strategy for the induction of extracellular hydroxyl radical (OH) production by white-rot fungi is presented. It involves the incubation of mycelium with quinones and Fe(3+)-EDTA. Succinctly, it is based on the establishment of a quinone redox cycle catalyzed by cell-bound dehydrogenase activities and the ligninolytic enzymes (laccase and peroxidases). The semiquinone intermediate produced by the ligninolytic enzymes drives OH production by a Fenton reaction (H(2)O(2) + Fe(2+) --> OH + OH(-) + Fe(3+)). H(2)O(2) production, Fe(3+) reduction, and OH generation were initially demonstrated with two Pleurotus eryngii mycelia (one producing laccase and versatile peroxidase and the other producing just laccase) and four quinones, 1,4-benzoquinone (BQ), 2-methoxy-1,4-benzoquinone (MBQ), 2,6-dimethoxy-1,4-benzoquinone (DBQ), and 2-methyl-1,4-naphthoquinone (menadione [MD]). In all cases, OH radicals were linearly produced, with the highest rate obtained with MD, followed by DBQ, MBQ, and BQ. These rates correlated with both H(2)O(2) levels and Fe(3+) reduction rates observed with the four quinones. Between the two P. eryngii mycelia used, the best results were obtained with the one producing only laccase, showing higher OH production rates with added purified enzyme. The strategy was then validated in Bjerkandera adusta, Phanerochaete chrysosporium, Phlebia radiata, Pycnoporus cinnabarinus, and Trametes versicolor, also showing good correlation between OH production rates and the kinds and levels of the ligninolytic enzymes expressed by these fungi. We propose this strategy as a useful tool to study the effects of OH radicals on lignin and organopollutant degradation, as well as to improve the bioremediation potential of white-rot fungi.

Biodegradation of high molecular weight lignin under sulfate reducing conditions: lignin degradability and degradation by-products

This study is designed to investigate the biodegradation of high molecular weight (HMW) lignin under sulfate reducing conditions. With a continuously mesophilic operated reactor in the presence of co-substrates of cellulose, the changes in HMW lignin concentration and chemical structure were analyzed. The acid precipitable polymeric lignin (APPL) and lignin monomers, which are known as degradation by-products, were isolated and detected. The results showed that HMW lignin decreased and showed a maximum degradation capacity of 3.49 mg/l/day. APPL was confirmed as a polymeric degradation by-product and was accumulated in accordance with HMW lignin reduction. We also observed non-linear accumulation of aromatic lignin monomers such as hydrocinnamic acid. Through our experimental results, it was determined that HMW lignin, when provided with a co-substrate of cellulose, is biodegraded through production of APPL and aromatic monomers under anaerobic sulfate reducing conditions with a co-substrate of cellulose.

Dye Decolorization by Manganese Peroxidase in an Enzymatic Membrane Bioreactor

In the present work an enzymatic membrane reactor (EMR) for the oxidation of azo dyes by manganese peroxidase (MnP) has been developed. The configuration consisted of a stirred tank reactor coupled with an ultrafiltration membrane. The membrane allowed for most of the enzymatic activity to be recovered while both the parent dye and the degradation products could pass through. Different operational strategies (batch, fed-batch, and continuous) and parameters such as enzyme activity, H(2)O(2) feeding rate, hydraulic retention time (in continuous operation), and dye loading rate were studied. At best conditions, a continuous operation with a dye decolorization higher than 85% and minimal enzymatic deactivation was feasible for 18 days, attaining an efficiency of 42.5 mg Orange II oxidized/MnP unit consumed.

Structural and biological characterization of one antibacterial acylpolyamine isolated from the hemocytes of the spider Acanthocurria gomesiana

We have isolated a 417Da antibacterial molecule, named mygalin, from the hemocytes of the spider Acanthoscurria gomesiana. The structure of mygalin was elucidated by tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) and by two spectroscopic techniques, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and ultraviolet (UV) spectroscopy. Mygalin was identified as bis-acylpolyamine N1,N8-bis(2,5-dihydroxybenzoyl)spermidine, in which the primary amino groups of the spermidine are acylated with the carboxyl group of the 2,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid. Mygalin was active against Escherichia coli at 85muM, being this activity inhibited completely by catalase. Therefore, the antibacterial activity of mygalin was attributed to its production of hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)). The putative mechanisms of formation of H(2)O(2) from mygalin are discussed. To our knowledge this is the first report of one bis-acylpolyamine with antibacterial activity purified from animal source.

Mechanism for manganese enhancement of dopamine-induced oxidative DNA damage and neuronal cell death

Although the cause of dopaminergic cell death in Parkinson's disease is still poorly understood, there is accumulating evidence suggesting that metal ions can be involved in the processes. We investigated the effect of manganese on cell death and DNA damage in PC12 cells treated with dopamine. Mn(II) enhanced cell death induced by dopamine. Mn(II) also increased the 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-oxodG) contents of DNA in PC12 cells treated with dopamine. To clarify the mechanism of cellular DNA damage, we investigated DNA damage induced by dopamine and Mn(II) using (32)P-labeled DNA fragments. Mn(II) enhanced Cu(II)-dependent DNA damage by dopamine. The Mn(II)-enhanced DNA damage was greatly increased by NADH. Piperidine and formamidopyrimidine-DNA glycosylase treatment induced cleavage sites mainly at T and G of the 5'-TG-3' sequence, respectively. Bathocuproine, a Cu(I) chelator, and catalase inhibited the DNA damage. Oxygen consumption and UV-visible spectroscopic measurements showed that Mn(II) enhanced autoxidation of dopamine with H(2)O(2) formation. These results suggest that reactive species derived from the reaction of H(2)O(2) with Cu(I) participates in Mn(II)-enhanced DNA damage by dopamine plus Cu(II). Therefore, it is concluded that oxidative DNA damage induced by dopamine in the presence of Mn(II), NADH, and Cu(II) is possibly linked to the degeneration of dopaminergic neurons.

Complete decolorization of the anthraquinone dye Reactive blue 5 by the concerted action of two peroxidases from Thanatephorus cucumeris Dec 1

It is useful to identify and examine organisms that may prove useful for the treatment of dye-contaminated wastewater. Here, we report the purification and characterization of a new versatile peroxidase (VP) from the decolorizing microbe, Thanatephorus cucumeris Dec 1 (TcVP1). The purified TcVP1 after Mono P column chromatography showed a single band at 43 kDa on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Amino acid sequencing revealed that the N terminus of TcVP1 had the highest homology to Trametes versicolor MPG1, lignin peroxidase G (LiPG) IV, Bjerkandera adusta manganese peroxidase 1 (MnP1), and Bjerkandera sp. RBP (12 out of 14 amino acid residues, 86% identity). Mn(2+) oxidizing assay revealed that TcVP1 acted like a classical MnP at pH approximately 5, while dye-decolorizing and oxidation assays of aromatic compounds revealed that the enzyme acted like a LiP at pH approximately 3. TcVP1 showed particularly high decolorizing activity toward azo dyes. Furthermore, coapplication of TcVP1 and the dye-decolorizing peroxidase (DyP) from T. cucumeris Dec 1 was able to completely decolorize a representative anthraquinone dye, Reactive blue 5, in vitro. This decolorization proceeded sequentially; DyP decolorized Reactive blue 5 to light red-brown compounds, and then TcVP1 decolorized these colored intermediates to colorless. Following extended reactions, the absorbance corresponding to the conjugated double bond from phenyl (250-300 nm) decreased, indicating that aromatic rings were also degraded. These findings provide important new insights into microbial decolorizing mechanisms and may facilitate the future development of treatment strategies for dye wastewater.

Horseradish peroxidase-catalyzed oxidation of rifampicin: reaction rate enhancement by co-oxidation with anti-inflammatory drugs

The tuberculostatic drug rifampicin has been described as a scavenger of reactive species. Additionally, the recent demonstration that oral therapy with a complex of rifampicin and horseradish peroxidase (HRP) was more effective than rifampicin alone, in an animal model of experimental leprosy, suggested the importance of redox reactions involving rifampicin and their relevance to the mechanism of action. Hence, we studied the oxidation of rifampicin catalyzed by HRP, since this enzyme may represent the prototype of peroxidation-mediated reactions. We found that the antibiotic is efficiently oxidized and that rifampicin-quinone is the product, in a reaction dependent on both HRP and hydrogen peroxide. The steady-state kinetic constants Km(app) (101+/-23 micromol/l), Vmax(app) (0.78+/-0.09 micromol/l.s(-1)) and kcat (5.1+/-0.6 s(-1)) were measured (n=4). The reaction rate was increased by the addition of co-substrates such as tetramethylbenzidine, salicylic acid, 5-aminosalicylic acid and paracetamol. This effect was explained by invoking an electron-transfer mechanism by which these drugs acted as mediators of rifampicin oxidation. We suggested that this drug interaction might be important at the inflammatory site.

The secretome ofPleurotus sapidus

Due to their unique capability to attack lignified biopolymers, extracellular enzymes of white-rot fungi enjoy an increasing interest in various fields of white biotechnology. The edible fungus Pleurotus sapidus was selected as a model organism for the analysis of the secretome by means of 2-DE. For enzyme production, the fungus was grown in submerged cultures either on peanut shells or on glass wool as a carrier material. Identification of the secreted enzymes was performed by tryptic digestion, ESI-MS/MS ab initio sequencing, and homology searches against public databases. The spectrum of secreted enzymes comprised various types of hydrolases and lignolytic enzymes of the manganese peroxidase/versatile peroxidase family. While peptidases were secreted mainly by the cultures grown on peanut shells, versatile peroxidase type enzymes dominated in the cultures grown on glass wool.

Oxidase reaction of the hybrid Mn-peroxidase of the fungus Panus tigrinus 8/18

The hybrid Mn-peroxidase of the fungus Panus tigrinus 8/18 oxidized NADH in the absence of hydrogen peroxide, this being accompanied by the consumption of oxygen. The reaction of NADH oxidation started after a period of induction and completely depended on the presence of Mn(II). The reaction was inhibited in the presence of catalase and superoxide dismutase. Oxidation of NADH by the enzyme or by manganese(III)acetate was accompanied by the production of hydrogen peroxide and superoxide radicals. In the presence of NADH, the enzyme was transformed into a catalytically inactive oxidized form (compound III), and the latter was inactivated with bleaching of the heme. The substrate of the hybrid Mn-peroxidase (Mn(II)) reduced compound III to yield the native form of the enzyme and prevented its inactivation. It is assumed that the hybrid Mn-peroxidase used the formed hydrogen peroxide in the usual peroxidase reaction to produce Mn(III), which was involved in the formation of hydrogen peroxide and thus accelerated the peroxidase reaction. The reaction of NADH oxidation is a peroxidase reaction and the consumption of oxygen is due to its interaction with the products of NADH oxidation. The role of Mn(II) in the oxidation of NADH consisted in the production of hydrogen peroxide and the protection of the enzyme from inactivation.

Nano-assembly of manganese peroxidase and lignin peroxidase from P. chrysosporium for biocatalysis in aqueous and non-aqueous media

Development, characterization, and activity studies of nano-assemblies of lignin peroxidase (LiP), and manganese peroxidase (MnP) from Phanerochaete chrysosporium on flat surfaces as well as colloidal particles have been investigated. These assemblies of LiP and MnP were fabricated with polyelectrolytes-poly(ethylenimine) (PEI), poly(dimethyldiallylammonium chloride) (PDDA), and poly(allylamine) (PAH)-using a layer-by-layer self-assembly technique (LbL). Characterization of these assemblies on flat surfaces was monitored using quartz crystal microbalance (QCM), while assemblies on microparticles such as melamine formaldehyde (MF) were carried out with zeta potential analyzer (ZPA). A unique dynamic adsorption-desorption of the enzyme layers is observed during the assembly. All the nano-assemblies of LiP and MnP can effectively oxidize veratryl alcohol (VA) to its aldehyde for an extended period of time. The effect of different polyions and the number of polyion layers on the activities of LiP and MnP nano-assembly was also examined. It is observed that drying of enzyme layer during the assembly and the use of non-aqueous media, such as acetone can significantly reduce the activity of the enzymes. Enzyme activity reaches a minimum when the concentration of acetone is increased to 30%; however, the activity can be restored to its original value by increasing the concentration of aqueous media. Preliminary studies using assemblies of LiP and MnP on MF microparticles further demonstrate the feasibility of developing potential systems for degradation of environmental pollutants.

Role of H164 in a unique dye-decolorizing heme peroxidase DyP

The expression system of a unique dye-decolorizing peroxidase DyP in Escherichia coli has been constructed. The molecular mass of the expressed DyP (eDyP) is 47kDa, indicating no any modification with saccharides. The characteristics of eDyP were almost the same as those of native DyP from a fungus Thanatephorus cucumeris Dec 1 and recombinant DyP with Aspergillus oryzae except thermostability. As H164 was suggested to be the proximal histidine based on the preliminary X-ray crystallographic analysis of DyP, the site-directed mutations H164A and H166A (residue near H164) were introduced into the gene encoding DyP. The specific activity and RZ value of the purified H164A were 1.52U/mg and 0.11, respectively, which were 99.8% and 95% lower than those of eDyP, respectively. On the contrary, those of H166A were not different from those of eDyP. Therefore, H164 was confirmed to be the proximal histidine.

Opportunities to improve fiber degradation in the rumen: microbiology, ecology, and genomics

The degradation of plant cell walls by ruminants is of major economic importance in the developed as well as developing world. Rumen fermentation is unique in that efficient plant cell wall degradation relies on the cooperation between microorganisms that produce fibrolytic enzymes and the host animal that provides an anaerobic fermentation chamber. Increasing the efficiency with which the rumen microbiota degrades fiber has been the subject of extensive research for at least the last 100 years. Fiber digestion in the rumen is not optimal, as is supported by the fact that fiber recovered from feces is fermentable. This view is confirmed by the knowledge that mechanical and chemical pretreatments improve fiber degradation, as well as more recent research, which has demonstrated increased fiber digestion by rumen microorganisms when plant lignin composition is modified by genetic manipulation. Rumen microbiologists have sought to improve fiber digestion by genetic and ecological manipulation of rumen fermentation. This has been difficult and a number of constraints have limited progress, including: (a) a lack of reliable transformation systems for major fibrolytic rumen bacteria, (b) a poor understanding of ecological factors that govern persistence of fibrolytic bacteria and fungi in the rumen, (c) a poor understanding of which glycolyl hydrolases need to be manipulated, and (d) a lack of knowledge of the functional genomic framework within which fiber degradation operates. In this review the major fibrolytic organisms are briefly discussed. A more extensive discussion of the enzymes involved in fiber degradation is included. We also discuss the use of plant genetic manipulation, application of free-living lignolytic fungi and the use of exogenous enzymes. Lastly, we will discuss how newer technologies such as genomic and metagenomic approaches can be used to improve our knowledge of the functional genomic framework of plant cell wall degradation in the rumen.

A peroxidase from Lepista irina cleaves beta,beta-carotene to flavor compounds

Extracellular liquid of the edible fungus Lepista irina was found to effectively degrade beta,beta-carotene, beta-lonone, beta-cyclocitral, dihydroactinidiolide, and 2-hydroxy-2,6,6-trimethylcyclohexanone were formed as volatile breakdown products of beta,beta-carotene with mycelium-free culture supernatants, whereas beta-apo-10'-carotenal was identified as non-volatile degradation product. The key enzyme catalyzing the oxidative cleavage of beta,beta-carotene was purified with an overall yield of 63% and a purification factor of 43. Biochemical characterization showed a molecular mass of 50.5 kDa and an isoelectric point of 3.75. Fastest beta,beta-carotene degradation occurred at 34 degrees C and pH values between 3.5 and 4. Degenerate oligonucleotides were derived from N-terminal and internal amino acid sequences. By means of PCR-based cDNA-library screening a 1284 bp cDNA was identified which showed great overall similarity to Pleurotus eryngii polyvalent peroxidases. The obtained sequence contains an open reading frame of 1083 nucleotides, encoding a polypeptide of 361 amino acids. A 30 amino acid signal peptide was identified upstream of the N-terminal sequence of the mature enzyme. The L. irina versatile peroxidase represents the first microbial enzyme capable of carotenoid degradation that has been characterized on a molecular level, proving the participation of extracellular enzymes of white rot fungi in biotic carotenoid degradation processes.

Laccase-catalyzed oxidation of Mn(2+) in the presence of natural Mn(3+) chelators as a novel source of extracellular H(2)O(2) production and its impact on manganese peroxidase

A purified and electrophoretically homogeneous blue laccase from the litter-decaying basidiomycete Stropharia rugosoannulata with a molecular mass of approximately 66 kDa oxidized Mn(2+) to Mn(3+), as assessed in the presence of the Mn chelators oxalate, malonate, and pyrophosphate. At rate-saturating concentrations (100 mM) of these chelators and at pH 5.0, Mn(3+) complexes were produced at 0.15, 0.05, and 0.10 micromol/min/mg of protein, respectively. Concomitantly, application of oxalate and malonate, but not pyrophosphate, led to H(2)O(2) formation and tetranitromethane (TNM) reduction indicative for the presence of superoxide anion radical. Employing oxalate, H(2)O(2) production, and TNM reduction significantly exceeded those found for malonate. Evidence is provided that, in the presence of oxalate or malonate, laccase reactions involve enzyme-catalyzed Mn(2+) oxidation and abiotic decomposition of these organic chelators by the resulting Mn(3+), which leads to formation of superoxide and its subsequent reduction to H(2)O(2). A partially purified manganese peroxidase (MnP) from the same organism did not produce Mn(3+) complexes in assays containing 1 mM Mn(2+) and 100 mM oxalate or malonate, but omitting an additional H(2)O(2) source. However, addition of laccase initiated MnP reactions. The results are in support of a physiological role of laccase-catalyzed Mn(2+) oxidation in providing H(2)O(2) for extracellular oxidation reactions and demonstrate a novel type of laccase-MnP cooperation relevant to biodegradation of lignin and xenobiotics.