Efficient secretory production of CotA-laccase and its application in the decolorization and detoxification of industrial textile wastewater.

Fungal laccases are typically unstable at high pH and temperature conditions, which limit their application in the decolorization of textile wastewater. By contrast, the highly stable bacterial laccases can function within a wider pH range and at high temperatures, thus have significant potential in treatment for textile wastewater. In our previous work, a thermo-alkali-stable CotA-laccase gene was cloned from Bacillus pumilus W3 and overexpressed in Escherichia coli. In this study, the robust CotA-laccase achieved efficient secretory expression in Bacillus subtilis WB600 by screening a suitable signal peptide. A maximum CotA-laccase yield of 373.1 U/mL was obtained at optimum culture conditions in a 3-L fermentor. Furthermore, the decolorization and detoxification of textile industry effluent by the purified recombinant CotA-laccase in the presence and absence of redox mediators were investigated. Among the potential mediators that enhanced effluent decolorization, acetosyringone (ACS) was the most effective. The toxicity of the CotA-laccase-ACS-treated effluent was greatly reduced compared with that of the crude effluent. To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first to report on the heterologous expression of CotA-laccase in B. subtilis. The recombinant strain B. subtilis WB600-5 has a great potential in the industrial production of this bacterial enzyme, and the CotA-laccase-ACS system is a promising candidate for the biological treatment of industrial textile effluents.

Molecular cloning, characterization, and dye-decolorizing ability of a temperature- and pH-stable laccase from Bacillus subtilis X1.

Laccases from fungal origin are typically unstable at high temperatures and alkaline conditions. This characteristic limits their practical applications. In this study, a new bacterial strain exhibiting laccase activity was isolated from raw fennel honey samples and identified as Bacillus subtilis X1. The CotA-laccase gene was cloned from strain X1 and efficiently expressed in Escherichia coli in a biologically active form. The purified recombinant laccase demonstrated an extensive pH range for catalyzing substrates and high stability toward alkaline pH and high temperatures. No loss of laccase activity was observed at pH 9.0 after 10 days of incubation, and approximately 21 % of the initial activity was detected after 10 h at 80 °C. Two anthraquinonic dyes (reactive blue 4 and reactive yellow brown) and two azo dyes (reactive red 11 and reactive brilliant orange) could be partially decolorized by purified laccase in the absence of a mediator. The decolorization process was efficiently promoted when methylsyringate was present, with more than 90 % of color removal occurring in 3 h at pH 7.0 or 9.0. These unusual properties indicated a high potential of the novel CotA-laccase for industrial applications.