Degradation of lignosulfonate by fungal laccase with low molecular mediators

Abstract

In the presence of laccase, low molecular weight (M.W.) fractions from lignosulfonate (M.W. 97 kD) were produced. By Sephadex column chromatography, four lower M.W. fractions of 9 kD, 1.8 kD, 1 kD and 0.85 kD were identified. The addition of acetovanillone (AV) or acetosyringone (AS) enhanced to the degradation of lignosulfonate with fungal laccase. During this process, there were found new generation of lower M.W. fractions, e.g. approximately 20 kD, 1.8 kD, 1 kD and 0.85 kD for AV, and 20 kD, 3 kD, 1 kD and 0.85 kD for AS, respectively. The quantities of lower M.W. products (especially the fractions of M.W. 1 kD and 0.85 kD) were larger than those in the controls. Also, its degradation became more active in the presence of AS than AV. The presence of AS or AV seems to prevent the re-polymerization of degraded lignosulfonate by the laccase.