Biocatalytic Versatilities and Biotechnological Prospects of Laccase for a Sustainable Industry

Laccases are multicopper-containing enzymes that have the ability to oxidize a wide variety of substrates with a single electron transfer reaction. These are environmentally benign versatile biocatalysts that have gained great interest in the biotechnological community since they utilize molecular oxygen as the last electron acceptor and only produce water as a byproduct. This family of enzymes has been widely used in a broad variety of applications, ranging from food additives and beverage processing to biological diagnostics and even as crosslinking agents in the furniture construction and manufacture of biofuels. Considering the benefits of enzyme immobilization, there has been a dramatic increase in applying immobilized laccases in recent years. Despite the impressive biotechnological promise, the use of laccases in the real world is still constrained by cost–benefit analysis, particularly in terms of practically large-scale production. The enzyme industry is booming research on laccase production, and use neglects to include the economic impact of the operations. Because of their ability to metabolize complex xenobiotics, they are also useful biocatalysts in enzymatic bioremediation processes, such as wastewater treatment. This study discusses the most important and recent breakthroughs in the biocatalytic attributes, sources, and exploitation of laccases in biotechnology for a sustainable industry. Graphical Abstract: [Figure not available: see fulltext.]