Bacillus amyloliquefaciens laccase - From soil bacteria to recombinant enzyme for wastewater decolorization

One hundred wild type strains of Bacillus sp. were isolated from industrial and agricultural soil across Serbia and screened for laccase activity. Three strains showed high laccase activity temperature optimum of 65 and 80 degrees C towards ABTS. A new laccase gene from the strain with highest temperature optimum, namely Bacillus amyloliquefaciens 12B was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli. Recombinant laccase degraded dye Reactive blue 52 at pH 7.0 and pH 4.0 and at elevated temperature, while fungal laccases was unable to act on this substrate at pH higher than 4.0 and was quickly inactivated at temperatures higher than 45 degrees C. Degradation of dye was monitored by HPLC-DAD and resulting precipitate was analyzed by FTIR spectroscopy. Single product peak without chromophore was detected in solution, while water insoluble aggregate, presumably dye polymer is formed retaining blue color. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.