Fungal laccases are generalists biocatalysts with potential applications that
range from bioremediation to novel green processes. Fuelled by molecular oxygen,
these enzymes can act on dozens of molecules of different chemical nature, and with the
help of redox mediators, their spectrum of oxidizable substrates is further pushed
towards xenobiotic compounds (pesticides, industrial dyes, PAHs), biopolymers (lignin,
starch, cellulose) and other complex molecules. In recent years, extraordinary efforts
have been made to engineer fungal laccases by directed evolution and semi-rational
approaches to improve their functional expression or stability. All these studies have
taken advantage of Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a heterologous host, not only to secrete
the enzyme but also, to emulate the introduction of genetic diversity through in vivo
DNA recombination. Here, we discuss all these endeavours to convert fungal laccases
into valuable biomolecular platforms on which new functions can be tailored by
directed evolution.
Keywords: Directed evolution, functional expression, fungal laccases, highthroughput
screening, in vivo DNA recombination, Saccharomyces cerevisiae,
stability.
