No abstract

Heme-containing peroxidases secreted by fungi are a fascinating group of biocatalysts with various ecological and biotechnological implications. For example, they are involved in the biodegradation of lignocelluloses and lignins and participate in the bioconversion of other diverse recalcitrant compounds as well as in the natural turnover of humic substances and organohalogens. The current review focuses on the most recently discovered and novel types of heme-dependent peroxidases, aromatic peroxygenases (APOs), and dye-decolorizing peroxidases (DyPs), which catalyze remarkable reactions such as peroxide-driven oxygen transfer and cleavage of anthraquinone derivatives, respectively, and represent own separate peroxidase superfamilies. Furthermore, several aspects of the "classic" fungal heme-containing peroxidases, i.e., lignin, manganese, and versatile peroxidases (LiP, MnP, and VP), phenol-oxidizing peroxidases as well as chloroperoxidase (CPO), are discussed against the background of recent scientific developments.

Agrocybe aegerita, a bark mulch-and wood-colonizing basidiomycete, was found to produce a peroxidase (AaP) that oxidizes aryl alcohols, such as veratryl and benzyl alcohols, into the corresponding aldehydes and then into benzoic acids. The enzyme also catalyzed the oxidation of typical peroxidase substrates, such as 2,6-dimethoxyphenol (DMP) or 2,2-azinobis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonate) (ABTS). A. aegerita peroxidase production depended on the concentration of organic nitrogen in the medium, and highest enzyme levels were detected in the presence of soybean meal. Two fractions of the enzyme, AaP I and AaP II, which had identical molecular masses (46 kDa) and isoelectric points of 4.6 to 5.4 and 4.9 to 5.6, respectively (corresponding to six different isoforms), were identified after several steps of purification, including anion-and cation-exchange chromatography. The optimum pH for the oxidation of aryl alcohols was found to be around 7, and the enzyme required relatively high concentrations of H 2 O 2 (2 mM) for optimum activity. The apparent K m values for ABTS, DMP, benzyl alcohol, veratryl alcohol, and H 2 O 2 were 37, 298, 1,001, 2,367 and 1,313 M, respectively. The N-terminal amino acid sequences of the main AaP II spots blotted after two-dimensional gel electrophoresis were almost identical and exhibited almost no homology to the sequences of other peroxidases from basidiomycetes, but they shared the first three amino acids, as well as two additional amino acids, with the heme chloroperoxidase (CPO) from the ascomycete Caldariomyces fumago. This finding is consistent with the fact that AaP halogenates monochlorodimedone, the specific substrate of CPO. The existence of haloperoxidases in basidiomycetous fungi may be of general significance for the natural formation of chlorinated organic compounds in forest soils.Heme peroxidases are found in plants, fungi, bacteria, and animals and have been grouped on the basis of sequence similarity into two superfamilies; animal peroxidases form one superfamily (18), and plant, fungal, and bacterial peroxidases form another superfamily (45). Peroxidases belonging to the latter superfamily have been proposed to have various functions in the individual organisms, including roles in the polymerization and detoxification of phenolic compounds in secondary metabolism, as well as in the decomposition of wood and humus (7,32).Over the last two decades, particular attention has been paid to the peroxidases of white rot fungi, which are involved in the biodegradation of lignin, humic materials, and organopollutants (13,16,33). These enzymes are capable of oxidizing recalcitrant aromatic molecules by one-electron abstractions, resulting in the formation of unstable radicals, which tend to disintegrate spontaneously (19). Numerous isozymes of lignin peroxidase (LiP) and manganese peroxidase (MnP), as well hybrid forms of both enzymes (the so-called versatile peroxidases), have been purified and characterized from different basidiomycetes, including Phanerochaete chrysospo...

c Unspecific peroxygenase (UPO) represents a new type of heme-thiolate enzyme with self-sufficient mono(per)oxygenase activity and many potential applications in organic synthesis. With a view to taking advantage of these properties, we subjected the Agrocybe aegerita UPO1-encoding gene to directed evolution in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. To promote functional expression, several different signal peptides were fused to the mature protein, and the resulting products were tested. Over 9,000 clones were screened using an ad hoc dual-colorimetric assay that assessed both peroxidative and oxygen transfer activities. After 5 generations of directed evolution combined with hybrid approaches, 9 mutations were introduced that resulted in a 3,250-fold total activity improvement with no alteration in protein stability. A breakdown between secretion and catalytic activity was performed by replacing the native signal peptide of the original parental type with that of the evolved mutant; the evolved leader increased functional expression 27-fold, whereas an 18-fold improvement in the k cat /K m value for oxygen transfer activity was obtained. The evolved UPO1 was active and highly stable in the presence of organic cosolvents. Mutations in the hydrophobic core of the signal peptide contributed to enhance functional expression up to 8 mg/liter, while catalytic efficiencies for peroxidative and oxygen transfer reactions were increased by several mutations in the vicinity of the heme access channel. Overall, the directed-evolution platform described is a valuable point of departure for the development of customized UPOs with improved features and for the study of structure-function relationships.