Ligninolytic enzymes play a crucial role in the carbon cycle on account of their ability to degrade the macromolecule lignin. Versatile peroxidase is a high redox potential enzyme of the lignin degrading family of enzymes widely studied for its unique characteristics of degradation of aromatics without use of redox mediators and presence of polyvalent catalytic sites. These traits make them useful in diverse biotechnological and industrial applications which include textile bleaching, production of bioethanol, bioremediation of xenobiotic compounds, degradation of EDCs and in enhancing the digestibility of animal feed. In this article the features of versatile peroxidases and their potential industrial and biotechnological applications are highlighted. for production of these enzymes as they mimic the natural substrate conditions of the fungi. Significant amount of Versatile peroxidase have been produced by solid state fermentation of Pleurotus eryngii and Pleurotus Ostreatus on wheat straw, Saw dust, banana peel [7,8]. Disparately, submerged fermentation involves culturing of microorganisms in free flowing liquid substrates with high water activity. Some examples of Versatile peroxidase produced under submerged fermentation are growth of Pleurotus ostreatus, Bjerkandera in glucose-peptone broth and glucose ammonium medium [7]. Additionally, immobilization of cells offers significant advantages over submerged cell suspension. Immobilization of fungal cells has been reported for production of laccase wherein immobilization methods are stated to improve the stability and half life of laccases enabling efficient biotechnological application of this enzyme [9]. However, there is a dearth of reports of Versatile peroxidase production under immobilized conditions.
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Mechanism of actionVersatile peroxidases are unique among the heme peroxidases for its polyvalent catalytic sites for oxidation of Mn 2+ , low and high molecular weight substrates [10]. The catalytic cycle of oxidation of low molecular substrates at the heme center is initiated by binding of hydrogen peroxide to the ferric state of heme forming an iron peroxide complex. This activated heme complex is a two electron deficient intermediate designated as compound I, a radical with significant oxidizing ability. Compound I is reduced to compound II, a one electron deficient compound and finally to resting form of enzyme with concomitant oxidation of two substrates [10]. While the initial reaction of compound I formation is pH independent, the latter reduction steps are pH dependent with the oxidized substrates yielding radical products which undergo several non-enzymatic reactions based on the nature of the substrate to yield final products. The non-enzymatic reactions include aromatic ring cleavage, hydroxylation, demethoxylation, ether bond cleavage, side chain cleavage and phenol formation [10]. The reaction scheme for oxidation of aromatic substrates is described in Figure 1. Interestingly, Versatile peroxidase possesses an additional manga...