Coriolus versicolorLaccase Catalyzes the Decarboxylation of 2-(4-Hydroxyphenyl)-glycine and 4-Hydroxymandelic Acid

Laccasc (benzenediol: oxygen oxidoreductase, EC 1.1O.3.2) has been found in some fungal strains belonging to various classes.i) The enzyme generally catalyzes the removal of hydrogen from phenolic hydroxyl groups or aromatic amino groups using molecular oxygcn as a primary electron acceptor to give radicals, which undergo free-radical additions and related reactions to give various products.2-s) During the investigation n a laccase from the fungus Coriolus versieotor, we found that the enzyme catalyzed the conversion of 2-(4-hydroxyphenyl)glycine (HPG) or 4hydroxyrnandelic acid (HMA) to 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde (HBA), which was a single product from either substrate and was not converted further. Laccase is known to remove