Crystal Structure of a Laccase from the FungusTrametes versicolor at 1.90-Å Resolution Containing a Full Complement of Coppers

Laccase is a polyphenol oxidase, which belongs to the family of blue multicopper oxidases. These enzymes catalyze the one-electron oxidation of four reducing-substrate molecules concomitant with the four-electron reduction of molecular oxygen to water. Laccases oxidize a broad range of substrates, preferably phenolic compounds. In the presence of mediators, fungal laccases exhibit an enlarged substrate range and are then able to oxidize compounds with a redox potential exceeding their own. Until now, only one crystal structure of a laccase in an inactive, type-2 copper-depleted form has been reported. We present here the first crystal structure of an active laccase containing a full complement of coppers, the…