1. An isolated polypeptide, comprising: an amino acid sequence having at least 90%, 95%, 97%, or 99%, sequence identity to the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 4, wherein said isolated polypeptide comprises laccase activity, oxidizes lignin under conditions of pH greater than or equal to pH 8.0, and retains laccase activity for greater than at least about 5 minutes at greater than or equal to 60° C.
2. The isolated polypeptide of claim 1 , wherein said polypeptide comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 4.
3. The isolated polypeptide of claim 1 comprising at least one amino acid substitution, wherein the position of the at least one substitution in SEQ ID NO: 4 is selected from the group consisting of amino acid residue: 162, 163, 164, 166, 168, 169, 170, 171, 172, 173, 174, 175, 176, 177, 178, 179, 180, 181, 182, 183, 184, 208, 210, 212, 213, 214, 215, 216, 218, 313, 314, 315, 316, 317, 318, 319, 320, 321, 351, 352, 353, 354, 452, 454, 470, 529, 530, 531,532, 533, 534, 535, 536, 537, 538, 540, 541, 542, 545, 546, 547, 572, 573, 574, 575, 576, 577, 578, 579, 597, 598, 599, 603, 604, 605, 607, 608, 609, 610, 611,612, 613, 614, 615 ,616, 616, 618, 619, and 620, or any combination thereof.
4. The isolated polypeptide of claim 3 , lacking its associated signal peptide.
wherein R 1 , R 2 R 3 , R 4 , R 5 R 6 , R 7 , R 8 , R 9 and R 10 are independently selected from the group consisting of H, CH 3 , CH 2 CH 3 , CH 2 CH 2 CH 3 , CH(CH 3 ) 2 , CH 2 CH 2 (CH 3 ) 2 , C(CH 3 ) 3 , CH 2 CH 2 CH 2 , CH 3 , alkyl, aryl, phenyl, CF 3 , OC(CH 3 ) 3 , OCH(CH 3 ) 2 , CH 2 CH 3 , C(O)OCH 3 , COOH, OCH 3 , OH, OCF 3 , NH 2 , NH(CH 3 ), N(CH 3 ) 2 , CH 2 NH 2 , CH 2 CH 2 NH 2 , Br, and Cl.
7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising contacting the phenolic or aromatic substrate with a mediator selected from the group consisting of violuric acid; 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine 1-oxy_(TEMPO); 1-hydroxybenzotriazole (HBT); 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS); syringaldazine; N-benzoyl-N-phenyl hydroxylamine (BPHA); N-hydroxyphthalimide, 3-Hydroxy-1,2,3-benzotriazin-4-one; promazine; 1,8-Dihydroxy-4,5-dinitroanthraquinone; phenoxazine; anthraquinone; 2-hydroxy-1,4-naphthoquinone; phenothiazine; anthrone; anthracene, anthrarufin, anthrarobin, ; dimethoxyphenol (DMP); ferulic acid; catechin; epicatechin; homovanillic acid (HMV); and 2,3-dihydroxybenzoic acid (2,3-DHB); or any combination thereof.
8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising contacting said phenolic or aromatic substrate with a laccase.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein said laccase is the polypeptide of claim 1 .
10. A method of delignifying a composition comprising lignin, comprising contacting a phenolic substrate with the polypeptide of claim 1 .
11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising contacting the composition with a mediator.
wherein R 1 , R 2 R 3 , R 4 , R 5 R 6 , R 7 , R 8 , R 9 and R 10 are independently selected from the group consisting of H, CH 3 , CH 2 CH 3 , CH 2 CH 2 CH 3 , CH(CH 3 ) 2 , CH 2 CH 2 (CH 3 ) 2 , C(CH 3 ) 3 , CH 2 CH 2 CH 2 , CH 3 , alkyl, aryl, phenyl, CF 3 , OC(CH 3 ) 3 , OCH(CH 3 ) 2 , CH 2 CH 3 , C(O)OCH 3 , COOH, OCH 3 , OH, OCF 3 , NH 2 , NH(CH 3 ), N(CH 3 ) 2 , CH 2 NH 2 , CH 2 CH 2 NH 2 , Br, and Cl.
14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the mediator is selected from the group consisting of: violuric acid; 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine 1-oxy (TEMPO); 1-hydroxybenzotriazole (HBT); 2,2′-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6- sulfonic acid) (ABTS); syringaldazine; N-benzoyl-N-phenyl hydroxylamine (BPHA); N-hydroxyphthalimide, 3-Hydroxy-1,2,3-benzotriazin-4-one; promazine; 1,8-Dihydroxy-4,5-dinitroanthraquinone; phenoxazine; anthraquinone; 2-hydroxy-1,4-naphthoquinone; phenothiazine; anthrone; anthracene, anthrarufin, anthrarobin, ; dimethoxyphenol (DMP); ferulic acid; catechin; epicatechin; homovanillic acid (HMV); and 2,3-dihydroxybenzoic acid (2,3-DHB); or any combination thereof.
15. The method of claim 10 , wherein said delignification reaction proceeds under conditions of between pH 8 and pH 11.
16. The method of claim 10 , wherein said delignification reaction proceeds at a temperature of at least 50° C.
17. A method of oxidizing a composition comprising a fiber, comprising: contacting said composition with the polypeptide of claim 1
18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising contacting the composition with a mediator.
19. The method of claim 18 , wherein said mediator is a compound represented by Formula I or Formula II.
21. The method of claim 18 , wherein the mediator is selected from the group consisting of: violuric acid; 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine 1-oxy (TEMPO); 1-hydroxybenzotriazole (HBT); 2,2′-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS); syringaldazine; N-benzoyl-N-phenyl hydroxylamine (BPHA); N-hydroxyphthalimide, 3-Hydroxy-1,2,3-benzotriazin-4-one; promazine; 1,8-Dihydroxy-4,5-dinitroanthraquinone; phenoxazine; anthraquinone; 2-hydroxy-1,4-naphthoquinone; phenothiazine; anthrone; anthracene, anthrarufin, anthrarobin, ; dimethoxyphenol (DMP); ferulic acid; catechin; epicatechin; homovanillic acid (HMV); and 2,3-dihydroxybenzoic acid (2,3-DHB); or any combination thereof.
22. The method of claim 17 , wherein said oxidation reaction proceeds under conditions of between pH 8 and pH 11.
23. The method of claim 17 , wherein said oxidation reaction proceeds at a temperature of at least 50° C.
24. A method of bleaching a composition comprising pulp or paper, comprising contacting said composition with the polypeptide of claim 1 .
25. The method of claim 24 , further comprising contacting the composition with a mediator.
26. The method of claim 25 , wherein said mediator is a compound represented by Formula I or Formula II.
28. The method of claim 25 , wherein the mediator is selected from the group consisting of: violuric acid; 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine 1-oxy (TEMPO); 1-hydroxybenzotriazole (HBT); 2,2′-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6- sulfonic acid) (ABTS); syringaldazine; N-benzoyl-N-phenyl hydroxylamine (BPHA); N-hydroxyphthalimide, 3-Hydroxy-1,2,3-benzotriazin-4-one; promazine; 1,8-Dihydroxy-4,5-dinitroanthraquinone; phenoxazine; anthraquinone; 2-hydroxy-1,4-naphthoquinone; phenothiazine; anthrone; anthracene; anthrarufin; anthrarobin; dimethoxyphenol (DMP); ferulic acid; catechin; epicatechin; homovanillic acid (HMV); and 2,3-dihydroxybenzoic acid (2,3-DHB); or any combination thereof.
29. The method of claim 24 , wherein said bleaching reaction proceeds under conditions of between pH 8 and pH 11.
30. The method of claim 24 , wherein said bleaching reaction proceeds at a temperature of at least 50° C.