Degradation of 2-chlorophenol and formation of 2-chloro-1,4-benzoquinone by mycelia and cell-free crude culture liquids of Trametes versicolor in relation to extracellular laccase activity

The white-rot fungus Trametes versicolor was used to study the influence of extracellular laccase activity on the degradation of 2-chlorophenol (2-CP) and the formation of metabolites under conditions, characterized by the ab sence of other phenol-oxidizing enzymes. 2-CP enhanced the production of ex tracellular laccase by fungal mycelia. The formation of the metabolite 2-ch loro-1,4-benzoquinone (2-CIBQ) was found to be correlated with extracellula r laccase activity. In cell-free crude culture liquids laccase was responsi ble for the oxidation of 2-CP. In contrast to this, the disappearance of 2- CP caused by the entire organism did not correlate with extracellular lacca se activity. The primary oxidative step during the degradation of this comp ound can thus only partially be attributed to extracellular laccase; indica ting the involvement of cell-bound processes.