Laccases (E.C. 1.10.3.2) are glycoproteins widely distributed in nature. Their structural conformation includes three copper sites in their catalytic center, which are responsible for facilitating substrate oxidation, leading to the generation of H2O instead of H2O2. The measurement of laccase activity (UL-1) results may vary depending on the type of laccase, buffer, redox mediators, and substrates employed. The aim was to select the best conditions for rGILCC 1 and rPOXA 1B laccases activity assay. After sequential statistical assays, the molecular dynamics proved to support this process, and we aimed to accumulate valuable insights into the potential application of these enzymes for the degradation of novel substrates with negative environmental implications. Citrate buffer treatment T2 (CB T2) (pH 3.0 ± 0.2; λ420nm, 2 mM ABTS) had the most favorable results, with 7.315 ± 0.131 UL-1 for rGILCC 1 and 5291.665 ± 45.83 UL-1 for rPOXA 1B. The use of citrate buffer increased the enzyme affinity for ABTS since lower Km values occurred for both enzymes (1.49 × 10-2 mM for rGILCC 1 and 3.72 × 10-2 mM for rPOXA 1B) compared to those obtained in acetate buffer (5.36 × 10-2 mM for rGILCC 1 and 1.72 mM for rPOXA 1B). The molecular dynamics of GILCC 1-ABTS and POXA 1B-ABTS showed stable behavior, with root mean square deviation (RMSD) values not exceeding 2.0 Å. Enzyme activities (rGILCC 1 and rPOXA 1B) and 3D model-ABTS interactions (GILCC 1-ABTS and POXA 1B-ABTS) were under the strong influence of pH, wavelength, ions, and ABTS concentration, supported by computational studies identifying the stabilizing residues and interactions. Integration of the experimental and computational approaches yielded a comprehensive understanding of enzyme-substrate interactions, offering potential applications in environmental substrate treatments.
Keywords: ABTS; acetate and citrate buffer; laccases; molecular docking and dynamics.