Laccases, nucleic acids encoding them and methods for making and using them

1. An isolated, synthetic or recombinant polypeptide comprising

(a) an amino acid sequence having at least 95% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO: 24 having laccase activity;

(b) said polypeptide encoded by a nucleic acid sequence having at least 95% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO:23; or

(c) the polypeptide of (a) or (b), lacking a signal sequence.

2. A method for hydrolyzing, breaking up or disrupting a lignin-comprising composition comprising:

contacting the polypeptide as set forth in claim 1 with a composition comprising a lignin under conditions wherein the polypeptide hydrolyzes, breaks up or disrupts the lignin-comprising composition.

3. The method as set forth in claim 2 , wherein the composition comprises a plant cell, a bacterial cell, a yeast cell, an insect cell, or an animal cell.

4. A dough or a bread product comprising the polypeptide as set forth in claim 1 .

5. A method for conditioning a dough or bread product, comprising contacting the dough or bread product with at least one polypeptide as set forth in claim 1 under conditions sufficient for conditioning the dough or bread product.

6. A beverage comprising the polypeptide as set forth in claim 1 .

7. A method for producing a beverage, comprising adding at least one polypeptide as set forth in claim 1 to a beverage precursor under conditions sufficient for decreasing the viscosity of the beverage precursor thereby producing the beverage.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the beverage precursor is a wort and the beverage is a beer.

9. A food, a feed or a nutritional supplement, comprising the polypeptide as set forth in claim 1 .

10. A method for increasing feed utilization in an animal, comprising: preparing a nutritional supplement comprising the polypeptide as set forth in claim 1 ; and administering the nutritional supplement to the animal to increase feed utilization.

11. An edible enzyme delivery matrix, comprising the polypeptide as set forth in claim 1 .

12. A composition comprising cellulose or a cellulose derivative, further comprises the polypeptide as set forth in claim 1 .

13. A wood, wood pulp or wood product, comprising the polypeptide as set forth in claim 1 .

14. A method for reducing lignin in a paper, a wood or wood product, the method comprises contacting the paper, wood or wood product with the polypeptide as set forth in claim 1 .

15. A detergent composition comprising the polypeptide as set forth in claim 1 .

16. A pharmaceutical composition comprising the polypeptide as set forth in claim 1 .

17. A dairy product comprising the polypeptide as set forth in claim 1 , wherein optionally the dairy product is selected from the group consisting of milk, ice cream, cheese or yogurt.

18. A tobacco product comprising the polypeptide as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the tobacco product is selected from a group consisting of: a cigarette, a cigar, pipe tobacco, and chewing tobacco.

19. A method for reducing the amount of phenolic compounds in a tobacco product, comprising:

contacting the polypeptide as set forth in claim 1 and the tobacco product under conditions in which the polypeptide reduces the amount of phenolic compounds in the tobacco product.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the polypeptide has a phenol oxidizing activity.

21. The method of claim 19 , further comprising a step of removing oxidized phenolic compounds.

22. The method of claim 19 , further comprising a step of removing and/or inactivating the polypeptide.

23. A method for producing a nootkatone, comprising reacting valencene at a concentration of at least about 0.1 percent) (v/v) with the polypeptide as set forth in claim 1 at a temperature in a range from about 4 degrees centigrade to about 75 degrees centigrade in the presence of an oxygen source.

24. The method of claim 23 , further comprising recovering nootkatone from the reaction.

25. The method of claim 23 , wherein valencene and the polypeptide are reacted in the presence of a catalyst or an additional protein.

26. The method of claim 25 , wherein the catalyst is selected from the group consisting of iron, ascorbic acid, cobalt, copper and combinations thereof.

27. The method of claim 23 , wherein valencene and the polypeptide are reacted in the presence of a mediator.

28. The method of claim 27 , wherein the mediator is selected from the group consisting of 2,2-azinobis-(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonate) (ABTS), 1-hydroxybenzotriazole (HBT), 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidin-1-yloxy (TEMPO), dimethoxyphenol, dihydroxyfumaric acid (DHF), 1-hydroxybenzotriazole (HBT), 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, syringaldazine, anthrone, anthracene, anthramfin, anthrarobin, 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS), dimethoxyphenol (DMP), ferulic acid, catechin, epicatechin, homovaniUic acid (HMV), 2,3-dihydroxybenzoic acid (2,3-DHB) and combinations thereof.

29. The method of claim 25 , wherein the catalyst or additional protein are selected from the group consisting of horse-radish peroxidase, lactoperoxidase, chloroperoxidase, a lignin peroxidase, a soybean peroxidase, a manganese peroxidase and combinations thereof.