Fluorescence associated with the type 3 copper center of laccase

Laccases isolated from the lacquer tree Rhus vernicifera and the fungus Polyporus versicolor show fluorescence emission near 420 nm and phosphorescence emission in the 440-465 nm region. The fluorescence and phosphorescence excitation spectra for both laccases show maxima in the 315-330 nm range, a spectral region corresponding to the absorbance maxima for the type 3 binuclear Cu centers of the two enzymes. Additional evidence is presented for the association of the newly discovered emissions with the type 3 Cu centers of the two laccases.