Insect Laccase Like Multi Copper Oxidases: Enzymatic Functions and Applications

Laccases are multicopper oxidases (MCOs) widely distributed across plants, fungi, bacteria, and animals, where they catalyze the oxidation of aromatic and non-aromatic substrates coupled to the four-electron reduction of molecular oxygen to water. Although microbial laccases have been extensively exploited for bioremediation and industrial catalysis, insect laccases represent a comparatively understudied but functionally diverse group with key roles in physiology, development, and ecological adaptation. Insects typically encode at least two highly conserved laccases, laccase 1 (MCO1) and laccase 2 (MCO2), along with additional paralogs in specific lineages. These enzymes participate in the detoxification of plant allelochemicals, cuticle sclerotization and pigmentation, immune responses, iron homeostasis, reproductive processes, and interactions with symbiotic microorganisms. Here, we provide a comprehensive synthesis of the molecular diversity, evolutionary implications, and physiological functions of insect laccases. We also highlight emerging biotechnological applications, including their contributions to lignocellulose processing, the degradation of xenobiotics, and the oxidative priming of synthetic polymers within insect microbiota. Finally, we outline future research directions aimed at harnessing insect laccases and their microbial counterparts as alternative oxidative biocatalysts for sustainable biotechnology.