Polyphenol oxidase inAzospirillum lipoferumisolated from rice rhizosphere: Evidence for laccase activity in non-motile strains ofAzospirillum lipoferum

In non-motile forms of Azospirillum lipoferum isolated from the rhizosphere of rice, polyphenol oxidase activity was observed which correlated with production of a dark-brown pigment. Using a combination of substrate/inhibitor specificity tests, intracellular enzyme extracts of non-motile strains were clearly demonstrated to have a laccase activity by oxidising various o- and p-diphenols. This work is the first report on laccase activity in Azospirillum.