Blue Multicopper Oxidases Research Articles

Identification of a new member of Pleurotus ostreatus laccase family from mature fruiting body

Laccases (benzenediol:oxygen oxidoreductases, EC 1.10.3.2) are blue multicopper oxidases, catalyzing the oxidation of an array of aromatic substrates concomitantly with the reduction of molecular oxygen to water. Most of the known laccases have fungal or plant origins, although few laccases have been also identified in bacteria and insects. Most of the fungal laccases reported thus far are extra-cellular enzymes, whereas only few enzymes from fruiting bodies have been described so far. Multiple isoforms of laccases are usually secreted by each fungus depending on species and environmental conditions. As a fact, a laccase gene family has been demonstrated in the white-rot fungus Pleurotus ostreatus. This work allowed identification and characterization of the first laccase isoenzyme from the fruiting body of P. ostreatus. Discovery through mass spectrometry of LACC12 proves the expression of a functional protein by the related deduced encoding transcript. The topology of phylogenetic tree of fungal laccases proves that LACC12 falls in cluster with the members of P. ostreatus LACC10 (=POXC) subfamily, although lacc12 deduced intron–exon structure differs from that of the subfamily members and the related locus is located in a different chromosome. Results show that the evolutionary pattern of lacc12 and that of the other laccase isozyme genes may have evolved independently, possibly through duplication–divergence events. The reported data add a new piece to the knowledge about P. ostreatus laccase multigene family and shed light on the role(s) played by individual laccase isoforms in P. ostreatus.

Designer laccases: a vogue for high-potential fungal enzymes?

Laccases are blue multicopper oxidases that catalyse the four-electron reduction of O(2) to water coupled with the oxidation of small organic substrates. Secreted basidiomycete white-rot fungal laccases orchestrate this with high thermodynamic efficiency, making these enzymes excellent candidates for exploitation as industrial oxidants. However, these fungi are less tractable genetically than the ascomycetes, which predominantly produce lower-potential laccases. We address the state-of-play regarding expression of high reduction potential laccases in heterologous hosts, and issues regarding enzyme glycosylation status. We describe the synergistic role of structural biology, particularly in unmasking structure-function relationships following genetic modification and their collective impact on laccase yields. Such recent research draws closer the prospect of industrial quantities of designer, fit-for-purpose laccases.

LccA, an Archaeal Laccase Secreted as a Highly Stable Glycoprotein into the Extracellular Medium by Haloferax volcanii

Laccases couple the oxidation of phenolic compounds to the reduction of molecular oxygen and thus span a wide variety of applications. While laccases of eukaryotes and bacteria are well characterized, these enzymes have not been described in archaea. Here, we report the purification and characterization of a laccase (LccA) from the halophilic archaeon Haloferax volcanii. LccA was secreted at high levels into the culture supernatant of a recombinant H. volcanii strain, with peak activity (170 +/- 10 mU.ml(-)(1)) at stationary phase (72 to 80 h). LccA was purified 13-fold to an overall yield of 72% and a specific activity of 29.4 U.mg(-)(1) with an absorbance spectrum typical of blue multicopper oxidases. The mature LccA was processed to expose an N-terminal Ala after the removal of 31 amino acid residues and was glycosylated to 6.9% carbohydrate content. Purified LccA oxidized a variety of organic substrates, including bilirubin, syringaldazine (SGZ), 2,2,-azino-bis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS), and dimethoxyphenol (DMP), with DMP oxidation requiring the addition of CuSO(4). Optimal oxidation of ABTS and SGZ was at 45 degrees C and pH 6 and pH 8.4, respectively. The apparent K(m) values for SGZ, bilirubin, and ABTS were 35, 236, and 670 muM, with corresponding k(cat) values of 22, 29, and 10 s(-)(1), respectively. The purified LccA was tolerant of high salt, mixed organosolvents, and high temperatures, with a half-life of inactivation at 50 degrees C of 31.5 h.

Laccases: a never-ending story.

Laccases (benzenediol:oxygen oxidoreductases, EC 1.10.3.2) are blue multicopper oxidases that catalyze the oxidation of an array of aromatic substrates concomitantly with the reduction of molecular oxygen to water. In fungi, laccases carry out a variety of physiological roles during their life cycle. These enzymes are being increasingly evaluated for a variety of biotechnological applications due to their broad substrate range. In this review, the most recent studies on laccase structural features and catalytic mechanisms along with analyses of their expression are reported and examined with the aim of contributing to the discussion on their structure-function relationships. Attention has also been paid to the properties of enzymes endowed with unique characteristics and to fungal laccase multigene families and their organization.

Bubble‐free oxygenation of a bi‐enzymatic system: effect on biocatalyst stability

The effect of bubble-free oxygenation on the stability of a bi-enzymatic system with redox mediator regeneration for the conversion of lactose to lactobionic acid was investigated in a miniaturized reactor with bubbleless oxygenation. Earlier investigations of this biocatalytic oxidation have shown that the dispersive addition of oxygen can cause significant enzyme inactivation. In the process studied, the enzyme cellobiose dehydrogenase (CDH) oxidizes lactose at the C-1 position of the reducing sugar moiety to lactobionolactone, which spontaneously hydrolyzes to lactobionic acid. 2,2'-Azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) diammonium salt was used as electron acceptor for CDH and was continuously regenerated (reoxidized) by laccase, a blue multi-copper oxidase. Oxygen served as the terminal electron acceptor of the reaction and was fully reduced to water by laccase. The overall mass transfer coefficient of the miniaturized reactor was determined at 30 and 45 degrees C; conversions were conducted both in the reaction-limited and diffusion-limited regime to study catalyst inactivation. The bubbleless oxygenation was successful in avoiding gas/liquid interface inactivation. It was also shown that the oxidized redox mediator plays a key role in the inactivation mechanism of the biocatalysts unobserved during previous studies.

Copper Resistance in E. coli: The Multicopper Oxidase PcoA Catalyzes Oxidation of Copper(I) in CuICuII‐PcoC

Copper export: PcoA and PcoC are soluble proteins expressed to the periplasm as part of the copper-resistance response of E. coli. PcoC binds both CuI and CuII to form air-stable CuICuII-PcoC. The blue multicopper oxidase PcoA has been shown to catalyze oxidation of CuI bound in CuICuII-PcoC to less toxic CuII, which is released into solution. These two proteins may interact with the outer membrane protein PcoB to export excess copper from the periplasm.

Evolutionary trace analysis at the ligand binding site of laccase

Laccase belongs to the family of blue multi-copper oxidases and are capable of oxidizing a wide range of aromatic compounds. Laccases have industrial applications in paper pulping or bleaching and hydrocarbon bioremediation as a biocatalyst. We describe the design of a laccase with broader substrate spectrum in bioremediation. The application of evolutionary trace (ET) analysis of laccase at the ligand binding site for optimal design of the enzyme is described. In this attempt, class specific sites from ET analysis were mapped onto known crystal structure of laccase. The analysis revealed 162PHE as a critical residue in structure function relationship studies.

Cloning and characterization of a new laccase from Bacillus licheniformis catalyzing dimerization of phenolic acids

A new laccase gene (cotA) was cloned from Bacillus licheniformis and expressed in Escherichia coli. The recombinant protein CotA was purified and showed spectroscopic properties, typical for blue multi-copper oxidases. The enzyme has a molecular weight of approximately 65 kDa and demonstrates activity towards canonical laccase substrates 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) (ABTS), syringaldazine (SGZ) and 2,6-dimethoxyphenol (2,6-DMP). Kinetic constants KM and kcat for ABTS were of 6.5+/-0.2 microM and 83 s(-1), for SGZ of 4.3+/-0.2 microM and 100 s(-1), and for 2,6-DMP of 56.7+/-1.0 microM and 28 s(-1). Highest oxidizing activity towards ABTS was obtained at 85 degrees C. However, after 1 h incubation of CotA at 70 degrees C and 80 degrees C, a residual activity of 43% and 8%, respectively, was measured. Furthermore, oxidation of several phenolic acids and one non-phenolic acid by CotA was investigated. CotA failed to oxidize coumaric acid, cinnamic acid, and vanillic acid, while syringic acid was oxidized to 2,6-dimethoxy-1,4-benzoquinone. Additionally, dimerization of sinapic acid, caffeic acid, and ferulic acid by CotA was observed, and highest activity of CotA was found towards sinapic acid.

Development of new laccases by directed evolution: Functional and computational analyses

Laccases are blue multicopper oxidases that couple the four-electron reduction of oxygen with the oxidation of a broad range of aromatic substrates. These fungal enzymes can be used for many applications such as bleaching, organic synthesis, bioremediation, and in laundry detergents. Laccases from Pleurotus ostreatus have been successfully heterologously expressed in yeasts. The availability of established recombinant expression systems has allowed the construction of mutated, "better performing" enzymes through molecular evolution techniques. In the present work, random mutagenesis experiments on poxc and poxa1b cDNAs, using error prone PCR (EP-PCR) have been performed. By screening a library of 1100 clones the mutant 1M9B was selected, it shows a single mutation (L112F) leading to an enzyme more active but less stable with respect to the wild-type enzyme (POXA1b) in all the analyzed conditions. This mutant has been used as a template for a second round of EP-PCR. From this second generation library of 1200 clones, three mutants have been selected. Properties of the four mutants, 1M9B screened from the first library, and 1L2B, 1M10B, and 3M7C from the second library, were analyzed. The better performing mutant 3M7C presents, besides L112F, only one substitution (P494T) responsible both for the significantly increased stability and for the exhibited higher activity of this mutant. Molecular dynamics simulations have been performed on three-dimensional models of POXA1b, 1M9B, and 3M7C, and hypotheses on the structure-function relationships of these proteins have been formulated.

Three-dimensional organization of three-domain copper oxidases: A review

“Blue” copper-containing proteins are multidomain proteins that utilize a unique redox property of copper ions. Among other blue multicopper oxidases, three-domain oxidases belong to the group of proteins that exhibit a wide variety of compositions in amino acid sequences, functions, and occurrences in organisms. This paper presents a review of the data obtained from X-ray diffraction investigations of the three-dimensional structures of three-domain multicopper oxidases, such as the ascorbate oxidase catalyzing oxidation of ascorbate to dehydroascorbate and its three derivatives; the multicopper oxidase CueO (the laccase homologue); the laccases isolated from the basidiomycetes Coprinus cinereus, Trametes versicolor, Coriolus zonatus, Cerrena maxima, and Rigidoporus lignosus and the ascomycete Melanocarpus albomyces; and the bacterial laccases CotA from the endospore coats of Bacillus subtilis. A comparison of the molecular structures of the laccases of different origins demonstrates that, structurally, these objects are highly conservative. This obviously indicates that the catalytic activity of the enzymes under consideration is characterized by similar mechanisms.

Development of a printable laccase-based biocathode for fuel cell applications

Laccases belong to the family of blue multicopper oxidases, which catalyze the four-electron reduction of dioxygen to water concomitantly through the oxidation of phenolic and other aromatic compounds. They are potential enzymes in many applications including biofuel cells to produce electricity through chemical reactions. We have tested here the incorporation of a high redox potential laccase from Trametes hirsuta in different types of conducting inks to produce dry printed enzyme electrode layers. ABTS was used as the redox mediator to shuttle the electrons between the surface of the cathodic electrode and the enzyme active sites. Our results demonstrate that the dry printed layers maintained their enzymatic activity even after several months. Furthermore, fuel cell prototypes could be constructed utilising an optimized printed laccase–ABTS layer as the cathode, and printed Zn layer as the anode. Under humidity controlled conditions, a cell voltage between 0.8 and 0.6 V could be maintained for several days under a 2.2 kΩ load. In addition, a corresponding stand-alone cell could be constructed where the cell voltage was maintained for 15 h under a load. These results offer a good starting point for further development of mass-producible, completely enzymatic printed biofuel cells.

Comparative Spectroelectrochemical Studies of Lyophilized and Nonlyophilized Laccases from Cerrena unicolor Basidiomycete

AbstractThe electrochemical, spectroelectrochemical, and kinetic investigations of two preparations of Cerrena unicolor laccase, lyophilized (LLAC) and nonlyophilized frozen enzymes (FLAC), were performed. It was found that the value of the redox potential of the T1 site of C. unicolor laccase is ca. 750 vs. NHE. It was also shown that one of the redox potentials of the T2/T3 cluster of C. unicolor laccase is close to 400 mV, as was previously confirmed for other blue multicopper oxidases, such as trees and fungal laccases, ascorbate oxidase, and bilirubin oxidase. Furthermore, the poor stability of both preparations, but especially of LLAC, in their reduced state was confirmed using mediated and mediatorless spectroelectrochemical studies. DET‐based biocatalytic reduction of O2 by C. unicolor laccase was only obtained, when FLAC was directly adsorbed on a spectrographic graphite electrode. Moreover, only low values of the steady‐state potentials of gold and graphite electrodes modified by C. unicolor laccase were also found. Heterogeneity of the 3‐D structures of laccase molecules, conformational changes, and partial denaturation of the enzyme, which appeared after enzyme isolation, purification, and especially lyophilization, were found to be the reasons for the low bioelectrocatalytic current, the high KM‐value towards O2, and the unusual electrochemical behavior of C. unicolor laccase used in the present study. In spite of the comparable specific activity and long‐term stability of both preparations in homogeneous solution, the stability of immobilized LLAC was found to be inadmissibly low for both fundamental studies and possible electrochemical applications. Indeed, FLAC is a much better source of enzyme than its lyophilized counterpart.

X-ray structural studies of the fungal laccase from Cerrena maxima

Laccases are members of the blue multi-copper oxidase family. These enzymes oxidize substrate molecules by accepting electrons at a mononuclear copper centre and transferring them to a trinuclear centre. Dioxygen binds to the trinuclear centre and following the transfer of four electrons is reduced to two molecules of water. The X-ray structure of a laccase from Cerrena maxima has been elucidated at 1.9 A resolution using synchrotron data and the molecular replacement technique. The final refinement coefficients are Rcryst = 16.8% and Rfree = 23.0%, with root mean square deviations on bond lengths and bond angles of 0.015 A and 1.51 degrees , respectively. The type 1 copper centre has an isoleucine residue at the axial position and the "resting" state of the trinuclear centre comprises a single oxygen (OH) moiety asymmetrically disposed between the two type 3 copper ions and a water molecule attached to the type 2 ion. Several carbohydrate binding sites have been identified and the glycan chains appear to promote the formation of well-ordered crystals. Two tyrosine residues near the protein surface have been found in a nitrated state.

A crystallographic and spectroscopic study on the effect of X-ray radiation on the crystal structure of Melanocarpus albomyces laccase

Laccases ( p-diphenol dioxygen oxidoreductases) belong to the family of blue multicopper oxidases, which catalyse the four-electron reduction of dioxygen to water concomitantly through the oxidation of substrate molecules. Blue multicopper oxidases have four coppers, a copper (T1) forming a mononuclear site and a cluster of three coppers (T2, T3, and T3′) forming a trinuclear site. Because X-rays are known to liberate electrons during data collection and may thus affect the oxidation state of metals, we have investigated the effect of X-ray radiation upon the crystal structure of a recombinant laccase from Melanocarpus albomyces through the use of crystallography and crystal absorption spectroscopy. Two data sets with different strategies, a low and a high-dose data set, were collected at synchrotron. We have observed earlier that the trinuclear site had an elongated electron density amidst coppers, suggesting dioxygen binding. The low-dose synchrotron structure showed similar elongated electron density, but the high-dose X-ray radiation removed the bulk of this density. Therefore, X-ray radiation could alter the active site of laccase from M. albomyces. Absorption spectra of the crystals (320, 420, and 590 nm) during X-ray radiation were measured at a home laboratory. Spectra clearly showed how that the band at 590 nm had vanished, resulting from the T1 copper being reduced, during the long X-ray measurements. The crystal colour changed from blue to colourless. Absorptions at 320 and 420 nm seemed to be rather permanent. The absorption at 320 nm is due to the T3 coppers and it is proposed that absorption at 420 nm is due to the T2 copper when dioxygen or a reaction intermediate is close to this copper.

Purification, crystallization and preliminary X-ray study of the fungal laccase from Cerrena maxima.

Laccases are members of the blue multi-copper oxidase family that oxidize substrate molecules by accepting electrons at a mononuclear copper centre and transferring them to a trinuclear centre. Dioxygen binds to the trinuclear centre and, following the transfer of four electrons, is reduced to two molecules of water. Crystals of the laccase from Cerrena maxima have been obtained and X-ray data were collected to 1.9 A resolution using synchrotron radiation. A preliminary analysis shows that the enzyme has the typical laccase structure and several carbohydrate sites have been identified. The carbohydrate chains appear to be involved in stabilization of the intermolecular contacts in the crystal structure, thus promoting the formation of well ordered crystals of the enzyme. Here, the results of an X-ray crystallographic study on the laccase from the fungus Cerrena maxima are reported. Crystals that diffract well to a resolution of at least 1.9 A (R factor = 18.953%; R(free) = 23.835; r.m.s.d. bond lengths, 0.06 A; r.m.s.d. bond angles, 1.07 degrees) have been obtained despite the presence of glycan moieties. The overall spatial organization of C. maxima laccase and the structure of its copper-containing active centre have been determined by the molecular-replacement method using the laccase from Trametes versicolor (Piontek et al., 2002) as a structural template. In addition, four glycan-binding sites were identified and the 1.9 A X-ray data were used to determine the previously unknown primary structure of this protein. The identity (calculated from sequence alignment) between the C. maxima laccase and the T. versicolor laccase is about 87%. Tyr196 and Tyr372 show significant extra density at the ortho positions and this has been interpreted in terms of NO(2) substituents.

Redox potentials of the blue copper sites of bilirubin oxidases

The redox potentials of the multicopper redox enzyme bilirubin oxidase (BOD) from two organisms were determined by mediated and direct spectroelectrochemistry. The potential of the T1 site of BOD from the fungus Myrothecium verrucaria was close to 670 mV, whereas that from Trachyderma tsunodae was > 650 mV vs. NHE. For the first time, direct electron transfer was observed between gold electrodes and BODs. The redox potentials of the T2 sites of both BODs were near 390 mV vs. NHE, consistent with previous finding for laccase and suggesting that the redox potentials of the T2 copper sites of most blue multicopper oxidases are similar, about 400 mV.

Kinetic studies on the reaction between Trametes villosa laccase and dioxygen

A laccase from the fungus Trametes villosa (TviL) was investigated in order to elucidate the reaction mechanism of the reduction of dioxygen to water performed by this blue multi-copper oxidase. The ability of TviL to activate dioxygen was studied by stopped-flow experiments and under steady-state conditions. In the stopped-flow experiments TviL was reduced with a small excess of 4-hydroxyphenylacetic acid and afterwards the re-oxidation process was monitored by stopped-flow techniques by mixing with excess dioxygen. The reaction between reduced TviL and dioxygen was studied in the temperature range 10–35 °C and with the concentration of dioxygen between 30 and 240 μM. The observed rate constant k obs is found to be linear dependent on the dioxygen concentration and the observed second-order rate constant for the re-oxidation of reduced TviL is, at 25 °C, determined to be 1.14 × 10 6 M −1 s −1. The activation energy, E a, is from the same data determined to be 22 kJ mol −1. Oxidation of different phenols (4-hydroxyphenylacetic acid, 4-hydroxybenzoic acid, guaiacolsulfonic acid and hydroquinone) under steady state conditions was investigated at concentrations of dioxygen ranging from 60 to 250 μM. This line of experiments showed that TviL follows a ping-pong mechanism, and an observed second-order rate constant for the reaction with dioxygen of 7.1 × 10 5 M −1 s −1 at 25 °C was found with 4-hydroxyphenylacetic acid as reducing substrate. The two kinetic methods resulted in observed rate constants of equal magnitudes for the reaction with dioxygen, which suggests that the rate limiting step(s) is (are) included in both the reactions studied by the two different techniques.

Probing the location of the substrate binding site of ascorbate oxidase near type 1 copper: an investigation through spectroscopic, inhibition and docking studies

The present investigation addresses the problem of the binding mode of phenolic inhibitors and the substrate ascorbate to the active site of ascorbate oxidase. The results from both types of compounds indicate that the binding site is located in a pocket near the type 1 copper center. This information is of general interst for blue multicopper oxidases. Docking calculations performed on the ascorbate oxidase–ascorbate complex show that binding of the substrate occurs in a pocket near type 1 Cu, and is stabilized by at least five hydrogen bonding interactions with protein residues, one of which involves the His512 Cu ligand. Similar docking studies show that the isomeric fluorophenols, which act as competitive inhibitors toward ascorbate, bind to the enzyme in a manner similar to ascorbate. The docking calculations are supported by 19 F NMR relaxation measurements performed on fluorophenols in the presence of the enzyme, which show that the bound inhibitors undergo enhanced relaxation by the paramagnetic effect of a nearby Cu center. Unambiguous support to the location of the inhibitor close to type 1 Cu was obtained by comparative relaxation measurements of the fluorophenols in the presence of the ascorbate oxidase derivative where a Zn atom selectively replaces the paramagnetic type 2 Cu. The latter experiments show that contribution to relaxation of the bound inhibitors by the type 2 Cu site is negligible.

An angular trinuclear copper(II) complex as a model for the active site of multicopper oxidases

A new angular trinuclear copper(II) complex [Cu 3L 1L 2(1-MeIm)(H 2O)](ClO 4) ( 1), where H 3L 1 and H 2L 2 are penta and tetra-dentate Schiff base ligands, is prepared from a reaction of [CuL 2] and [Cu 2L 1(μ-Br)] in the presence of 1-methylimidazole (1-MeIm) and isolated as a perchlorate salt. The complex which crystallizes in the monoclinic space group P2 1/ n shows the presence of a discrete angular trinuclear copper(II) core in which the monomeric precursor is linked with the dimeric precursor through phenoxo bridges. The core structure resembles well with the active site structure of blue multicopper oxidases. The Cu⋯Cu separations of ca. 3.3 Å in the angular unit is 0.4 Å shorter than those observed in the active site of the oxidized form of ascorbate oxidase. The complex displays a visible band at 620 nm ( ε=500 M −1 cm −1) in DMSO. It shows magnetic moment values of 3.07 and 2.18 μ B at 300 and 18 K, respectively, for the Cu 3 cluster. The complex models the structural and magnetic properties of the trinuclear active site of blue copper oxidases.

Covalent linkage of the type-2 and type-3 structural mimics to model the active site structure of multicopper oxidases: synthesis and magneto- structural properties of two angular trinuclear copper(II) complexes.

Two new angular trinuclear copper(II) complexes of formulation [Cu(3)(HL)LL'](ClO(4)), where L' is imidazole (Him, 1) or 1-methylimidazole (1-MeIm, 2) and H(3)L is a Schiff base obtained from the condensation of salicylaldehyde and 1,3-diaminopropan-2-ol (2:1 mole ratio), are prepared from a reaction of [Cu(2)L(mu-Br)] and [Cu(HL)] in the presence of L' and isolated as perchlorate salts. The crystal structures of 1 and 2 consist of a trinuclear copper(II) unit formed by the covalent linkage of monomeric type-2 mimic and dimeric type-3 mimic precursor complexes to give an angular arrangement of the metal atoms in the core which is a model for the active site structure of blue multicopper oxidases. In 1 and 2, the coordination geometry of two terminal copper atoms is distorted square-planar. The central copper has a distorted square-pyramidal (4 + 1) geometry. The mean Cu...Cu distance is approximately 3.3 A. The complex has a diphenoxo-bridged dicopper(II) unit with the phenoxo oxygen atoms showing a planar geometry. In addition, the complex has an endogenous alkoxo-bridged dicopper(II) unit showing a pyramidal geometry for the oxygen atom. The 1:1 electrolytic complexes show a d-d band at 607 nm. Cyclic voltammetry of the complexes in MeCN containing 0.1 M TBAP using a glassy carbon working electrode displays a Cu(3)(II)/Cu(2)(II)Cu(I) couple near -1.0 V (vs SCE). The variable temperature magnetic susceptibility measurements in the range 300-18 K show antiferromagnetic coupling in the complexes giving magnetic moments of approximately 3.0 mu(B) at 300 K and approximately 2.1 mu(B) at 18 K for the tricopper(II) unit. The experimental susceptibility data are theoretically fitted using a model with Heisenberg spin-(1)/(2) Hamiltonian for a trimer of spin-(1)/(2) copper(II) ions having two exchange parameters involving the alkoxo-bridged dicopper(II) (J1) and the diphenoxo-bridged dicopper(II) (J2) units, giving J1 and J2 values of -82.7, -73 cm(-1) for 1 and -98.3, -46.1 cm(-1) for 2, respectively. The structural features indicate a higher magnitude of anitiferromagnetic coupling in the alkoxo-bridged unit based on the greater value of the Cu-O-Cu angle in comparison to the diphenoxo-bridged unit. The core structures of 1 and 2 compare well with the first generation model complexes for the active site structure of multicopper oxidases in the oxidized form. The crystal structure of 1 exhibits a lamellar structure with a gap of approximately 7 A containing water molecules in the interlamellar space. Complex 2 forms a hexanuclear species due to intermolecular hydrogen bonding interactions involving two trimeric units. The crystal packing diagram of 2 displays formation of a three-dimensional framework with cavities containing the perchlorate anions.