10.22376/ijpbs.2019.10.1.p1-12 Volume 3 Issue 3 2012 (July - September) The aim of the present study reported here is to examine the production, purification and characterization of the enzyme laccase from the mushroom lessThan i greaterThan Hypsizygus ulmarius. lessThan /i greaterThan The culture conditions were optimized for the maximum production of enzymes with different parameters such as incubation time, carbon, nitrogen sources. The enzyme was purified by ammonium sulphate precipitation and partially characterized. The optimum conditions for the maximum production of enzyme were; incubation period 6 lessThan sup greaterThan th lessThan /sup greaterThan day, pH 5.0, temperature 30 lessThan sup greaterThan o lessThan /sup greaterThan C, inoculum 3%, carbon source (xylose 3%) and nitrogen source (KNO lessThan sub greaterThan 3 lessThan /sub greaterThan 3%). The enzyme was purified to 5.11 fold with the recovery of 53.33%. The optimum pH and temperature for the purified laccase was found to be 6.0 and 40 lessThan sup greaterThan o lessThan /sup greaterThan C respectively. The enzyme activity was enhanced by the metal ions Mn lessThan sup greaterThan 2+ lessThan /sup greaterThan and Cu lessThan sup greaterThan 2+ lessThan /sup greaterThan whereas it was reduced by Fe lessThan sup greaterThan 2+ lessThan /sup greaterThan , Na lessThan sup greaterThan 2+ lessThan /sup greaterThan and Co lessThan sup greaterThan 2+ lessThan /sup greaterThan . These results suggest that lessThan i greaterThan Hypsizygus ulmarius lessThan /i greaterThan could produce high yield of laccase. With its distinct characteristics laccase could be used for various applications. G. Ravikumar, D. Gomathi, M. Kalaiselvi And C. Uma Laccase, Hypsizygus ulmarius, optimization, industrial enzyme 355-365