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Gervais NC, La Bella AA, Wensing LF, Sharma J, Acquaviva V, Best M, Cadena López RO, Fogal M, Uthayakumar D, Chavez A, Santiago-Tirado F, Flores-Mireles AL, Shapiro RS. Development and applications of a CRISPR activation system for facile genetic overexpression in Candida albicans. G3 (BETHESDA, MD.) 2023; 13:jkac301. [PMID: 36450451 PMCID: PMC9911074 DOI: 10.1093/g3journal/jkac301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2022] [Revised: 11/02/2021] [Accepted: 11/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
For the fungal pathogen Candida albicans, genetic overexpression readily occurs via a diversity of genomic alterations, such as aneuploidy and gain-of-function mutations, with important consequences for host adaptation, virulence, and evolution of antifungal drug resistance. Given the important role of overexpression on C. albicans biology, it is critical to develop and harness tools that enable the analysis of genes expressed at high levels in the fungal cell. Here, we describe the development, optimization, and application of a novel, single-plasmid-based CRISPR activation (CRISPRa) platform for targeted genetic overexpression in C. albicans, which employs a guide RNA to target an activator complex to the promoter region of a gene of interest, thus driving transcriptional expression of that gene. Using this system, we demonstrate the ability of CRISPRa to drive high levels of gene expression in C. albicans, and we assess optimal guide RNA targeting for robust and constitutive overexpression. We further demonstrate the specificity of the system via RNA sequencing. We highlight the application of CRISPR activation to overexpress genes involved in pathogenesis and drug susceptibility, and contribute toward the identification of novel phenotypes. Consequently, this tool will facilitate a broad range of applications for the study of C. albicans genetic overexpression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas C Gervais
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1H 5N4, Canada
| | - Alyssa A La Bella
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556, USA
| | - Lauren F Wensing
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1H 5N4, Canada
| | - Jehoshua Sharma
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1H 5N4, Canada
| | - Victoria Acquaviva
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1H 5N4, Canada
| | - Madison Best
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1H 5N4, Canada
| | | | - Meea Fogal
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1H 5N4, Canada
| | - Deeva Uthayakumar
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1H 5N4, Canada
- Present address: Department of Immunology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Alejandro Chavez
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | | | - Ana L Flores-Mireles
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556, USA
| | - Rebecca S Shapiro
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1H 5N4, Canada
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2
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Cellulose-degrading enzymes: key players in biorefinery development. Biologia (Bratisl) 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s11756-022-01274-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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3
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Filho JAF, Rosolen RR, Almeida DA, de Azevedo PHC, Motta MLL, Aono AH, dos Santos CA, Horta MAC, de Souza AP. Trends in biological data integration for the selection of enzymes and transcription factors related to cellulose and hemicellulose degradation in fungi. 3 Biotech 2021; 11:475. [PMID: 34777932 PMCID: PMC8548487 DOI: 10.1007/s13205-021-03032-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2021] [Accepted: 10/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Fungi are key players in biotechnological applications. Although several studies focusing on fungal diversity and genetics have been performed, many details of fungal biology remain unknown, including how cellulolytic enzymes are modulated within these organisms to allow changes in main plant cell wall compounds, cellulose and hemicellulose, and subsequent biomass conversion. With the advent and consolidation of DNA/RNA sequencing technology, different types of information can be generated at the genomic, structural and functional levels, including the gene expression profiles and regulatory mechanisms of these organisms, during degradation-induced conditions. This increase in data generation made rapid computational development necessary to deal with the large amounts of data generated. In this context, the origination of bioinformatics, a hybrid science integrating biological data with various techniques for information storage, distribution and analysis, was a fundamental step toward the current state-of-the-art in the postgenomic era. The possibility of integrating biological big data has facilitated exciting discoveries, including identifying novel mechanisms and more efficient enzymes, increasing yields, reducing costs and expanding opportunities in the bioprocess field. In this review, we summarize the current status and trends of the integration of different types of biological data through bioinformatics approaches for biological data analysis and enzyme selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaire A. Ferreira Filho
- Center for Molecular Biology and Genetic Engineering (CBMEG), University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, SP Brazil
| | - Rafaela R. Rosolen
- Center for Molecular Biology and Genetic Engineering (CBMEG), University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, SP Brazil
| | - Deborah A. Almeida
- Center for Molecular Biology and Genetic Engineering (CBMEG), University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, SP Brazil
| | - Paulo Henrique C. de Azevedo
- Center for Molecular Biology and Genetic Engineering (CBMEG), University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, SP Brazil
| | - Maria Lorenza L. Motta
- Center for Molecular Biology and Genetic Engineering (CBMEG), University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, SP Brazil
| | - Alexandre H. Aono
- Center for Molecular Biology and Genetic Engineering (CBMEG), University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, SP Brazil
| | - Clelton A. dos Santos
- Center for Molecular Biology and Genetic Engineering (CBMEG), University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, SP Brazil
- Brazilian Biorenewables National Laboratory (LNBR), Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials (CNPEM), Campinas, SP Brazil
| | - Maria Augusta C. Horta
- Center for Molecular Biology and Genetic Engineering (CBMEG), University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, SP Brazil
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP Brazil
| | - Anete P. de Souza
- Center for Molecular Biology and Genetic Engineering (CBMEG), University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, SP Brazil
- Department of Plant Biology, Institute of Biology, UNICAMP, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, SP 13083-875 Brazil
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Mondal S, Halder SK, Mondal KC. Tailoring in fungi for next generation cellulase production with special reference to CRISPR/CAS system. SYSTEMS MICROBIOLOGY AND BIOMANUFACTURING 2021; 2:113-129. [PMID: 38624901 PMCID: PMC8319711 DOI: 10.1007/s43393-021-00045-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2021] [Revised: 07/14/2021] [Accepted: 07/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Cellulose is the utmost plenteous source of biopolymer in our earth, and fungi are the most efficient and ubiquitous organism in degrading the cellulosic biomass by synthesizing cellulases. Tailoring through genetic manipulation has played a substantial role in constructing novel fungal strains towards improved cellulase production of desired traits. However, the traditional methods of genetic manipulation of fungi are time-consuming and tedious. With the availability of the full-genome sequences of several industrially relevant filamentous fungi, CRISPR-CAS (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats/CRISPR-associated protein) technology has come into the focus for the proficient development of manipulated strains of filamentous fungi. This review summarizes the mode of action of cellulases, transcription level regulation for cellulase expression, various traditional strategies of genetic manipulation with CRISPR-CAS technology to develop modified fungal strains for a preferred level of cellulase production, and the futuristic trend in this arena of research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Subhadeep Mondal
- Center for Life Sciences, Vidyasagar University, Midnapore, 721102 West Bengal India
| | - Suman Kumar Halder
- Department of Microbiology, Vidyasagar University, Midnapore, 721102 West Bengal India
| | - Keshab Chandra Mondal
- Department of Microbiology, Vidyasagar University, Midnapore, 721102 West Bengal India
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Usmani Z, Sharma M, Awasthi AK, Sivakumar N, Lukk T, Pecoraro L, Thakur VK, Roberts D, Newbold J, Gupta VK. Bioprocessing of waste biomass for sustainable product development and minimizing environmental impact. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2021; 322:124548. [PMID: 33380376 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2020.124548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2020] [Revised: 12/09/2020] [Accepted: 12/11/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Growing concerns around the generation of biomass waste have triggered conversation around sustainable utilization of these seemingly waste materials as feedstock towards energy generation and production of chemicals and other value-added products. Thus, biotechniques such as utilization of microbes and enzymes derived thereof have become important avenues for green pretreatment and conversion of biomass wastes. Although the products of these bioconversions are greener at an overall level, their consumption and utilization still impact the environment. Hence it is important to understand the overall impact from cradle to grave through lifecycle assessment (LCA) techniques and find avenues of process optimization and better utilization of all the materials and products involved. Another factor to consider is overall cost optimization to make the process economically feasible, profitable and increase industrial adoption. This review brings forward these critical aspects to provide better understanding for the advancement of bioeconomy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zeba Usmani
- Laboratory of Lignin Biochemistry, Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, Tallinn University of Technology, 12618 Tallinn, Estonia
| | - Minaxi Sharma
- Department of Food Technology, Akal College of Agriculture, Eternal University, Baru Sahib, Himachal Pradesh 173101, India
| | | | - Nallusamy Sivakumar
- Department of Biology, College of Science, Sultan Qaboos University, PO Box 36, PC 123, Muscat, Oman
| | - Tiit Lukk
- Laboratory of Lignin Biochemistry, Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, Tallinn University of Technology, 12618 Tallinn, Estonia
| | - Lorenzo Pecoraro
- School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Tianjin University, 92 Weijin Road, Nankai District, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Vijay Kumar Thakur
- Biorefining and Advanced Materials Research Center, Scotland's Rural College (SRUC), Kings Buildings, West Mains Road, Edinburgh EH9 3JG, UK
| | - Dave Roberts
- Biorefining and Advanced Materials Research Center, Scotland's Rural College (SRUC), Kings Buildings, West Mains Road, Edinburgh EH9 3JG, UK
| | - John Newbold
- Dairy Research Centre, Scotland's Rural College (SRUC), Dumfries, UK
| | - Vijai Kumar Gupta
- Biorefining and Advanced Materials Research Center, Scotland's Rural College (SRUC), Kings Buildings, West Mains Road, Edinburgh EH9 3JG, UK; Centre for Safe and Improved Food, Scotland's Rural College (SRUC), Kings Buildings, West Mains Road, Edinburgh EH9 3JG, UK.
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Niyonzima FN. Detergent-compatible fungal cellulases. Folia Microbiol (Praha) 2020; 66:25-40. [PMID: 33184763 DOI: 10.1007/s12223-020-00838-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2020] [Accepted: 11/05/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Detergent enzymes are currently added to all powder and liquid detergents that are manufactured. Cellulases, lipases, amylases, and proteases are used in the detergency to replace toxic phosphates and silicates and to reduce high energy consumption. This makes the use of enzymes in detergent formulation cost effective. Fungi are producers of important extracellular enzymes for industrial use. The fungal and bacterial cellulases maintain the shape and color of the washed garments. There is a high demand for cellulases at the market by detergent industries. With this high demand, genetic engineering has been a solution due to its high production of detergent-compatible cellulases. Fungi are the famous source for detergent-compatible cellulases production, but still, there is a lack of the cost-effective process of alkaline fungal cellulase production. Review papers on detergent-compatible bacterial cellulase and amylase and detergent-compatible fungal and bacterial proteases and lipases are available, but there is no review on detergent fungal cellulases. This review aims to highlight the production, properties, stability, and compatibility of fungal cellulases. It will help other academic and industrial researchers to study, produce, and commercialize the fungal cellulases with good aspects.
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Dadwal A, Sharma S, Satyanarayana T. Progress in Ameliorating Beneficial Characteristics of Microbial Cellulases by Genetic Engineering Approaches for Cellulose Saccharification. Front Microbiol 2020; 11:1387. [PMID: 32670240 PMCID: PMC7327088 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.01387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2020] [Accepted: 05/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Lignocellulosic biomass is a renewable and sustainable energy source. Cellulases are the enzymes that cleave β-1, 4-glycosidic linkages in cellulose to liberate sugars that can be fermented to ethanol, butanol, and other products. Low enzyme activity and yield, and thermostability are, however, some of the limitations posing hurdles in saccharification of lignocellulosic residues. Recent advancements in synthetic and systems biology have generated immense interest in metabolic and genetic engineering that has led to the development of sustainable technology for saccharification of lignocellulosics in the last couple of decades. There have been several attempts in applying genetic engineering in the production of a repertoire of cellulases at a low cost with a high biomass saccharification. A diverse range of cellulases are produced by different microbes, some of which are being engineered to evolve robust cellulases. This review summarizes various successful genetic engineering strategies employed for improving cellulase kinetics and cellulolytic efficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anica Dadwal
- Department of Biological Sciences and Engineering, Netaji Subhas University of Technology, New Delhi, India
| | - Shilpa Sharma
- Department of Biological Sciences and Engineering, Netaji Subhas University of Technology, New Delhi, India
| | - Tulasi Satyanarayana
- Department of Biological Sciences and Engineering, Netaji Subhas University of Technology, New Delhi, India
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Sharma S, Sharma V, Nargotra P, Bajaj BK. Bioprocess development for production of a process-apt xylanase with multifaceted application potential for a range of industrial processes. SN APPLIED SCIENCES 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s42452-020-2541-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
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