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Xu M, Godana EA, Li J, Deng Y, Ma Y, Ya H, Zhang H. Infection of postharvest pear by Penicillium expansum is facilitated by the glycoside hydrolase (eglB) gene. Int J Food Microbiol 2024; 410:110465. [PMID: 37980812 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2023.110465] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2023] [Revised: 10/16/2023] [Accepted: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 11/21/2023]
Abstract
The primary reason for postharvest loss is blue mold disease which is mainly caused by Penicillium expansum. Strategies for disease control greatly depend on the understanding of mechanisms of pathogen-fruit interaction. A member of the glycoside hydrolase family, β-glucosidase 1b (eglB), in P. expansum was significantly upregulated during postharvest pear infection. Glycoside hydrolases are a large group of enzymes that can degrade plant cell wall polymers. High homology was found between the glycoside hydrolase superfamily in P. expansum. Functional characterization and analysis of eglB were performed via gene knockout and complementation analysis. Although eglB deletion had no notable effect on P. expansum colony shape or microscopic morphology, it did reduce the production of fungal hyphae, thereby reducing P. expansum's sporulation and patulin (PAT) accumulation. Moreover, the deletion of eglB (ΔeglB) reduced P. expansum pathogenicity in pears. The growth, conidia production, PAT accumulation, and pathogenicity abilities of ΔeglB were restored to that of wild-type P. expansum by complementation of eglB (ΔeglB-C). These findings indicate that eglB contributes to P. expansum's development and pathogenicity. This research is a contribution to the identification of key effectors of fungal pathogenicity for use as targets in fruit safety strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meiqiu Xu
- College of Food and Drug, Luoyang Normal University, Luoyang 471934, Henan, People's Republic of China
| | - Esa Abiso Godana
- School of Food and Biological Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China
| | - Jingyu Li
- College of Food and Drug, Luoyang Normal University, Luoyang 471934, Henan, People's Republic of China
| | - Yaping Deng
- College of Food and Drug, Luoyang Normal University, Luoyang 471934, Henan, People's Republic of China
| | - Yufei Ma
- College of Food and Drug, Luoyang Normal University, Luoyang 471934, Henan, People's Republic of China
| | - Huiyuan Ya
- College of Food and Drug, Luoyang Normal University, Luoyang 471934, Henan, People's Republic of China.
| | - Hongyin Zhang
- School of Food and Biological Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China.
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2
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Gan T, An H, Tang M, Chen H. Establishment of RNA Interference Genetic Transformation System and Functional Analysis of FlbA Gene in Leptographium qinlingensis. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:13009. [PMID: 37629189 PMCID: PMC10455979 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241613009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2023] [Revised: 08/17/2023] [Accepted: 08/19/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Leptographium qinlingensis is a pathogenic fungus of Pinus armandii that is epidemic in the Qinling Mountains. However, an effective gene interference strategy is needed to characterize the pathogenic genes in this fungus on a functional level. Using the RNA silencing vector pSilent-1 as a template, we established an RNA interference genetic transformation system mediated by Agrobacterium tumefaciens GV3101, which is suitable for the gene study for Leptographium qinlingensis by homologous recombination and strain interference system screening. The LqFlbA gene was silenced using the RNA interference approach described above, and the resulting transformants displayed various levels of silencing with a gene silencing effectiveness ranging from 41.8% to 91.4%. The LqFlbA-RNAi mutant displayed altered colony morphology, sluggish mycelium growth, and diminished pathogenicity toward the host P. armandii in comparison to the wild type. The results indicate that this method provides a useful reverse genetic system for studying the gene function of L. qinlingensis, and that LqFlbA plays a crucial role in the growth, development, and pathogenicity of L. qinlingensis.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Hui Chen
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, College of Forestry and Landscape Architecture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China (H.A.); (M.T.)
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3
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Salazar-Cerezo S, de Vries RP, Garrigues S. Strategies for the Development of Industrial Fungal Producing Strains. J Fungi (Basel) 2023; 9:834. [PMID: 37623605 PMCID: PMC10455633 DOI: 10.3390/jof9080834] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2023] [Revised: 07/31/2023] [Accepted: 08/04/2023] [Indexed: 08/26/2023] Open
Abstract
The use of microorganisms in industry has enabled the (over)production of various compounds (e.g., primary and secondary metabolites, proteins and enzymes) that are relevant for the production of antibiotics, food, beverages, cosmetics, chemicals and biofuels, among others. Industrial strains are commonly obtained by conventional (non-GMO) strain improvement strategies and random screening and selection. However, recombinant DNA technology has made it possible to improve microbial strains by adding, deleting or modifying specific genes. Techniques such as genetic engineering and genome editing are contributing to the development of industrial production strains. Nevertheless, there is still significant room for further strain improvement. In this review, we will focus on classical and recent methods, tools and technologies used for the development of fungal production strains with the potential to be applied at an industrial scale. Additionally, the use of functional genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics and metabolomics together with the implementation of genetic manipulation techniques and expression tools will be discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonia Salazar-Cerezo
- Fungal Physiology, Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute & Fungal Molecular Physiology, Utrecht University, Uppsalalaan 8, 3584 CT Utrecht, The Netherlands (R.P.d.V.)
| | - Ronald P. de Vries
- Fungal Physiology, Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute & Fungal Molecular Physiology, Utrecht University, Uppsalalaan 8, 3584 CT Utrecht, The Netherlands (R.P.d.V.)
| | - Sandra Garrigues
- Food Biotechnology Department, Instituto de Agroquímica y Tecnología de Alimentos (IATA), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Catedrático Agustín Escardino Benlloch 7, 46980 Paterna, VLC, Spain
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4
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Kaimenyi D, Rij M, Wendland J. Improved gene-targeting efficiency upon starvation in Saccharomycopsis. Fungal Genet Biol 2023; 167:103809. [PMID: 37169215 DOI: 10.1016/j.fgb.2023.103809] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2023] [Revised: 05/04/2023] [Accepted: 05/04/2023] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Commonly used fungal transformation protocols rely on the use of either electroporation or the lithium acetate/single strand carrier DNA/Polyethylene glycol/heat shock method. We have used the latter method previously in establishing DNA-mediated transformation in Saccharomycopsis schoenii, a CTG-clade yeast that exhibits necrotrophic mycoparasitism. To elucidate the molecular mechanisms of predation by Saccharomycopsis we aim at gene-function analyses to identify virulence-related pathways and genes. However, in spite of a satisfactory transformation efficiency our efforts were crippled by high frequency of ectopic integration of disruption cassettes. Here, we show that overnight starvation of S. schoenii cells, while reducing the number of transformants, resulted in a substantial increase in gene-targeting via homologous recombination. To demonstrate this, we have deleted the S. schoenii CHS1, HIS3 and LEU2 genes and determined the required size of the flanking homology regions. Additionally, we complemented the S. schoenii leu2 mutant with heterologous LEU2 gene from Saccharomycopsis fermentans. To demonstrate the usefulness of our approach we also generated a S. fermentans leu2 strain, suggesting that this approach may have broader applicability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Davies Kaimenyi
- Department of Microbiology and Biochemistry, Hochschule Geisenheim University, Von-Lade-Strasse, 1, 65366 Geisenheim, Germany
| | - Mareike Rij
- Department of Microbiology and Biochemistry, Hochschule Geisenheim University, Von-Lade-Strasse, 1, 65366 Geisenheim, Germany
| | - Jürgen Wendland
- Department of Microbiology and Biochemistry, Hochschule Geisenheim University, Von-Lade-Strasse, 1, 65366 Geisenheim, Germany; Geisenheim Yeast Breeding Center, Hochschule Geisenheim University, Von-Lade-Strasse, 1, 65366 Geisenheim, Germany.
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5
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Ma C, Liu J, Tang J, Sun Y, Jiang X, Zhang T, Feng Y, Liu Q, Wang L. Current genetic strategies to investigate gene functions in Trichoderma reesei. Microb Cell Fact 2023; 22:97. [PMID: 37161391 PMCID: PMC10170752 DOI: 10.1186/s12934-023-02104-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2022] [Accepted: 04/21/2023] [Indexed: 05/11/2023] Open
Abstract
The filamentous fungus Trichoderma reesei (teleomorph Hypocrea jecorina, Ascomycota) is a well-known lignocellulolytic enzymes-producing strain in industry. To increase the fermentation titer of lignocellulolytic enzymes, random mutagenesis and rational genetic engineering in T. reesei were carried out since it was initially found in the Solomon Islands during the Second World War. Especially the continuous exploration of the underlying regulatory network during (hemi)cellulase gene expression in the post-genome era provided various strategies to develop an efficient fungal cell factory for these enzymes' production. Meanwhile, T. reesei emerges competitiveness potential as a filamentous fungal chassis to produce proteins from other species (e.g., human albumin and interferon α-2b, SARS-CoV-2 N antigen) in virtue of the excellent expression and secretion system acquired during the studies about (hemi)cellulase production. However, all the achievements in high yield of (hemi)cellulases are impossible to finish without high-efficiency genetic strategies to analyze the proper functions of those genes involved in (hemi)cellulase gene expression or secretion. Here, we in detail summarize the current strategies employed to investigate gene functions in T. reesei. These strategies are supposed to be beneficial for extending the potential of T. reesei in prospective strain engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chixiang Ma
- China Medical University-The Queen's University of Belfast Joint College, Shenyang, Liaoning, 110122, China
| | - Jialong Liu
- College of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, 030001, Shanxi, China
| | - Jiaxin Tang
- College of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, 030001, Shanxi, China
| | - Yuanlu Sun
- China Medical University-The Queen's University of Belfast Joint College, Shenyang, Liaoning, 110122, China
| | - Xiaojie Jiang
- China Medical University-The Queen's University of Belfast Joint College, Shenyang, Liaoning, 110122, China
| | - Tongtong Zhang
- China Medical University-The Queen's University of Belfast Joint College, Shenyang, Liaoning, 110122, China
| | - Yan Feng
- College of Life Sciences, Shanxi Agricultural University, Jinzhong, 030801, Shanxi, China
| | - Qinghua Liu
- College of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, 030001, Shanxi, China
| | - Lei Wang
- College of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, 030001, Shanxi, China.
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Chávez R, Vaca I, García-Estrada C. Secondary Metabolites Produced by the Blue-Cheese Ripening Mold Penicillium roqueforti; Biosynthesis and Regulation Mechanisms. J Fungi (Basel) 2023; 9:jof9040459. [PMID: 37108913 PMCID: PMC10144355 DOI: 10.3390/jof9040459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2023] [Revised: 03/29/2023] [Accepted: 04/06/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Filamentous fungi are an important source of natural products. The mold Penicillium roqueforti, which is well-known for being responsible for the characteristic texture, blue-green spots, and aroma of the so-called blue-veined cheeses (French Bleu, Roquefort, Gorgonzola, Stilton, Cabrales, and Valdeón, among others), is able to synthesize different secondary metabolites, including andrastins and mycophenolic acid, as well as several mycotoxins, such as Roquefortines C and D, PR-toxin and eremofortins, Isofumigaclavines A and B, festuclavine, and Annullatins D and F. This review provides a detailed description of the biosynthetic gene clusters and pathways of the main secondary metabolites produced by P. roqueforti, as well as an overview of the regulatory mechanisms controlling secondary metabolism in this filamentous fungus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renato Chávez
- Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Química y Biología, Universidad de Santiago de Chile (USACH), Santiago 9170022, Chile
| | - Inmaculada Vaca
- Departamento de Química, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago 7800003, Chile
| | - Carlos García-Estrada
- Departamento de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Veterinaria, Campus de Vegazana, Universidad de León, 24071 León, Spain
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7
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Advances and Challenges in CRISPR/Cas-Based Fungal Genome Engineering for Secondary Metabolite Production: A Review. J Fungi (Basel) 2023; 9:jof9030362. [PMID: 36983530 PMCID: PMC10058990 DOI: 10.3390/jof9030362] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2023] [Revised: 03/10/2023] [Accepted: 03/14/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Fungi represent an important source of bioactive secondary metabolites (SMs), which have wide applications in many fields, including medicine, agriculture, human health, and many other industries. The genes involved in SM biosynthesis are usually clustered adjacent to each other into a region known as a biosynthetic gene cluster (BGC). The recent advent of a diversity of genetic and genomic technologies has facilitated the identification of many cryptic or uncharacterized BGCs and their associated SMs. However, there are still many challenges that hamper the broader exploration of industrially important secondary metabolites. The recent advanced CRISPR/Cas system has revolutionized fungal genetic engineering and enabled the discovery of novel bioactive compounds. In this review, we firstly introduce fungal BGCs and their relationships with associated SMs, followed by a brief summary of the conventional strategies for fungal genetic engineering. Next, we introduce a range of state-of-the-art CRISPR/Cas-based tools that have been developed and review recent applications of these methods in fungi for research on the biosynthesis of SMs. Finally, the challenges and limitations of these CRISPR/Cas-based systems are discussed and directions for future research are proposed in order to expand their applications and improve efficiency for fungal genetic engineering.
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8
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Zhao X, Fan Y, Zhang W, Xiang M, Kang S, Wang S, Liu X. DhFIG_2, a gene of nematode-trapping fungus Dactylellina haptotyla that encodes a component of the low-affinity calcium uptake system, is required for conidiation and knob-trap formation. Fungal Genet Biol 2023; 166:103782. [PMID: 36849068 DOI: 10.1016/j.fgb.2023.103782] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2022] [Revised: 02/21/2023] [Accepted: 02/22/2023] [Indexed: 03/01/2023]
Abstract
Calcium ion (Ca2+) is a universal second messenger involved in regulating diverse processes in animals, plants, and fungi. The low-affinity calcium uptake system (LACS) participates in acquiring Ca2+ from extracellular environments under high extracellular Ca2+ concentration. Unlike most fungi, which encode only one protein (FIG1) for LACS, nematode-trapping fungi (NTF) encode two related proteins. AoFIG_2, the NTF-specific LACS component encoded by adhesive network-trap forming Arthrobotrys oligospora, was shown to be required for conidiation and trap formation. We characterized the role of DhFIG_2, an AoFIG_2 ortholog encoded by knob-trap forming Dactylellina haptotyla, in growth and development to expand our understanding of the role of LACS in NTF. Because repeated attempts to disrupt DhFIG_2 failed, knocking down the expression of DhFIG_2 via RNA interference (RNAi) was used to study its function. RNAi of DhFIG_2 significantly decreased its expression, severely reduced conidiation and trap formation, and affected vegetative growth and stress responses, suggesting that this component of LACS is crucial for trap formation and conidiation in NTF. Our study demonstrated the utility of RNAi assisted by ATMT for studying gene function in D. haptotyla.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaozhou Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Key Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology and Technology of the Ministry of Education, Department of Microbiology, College of Life Science, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China
| | - Yani Fan
- State Key Laboratory of Mycology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Weiwei Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Mycology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Meichun Xiang
- State Key Laboratory of Mycology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Seogchan Kang
- Department of Plant Pathology & Environmental Microbiology, The Pennsylvania State University, PA 16802, USA
| | - Shunxian Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Key Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology and Technology of the Ministry of Education, Department of Microbiology, College of Life Science, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China.
| | - Xingzhong Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Key Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology and Technology of the Ministry of Education, Department of Microbiology, College of Life Science, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China; State Key Laboratory of Mycology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China.
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9
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Favilla LD, Herman TS, Goersch CDS, de Andrade RV, Felipe MSS, Bocca AL, Fernandes L. Expanding the Toolbox for Functional Genomics in Fonsecaea pedrosoi: The Use of Split-Marker and Biolistic Transformation for Inactivation of Tryptophan Synthase ( trpB) Gene. J Fungi (Basel) 2023; 9:jof9020224. [PMID: 36836338 PMCID: PMC9963410 DOI: 10.3390/jof9020224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2023] [Revised: 01/27/2023] [Accepted: 01/31/2023] [Indexed: 02/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Chromoblastomycosis (CBM) is a disease caused by several dematiaceous fungi from different genera, and Fonsecaea is the most common which has been clinically isolated. Genetic transformation methods have recently been described; however, molecular tools for the functional study of genes have been scarcely reported for those fungi. In this work, we demonstrated that gene deletion and generation of the null mutant by homologous recombination are achievable for Fonsecaea pedrosoi by the use of two approaches: use of double-joint PCR for cassette construction, followed by delivery of the split-marker by biolistic transformation. Through in silico analyses, we identified that F. pedrosoi presents the complete enzymatic apparatus required for tryptophan (trp) biosynthesis. The gene encoding a tryptophan synthase trpB -which converts chorismate to trp-was disrupted. The ΔtrpB auxotrophic mutant can grow with external trp supply, but germination, viability of conidia, and radial growth are defective compared to the wild-type and reconstituted strains. The use of 5-FAA for selection of trp- phenotypes and for counter-selection of strains carrying the trp gene was also demonstrated. The molecular tools for the functional study of genes, allied to the genetic information from genomic databases, significantly boost our understanding of the biology and pathogenicity of CBM causative agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luísa Dan Favilla
- Laboratory of Applied Immunology, Institute of Biology, Campus Darcy Ribeiro, University of Brasília, Asa Norte, Federal District, Brasilia 70910-900, Brazil
- Graduate Program in Molecular Biology, Institute of Biology, Campus Darcy Ribeiro, University of Brasília, Asa Norte, Federal District, Brasilia 70910-900, Brazil
| | - Tatiana Sobianski Herman
- Laboratory of Applied Immunology, Institute of Biology, Campus Darcy Ribeiro, University of Brasília, Asa Norte, Federal District, Brasilia 70910-900, Brazil
- Graduate Program in Molecular Patology, Faculty of Medicine, Campus Darcy Ribeiro, University of Brasília, Asa Norte, Federal District, Brasilia 70910-900, Brazil
| | - Camila da Silva Goersch
- Laboratory of Applied Immunology, Institute of Biology, Campus Darcy Ribeiro, University of Brasília, Asa Norte, Federal District, Brasilia 70910-900, Brazil
- Graduate Program in Microbial Biology, Institute of Biology, Campus Darcy Ribeiro, University of Brasília, Asa Norte, Federal District, Brasilia 70910-900, Brazil
| | - Rosangela Vieira de Andrade
- Graduate Program of Genomic Sciences and Biotechnology, Catholic University of Brasilia, Campus Asa Norte, Asa Norte, Federal District, Taguatinga 70790-160, Brazil
| | - Maria Sueli Soares Felipe
- Graduate Program of Genomic Sciences and Biotechnology, Catholic University of Brasilia, Campus Asa Norte, Asa Norte, Federal District, Taguatinga 70790-160, Brazil
| | - Anamélia Lorenzetti Bocca
- Laboratory of Applied Immunology, Institute of Biology, Campus Darcy Ribeiro, University of Brasília, Asa Norte, Federal District, Brasilia 70910-900, Brazil
- Graduate Program in Molecular Biology, Institute of Biology, Campus Darcy Ribeiro, University of Brasília, Asa Norte, Federal District, Brasilia 70910-900, Brazil
- Graduate Program in Molecular Patology, Faculty of Medicine, Campus Darcy Ribeiro, University of Brasília, Asa Norte, Federal District, Brasilia 70910-900, Brazil
| | - Larissa Fernandes
- Laboratory of Applied Immunology, Institute of Biology, Campus Darcy Ribeiro, University of Brasília, Asa Norte, Federal District, Brasilia 70910-900, Brazil
- Graduate Program in Microbial Biology, Institute of Biology, Campus Darcy Ribeiro, University of Brasília, Asa Norte, Federal District, Brasilia 70910-900, Brazil
- Centro Metropolitano, Faculty of Ceilândia, Campus UnB Ceilândia, University of Brasília, Ceilândia Sul, Federal District, Brasilia 72220-275, Brazil
- Correspondence:
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Woodcraft C, Chooi YH, Roux I. The expanding CRISPR toolbox for natural product discovery and engineering in filamentous fungi. Nat Prod Rep 2023; 40:158-173. [PMID: 36205232 DOI: 10.1039/d2np00055e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Covering: up to May 2022Fungal genetics has transformed natural product research by enabling the elucidation of cryptic metabolites and biosynthetic steps. The enhanced capability to add, subtract, modulate, and rewrite genes via CRISPR/Cas technologies has opened up avenues for the manipulation of biosynthetic gene clusters across diverse filamentous fungi. This review discusses the innovative and diverse strategies for fungal natural product discovery and engineering made possible by CRISPR/Cas-based tools. We also provide a guide into multiple angles of CRISPR/Cas experiment design, and discuss current gaps in genetic tool development for filamentous fungi and the promising opportunities for natural product research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clara Woodcraft
- School of Molecular Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia.
| | - Yit-Heng Chooi
- School of Molecular Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia.
| | - Indra Roux
- School of Molecular Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia.
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11
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Baldin C, Kühbacher A, Merschak P, Wagener J, Gsaller F. Modular Inducible Multigene Expression System for Filamentous Fungi. Microbiol Spectr 2022; 10:e0367022. [PMID: 36350143 PMCID: PMC9769661 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.03670-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2022] [Accepted: 10/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Inducible promoters are indispensable elements when considering the possibility to modulate gene expression on demand. Desirable traits of conditional expression systems include their capacity for tight downregulation, high overexpression, and in some instances for fine-tuning, to achieve a desired product's stoichiometry. Although the number of inducible systems is slowly increasing, suitable promoters comprising these features are rare. To date, the concomitant use of multiple regulatable promoter platforms for controlled multigene expression has been poorly explored. This work provides pioneer work in the human pathogenic fungus Aspergillus fumigatus, wherein we investigated different inducible systems, elucidated three candidate promoters, and proved for the first time that up to three systems can be used simultaneously without interfering with each other. Proof of concept was obtained by conditionally expressing three antifungal drug targets within the ergosterol biosynthetic pathway under the control of the xylose-inducible PxylP system, the tetracycline-dependent Tet-On system, and the thiamine-repressible PthiA system. IMPORTANCE In recent years, inducible promoters have gained increasing interest for industrial or laboratory use and have become key instruments for protein expression, synthetic biology, and metabolic engineering. Constitutive, high-expressing promoters can be used to achieve high expression yields; however, the continuous overexpression of specific proteins can lead to an unpredictable metabolic burden. To prevent undesirable effects on the expression host's metabolism, the utilization of tunable systems that allow expression of a gene product on demand is indispensable. Here, we elucidated several excellent tunable promoter systems and verified that each can be independently induced in a single strain to ultimately develop a unique conditional multigene expression system. This highly efficient, modular toolbox has the potential to significantly advance applications in fundamental as well as applied research in which regulatable expression of several genes is a key requirement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clara Baldin
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Biocenter Innsbruck, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Alexander Kühbacher
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Biocenter Innsbruck, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Petra Merschak
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Biocenter Innsbruck, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Johannes Wagener
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, School of Medicine, Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Fabio Gsaller
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Biocenter Innsbruck, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
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12
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Pareek M, Hegedüs B, Hou Z, Csernetics Á, Wu H, Virágh M, Sahu N, Liu XB, Nagy L. Preassembled Cas9 Ribonucleoprotein-Mediated Gene Deletion Identifies the Carbon Catabolite Repressor and Its Target Genes in Coprinopsis cinerea. Appl Environ Microbiol 2022; 88:e0094022. [PMID: 36374019 PMCID: PMC9746306 DOI: 10.1128/aem.00940-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2022] [Accepted: 10/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Cre1 is an important transcription factor that regulates carbon catabolite repression (CCR) and is widely conserved across fungi. The cre1 gene has been extensively studied in several Ascomycota species, whereas its role in gene expression regulation in the Basidiomycota species remains poorly understood. Here, we identified and investigated the role of cre1 in Coprinopsis cinerea, a basidiomycete model mushroom that can efficiently degrade lignocellulosic plant wastes. We used a rapid and efficient gene deletion approach based on PCR-amplified split-marker DNA cassettes together with in vitro assembled Cas9-guide RNA ribonucleoproteins (Cas9 RNPs) to generate C. cinerea cre1 gene deletion strains. Gene expression profiling of two independent C. cinerea cre1 mutants showed significant deregulation of carbohydrate metabolism, plant cell wall degrading enzymes (PCWDEs), plasma membrane transporter-related and several transcription factor-encoding genes, among others. Our results support the notion that, like reports in the ascomycetes, Cre1 of C. cinerea orchestrates CCR through a combined regulation of diverse genes, including PCWDEs, transcription factors that positively regulate PCWDEs, and membrane transporters which could import simple sugars that can induce the expression of PWCDEs. Somewhat paradoxically, though in accordance with other Agaricomycetes, genes related to lignin degradation were mostly downregulated in cre1 mutants, indicating they fall under different regulation than other PCWDEs. The gene deletion approach and the data presented here will expand our knowledge of CCR in the Basidiomycota and provide functional hypotheses on genes related to plant biomass degradation. IMPORTANCE Mushroom-forming fungi include some of the most efficient lignocellulosic plant biomass degraders. They degrade dead plant materials by a battery of lignin-, cellulose-, hemicellulose-, and pectin-degrading enzymes, the encoding genes of which are under tight transcriptional control. One of the highest-level regulations of these metabolic enzymes is known as carbon catabolite repression, which is orchestrated by the transcription factor Cre1, and ensures that costly lignocellulose-degrading enzyme genes are expressed only when simple carbon sources (e.g., glucose) are not available. Here, we identified the Cre1 ortholog in a litter decomposer Agaricomycete, Coprinopsis cinerea, knocked it out, and characterized transcriptional changes in the mutants. We identified several dozen lignocellulolytic enzyme genes as well as membrane transporters and other transcription factors as putative target genes of C. cinerea cre1. These results extend knowledge on carbon catabolite repression to litter decomposer Basidiomycota.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manish Pareek
- Institute of Biochemistry, Biological Research Centre, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Botond Hegedüs
- Institute of Biochemistry, Biological Research Centre, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Zhihao Hou
- Institute of Biochemistry, Biological Research Centre, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Árpád Csernetics
- Institute of Biochemistry, Biological Research Centre, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Hongli Wu
- Institute of Biochemistry, Biological Research Centre, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Máté Virágh
- Institute of Biochemistry, Biological Research Centre, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Neha Sahu
- Institute of Biochemistry, Biological Research Centre, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Xiao-Bin Liu
- Institute of Biochemistry, Biological Research Centre, Szeged, Hungary
| | - László Nagy
- Institute of Biochemistry, Biological Research Centre, Szeged, Hungary
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13
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Shih SY, Mortensen UH, Chang FR, Tsai H. Editing Aspergillus terreus using the CRISPR-Cas9 system. SYNTHETIC BIOLOGY (OXFORD, ENGLAND) 2022; 7:ysac031. [PMID: 36582448 PMCID: PMC9795164 DOI: 10.1093/synbio/ysac031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2022] [Revised: 11/27/2022] [Accepted: 12/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
CRISPR-Cas9 technology has been utilized in different organisms for targeted mutagenesis, offering a fast, precise and cheap approach to speed up molecular breeding and study of gene function. Until now, many researchers have established the demonstration of applying the CRISPR/Cas9 system to various fungal model species. However, there are very few guidelines available for CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing in Aspergillus terreus. In this study, we present CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing in A. terreus. To optimize the guide ribonucleic acid (gRNA) expression, we constructed a modified single-guide ribonucleic acid (sgRNA)/Cas9 expression plasmid. By co-transforming an sgRNA/Cas9 expression plasmid along with maker-free donor deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), we precisely disrupted the lovB and lovR genes, respectively, and created targeted gene insertion (lovF gene) and iterative gene editing in A. terreus (lovF and lovR genes). Furthermore, co-delivering two sgRNA/Cas9 expression plasmids resulted in precise gene deletion (with donor DNA) in the ku70 and pyrG genes, respectively, and efficient removal of the DNA between the two gRNA targeting sites (no donor DNA) in the pyrG gene. Our results showed that the CRISPR/Cas9 system is a powerful tool for precise genome editing in A. terreus, and our approach provides a great potential for manipulating targeted genes and contributions to gene functional study of A. terreus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sra-Yh Shih
- Department of Marine Biotechnology and Resources, National Sun Yat-Sen University, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan
| | | | - Fang-Rong Chang
- Department of Marine Biotechnology and Resources, National Sun Yat-Sen University, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan,Graduate Institute of Natural Products, College of Pharmacy, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan
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14
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Jarczynska Z, Garcia Vanegas K, Deichmann M, Nørskov Jensen C, Scheeper MJ, Futyma ME, Strucko T, Jares Contesini F, Sparholt Jørgensen T, Blæsbjerg Hoof J, Hasbro Mortensen U. A Versatile in Vivo DNA Assembly Toolbox for Fungal Strain Engineering. ACS Synth Biol 2022; 11:3251-3263. [PMID: 36126183 PMCID: PMC9594312 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.2c00159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Efficient homologous recombination in baker's yeast allows accurate fusion of DNA fragments via short identical sequence tags in vivo. Eliminating the need for an Escherichia coli cloning step speeds up genetic engineering of this yeast and sets the stage for large high-throughput projects depending on DNA construction. With the aim of developing similar tools for filamentous fungi, we first set out to determine the genetic- and sequence-length requirements needed for efficient fusion reactions, and demonstrated that in nonhomologous end-joining deficient strains of Aspergillus nidulans, efficient fusions can be achieved by 25 bp sequence overlaps. Based on these results, we developed a novel fungal in vivo DNA assembly toolbox for simple and flexible genetic engineering of filamentous fungi. Specifically, we have used this method for construction of AMA1-based vectors, complex gene-targeting substrates for gene deletion and gene insertion, and for marker-free CRISPR based gene editing. All reactions were done via single-step transformations involving fusions of up to six different DNA fragments. Moreover, we show that it can be applied in four different species of Aspergilli. We therefore envision that in vivo DNA assembly can be advantageously used for many more purposes and will develop into a popular tool for fungal genetic engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zofia
Dorota Jarczynska
- Eukaryotic
Molecular Cell Biology, Section for Synthetic Biology, Department
of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical
University of Denmark, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Katherina Garcia Vanegas
- Eukaryotic
Molecular Cell Biology, Section for Synthetic Biology, Department
of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical
University of Denmark, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Marcus Deichmann
- Eukaryotic
Molecular Cell Biology, Section for Synthetic Biology, Department
of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical
University of Denmark, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Christina Nørskov Jensen
- Eukaryotic
Molecular Cell Biology, Section for Synthetic Biology, Department
of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical
University of Denmark, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Marouschka Jasmijn Scheeper
- Eukaryotic
Molecular Cell Biology, Section for Synthetic Biology, Department
of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical
University of Denmark, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Malgorzata Ewa Futyma
- Eukaryotic
Molecular Cell Biology, Section for Synthetic Biology, Department
of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical
University of Denmark, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Tomas Strucko
- Eukaryotic
Molecular Cell Biology, Section for Synthetic Biology, Department
of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical
University of Denmark, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Fabiano Jares Contesini
- Eukaryotic
Molecular Cell Biology, Section for Synthetic Biology, Department
of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical
University of Denmark, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Tue Sparholt Jørgensen
- The
Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Jakob Blæsbjerg Hoof
- Eukaryotic
Molecular Cell Biology, Section for Synthetic Biology, Department
of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical
University of Denmark, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Uffe Hasbro Mortensen
- Eukaryotic
Molecular Cell Biology, Section for Synthetic Biology, Department
of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical
University of Denmark, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark,
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15
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The necrosis-inducing protein (NIP) gene contributes to Penicillium expansum virulence during postharvest pear infection. Food Res Int 2022; 158:111562. [DOI: 10.1016/j.foodres.2022.111562] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2022] [Revised: 06/18/2022] [Accepted: 06/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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16
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Liu J, Wang X, Dai G, Zhang Y, Bian X. Microbial chassis engineering drives heterologous production of complex secondary metabolites. Biotechnol Adv 2022; 59:107966. [PMID: 35487394 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2022.107966] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2022] [Revised: 04/20/2022] [Accepted: 04/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
The cryptic secondary metabolite biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) far outnumber currently known secondary metabolites. Heterologous production of secondary metabolite BGCs in suitable chassis facilitates yield improvement and discovery of new-to-nature compounds. The two juxtaposed conventional model microorganisms, Escherichia coli, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, have been harnessed as microbial chassis to produce a bounty of secondary metabolites with the help of certain host engineering. In last decade, engineering non-model microbes to efficiently biosynthesize secondary metabolites has received increasing attention due to their peculiar advantages in metabolic networks and/or biosynthesis. The state-of-the-art synthetic biology tools lead the way in operating genetic manipulation in non-model microorganisms for phenotypic optimization or yields improvement of desired secondary metabolites. In this review, we firstly discuss the pros and cons of several model and non-model microbial chassis, as well as the importance of developing broader non-model microorganisms as alternative programmable heterologous hosts to satisfy the desperate needs of biosynthesis study and industrial production. Then we highlight the lately advances in the synthetic biology tools and engineering strategies for optimization of non-model microbial chassis, in particular, the successful applications for efficient heterologous production of multifarious complex secondary metabolites, e.g., polyketides, nonribosomal peptides, as well as ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides. Lastly, emphasis is on the perspectives of chassis cells development to access the ideal cell factory in the artificial intelligence-driven genome era.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiaqi Liu
- Helmholtz International Lab for Anti-Infectives, Shandong University-Helmholtz Institute of Biotechnology, State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, Shandong 266237, PR China; Present address: Helmholtz-Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS), Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), Saarland University, Campus E8 1, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - Xue Wang
- Helmholtz International Lab for Anti-Infectives, Shandong University-Helmholtz Institute of Biotechnology, State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, Shandong 266237, PR China
| | - Guangzhi Dai
- Helmholtz International Lab for Anti-Infectives, Shandong University-Helmholtz Institute of Biotechnology, State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, Shandong 266237, PR China
| | - Youming Zhang
- Helmholtz International Lab for Anti-Infectives, Shandong University-Helmholtz Institute of Biotechnology, State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, Shandong 266237, PR China
| | - Xiaoying Bian
- Helmholtz International Lab for Anti-Infectives, Shandong University-Helmholtz Institute of Biotechnology, State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, Shandong 266237, PR China.
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17
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Ploessl D, Zhao Y, Cao M, Ghosh S, Lopez C, Sayadi M, Chudalayandi S, Severin A, Huang L, Gustafson M, Shao Z. A repackaged CRISPR platform increases homology-directed repair for yeast engineering. Nat Chem Biol 2022; 18:38-46. [PMID: 34711982 DOI: 10.1038/s41589-021-00893-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2021] [Accepted: 09/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Inefficient homology-directed repair (HDR) constrains CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing in organisms that preferentially employ nonhomologous end joining (NHEJ) to fix DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs). Current strategies used to alleviate NHEJ proficiency involve NHEJ disruption. To confer precision editing without NHEJ disruption, we identified the shortcomings of the conventional CRISPR platforms and developed a CRISPR platform-lowered indel nuclease system enabling accurate repair (LINEAR)-which enhanced HDR rates (to 67-100%) compared to those in previous reports using conventional platforms in four NHEJ-proficient yeasts. With NHEJ preserved, we demonstrate its ability to survey genomic landscapes, identifying loci whose spatiotemporal genomic architectures yield favorable expression dynamics for heterologous pathways. We present a case study that deploys LINEAR precision editing and NHEJ-mediated random integration to rapidly engineer and optimize a microbial factory to produce (S)-norcoclaurine. Taken together, this work demonstrates how to leverage an antagonizing pair of DNA DSB repair pathways to expand the current collection of microbial factories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deon Ploessl
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA.,NSF Engineering Research Center for Biorenewable Chemicals, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA
| | - Yuxin Zhao
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA.,NSF Engineering Research Center for Biorenewable Chemicals, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA
| | - Mingfeng Cao
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA.,NSF Engineering Research Center for Biorenewable Chemicals, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA
| | - Saptarshi Ghosh
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA.,NSF Engineering Research Center for Biorenewable Chemicals, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA
| | - Carmen Lopez
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA.,Interdepartmental Microbiology Program, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA
| | - Maryam Sayadi
- The Genome Informatics Facility, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA
| | - Siva Chudalayandi
- The Genome Informatics Facility, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA
| | - Andrew Severin
- The Genome Informatics Facility, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA
| | - Lei Huang
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA
| | - Marissa Gustafson
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA
| | - Zengyi Shao
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA. .,NSF Engineering Research Center for Biorenewable Chemicals, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA. .,Interdepartmental Microbiology Program, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA. .,Bioeconomy Institute, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA. .,The Ames Laboratory, Ames, IA, USA. .,DOE Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA.
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18
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Targeted Gene Insertion and Replacement in the Basidiomycete Ganoderma lucidum by Inactivation of Nonhomologous End Joining Using CRISPR/Cas9. Appl Environ Microbiol 2021; 87:e0151021. [PMID: 34524900 DOI: 10.1128/aem.01510-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Targeted gene insertion or replacement is a promising genome-editing tool for molecular breeding and gene engineering. Although CRISPR/Cas9 works well for gene disruption and deletion in Ganoderma lucidum, targeted gene insertion and replacement remain a serious challenge due to the low efficiency of homologous recombination (HR) in this species. In this work, we demonstrate that the DNA double-strand breaks induced by Cas9 were mainly repaired via the nonhomologous end joining (NHEJ) pathway, at a frequency of 96.7%. To establish an efficient target gene insertion and replacement tool in Ganoderma, we first inactivated the NHEJ pathway via disruption of the Ku70 gene (ku70) using a dual single guide RNA (sgRNA)-directed gene deletion method. Disruption of the ku70 gene significantly decreased NHEJ activity in G. lucidum. Moreover, ku70 disruption strains exhibited 96.3% and 93.1% frequencies of targeted gene insertion and replacement, respectively, when target DNA with the orotidine 5'-monophosphate decarboxylase (ura3) gene and 1.5-kb homologous 5'- and 3'-flanking sequences was used as a donor template, compared to 3.3% and 0%, respectively, at these targeted sites for a control strain (Cas9 strain). Our results indicated that ku70 disruption strains were efficient recipients for targeted gene insertion and replacement. This tool will advance our understanding of functional genomics in G. lucidum. IMPORTANCE Functional genomic studies in Ganoderma have been hindered by the absence of adequate genome-engineering tools. Although CRISPR/Cas9 works well for gene disruption and deletion in G. lucidum, targeted gene insertion and replacement have remained a serious challenge due to the low efficiency of HR in these species, although such precise genome modifications, including site mutations, site-specific integrations, and allele or promoter replacements, would be incredibly valuable. In this work, we inactivated the NHEJ repair mechanism in G. lucidum by disrupting the ku70 gene using the CRISPR/Cas9 system. Moreover, we established a target gene insertion and replacement method in ku70-disrupted G. lucidum that possessed high-efficiency gene targeting. This technology will advance our understanding of the functional genomics of G. lucidum.
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19
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Kowalczyk JE, Saha S, Mäkelä MR. Application of CRISPR/Cas9 Tools for Genome Editing in the White-Rot Fungus Dichomitus squalens. Biomolecules 2021; 11:1526. [PMID: 34680159 PMCID: PMC8533725 DOI: 10.3390/biom11101526] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2021] [Revised: 10/04/2021] [Accepted: 10/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Dichomitus squalens is an emerging reference species that can be used to investigate white-rot fungal plant biomass degradation, as it has flexible physiology to utilize different types of biomass as sources of carbon and energy. Recent comparative (post-) genomic studies on D. squalens resulted in an increasingly detailed knowledge of the genes and enzymes involved in the lignocellulose breakdown in this fungus and showed a complex transcriptional response in the presence of lignocellulose-derived compounds. To fully utilize this increasing amount of data, efficient and reliable genetic manipulation tools are needed, e.g., to characterize the function of certain proteins in vivo and facilitate the construction of strains with enhanced lignocellulolytic capabilities. However, precise genome alterations are often very difficult in wild-type basidiomycetes partially due to extremely low frequencies of homology directed recombination (HDR) and limited availability of selectable markers. To overcome these obstacles, we assessed various Cas9-single guide RNA (sgRNA) ribonucleoprotein (RNP) -based strategies for selectable homology and non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) -based gene editing in D. squalens. We also showed an induction of HDR-based genetic modifications by using single-stranded oligodeoxynucleotides (ssODNs) in a basidiomycete fungus for the first time. This paper provides directions for the application of targeted CRISPR/Cas9-based genome editing in D. squalens and other wild-type (basidiomycete) fungi.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Miia R. Mäkelä
- Department of Microbiology, University of Helsinki, Viikinkaari 9, 00790 Helsinki, Finland; (J.E.K.); (S.S.)
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20
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Sarmiento-Villamil JL, de Oliveira TC, Naruzawa ES, Bernier L. An Efficient Strategy for Obtaining Mutants by Targeted Gene Deletion in Ophiostoma novo-ulmi. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:699783. [PMID: 34335533 PMCID: PMC8317267 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.699783] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2021] [Accepted: 06/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The dimorphic fungus Ophiostoma novo-ulmi is the highly aggressive pathogen responsible for the current, highly destructive, pandemic of Dutch elm disease (DED). Genome and transcriptome analyses of this pathogen previously revealed that a large set of genes expressed during dimorphic transition were also potentially related to plant infection processes, which seem to be regulated by molecular mechanisms different from those described in other dimorphic pathogens. Then, O. novo-ulmi can be used as a representative species to study the lifestyle of dimorphic pathogenic fungi that are not shared by the "model species" Candida albicans and Ustilago maydis. In order to gain better knowledge of molecular aspects underlying infection process and symptom induction by dimorphic fungi that cause vascular wilt disease, we developed a high-throughput gene deletion protocol for O. novo-ulmi. The protocol is based on transforming a Δmus52 O. novo-ulmi mutant impaired for non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) as the recipient strain, and transforming this strain with the latest version of OSCAR plasmids. The latter are used for generating deletion constructs containing the toxin-coding Herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase (HSVtk) gene which prevents ectopic integration of the T-DNA in Ophiostoma DNA. The frequency of gene deletion by homologous recombination (HR) at the ade1 locus associated with purine nucleotide biosynthesis was up to 77.8% in the Δmus52 mutant compared to 2% in the wild-type (WT). To validate the high efficiency of our deletion gene methodology we deleted ade7, which also belongs to the purine nucleotide pathway, as well as bct2, ogf1, and opf2 which encode fungal binuclear transcription factors (TFs). The frequency of gene replacement by HR for these genes reached up to 94%. We expect that our methodology combining the use of NHEJ deficient strains and OSCAR plasmids will function with similar high efficiencies for other O. novo-ulmi genes and other filamentous fungi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorge Luis Sarmiento-Villamil
- Centre d’Étude de la Forêt (CEF) and Institut de Biologie Intégrative et des Systèmes (IBIS), Université Laval, Quebec City, QC, Canada
| | - Thais Campos de Oliveira
- Centre d’Étude de la Forêt (CEF) and Institut de Biologie Intégrative et des Systèmes (IBIS), Université Laval, Quebec City, QC, Canada
| | - Erika Sayuri Naruzawa
- Centre d’Étude de la Forêt (CEF) and Institut de Biologie Intégrative et des Systèmes (IBIS), Université Laval, Quebec City, QC, Canada
- Collège Communautaire du Nouveau-Brunswick, Réseau CCNB-INNOV, Grand Falls, NB, Canada
| | - Louis Bernier
- Centre d’Étude de la Forêt (CEF) and Institut de Biologie Intégrative et des Systèmes (IBIS), Université Laval, Quebec City, QC, Canada
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21
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Lee YY, Vidal-Diez de Ulzurrun G, Schwarz EM, Stajich JE, Hsueh YP. Genome sequence of the oyster mushroom Pleurotus ostreatus strain PC9. G3-GENES GENOMES GENETICS 2021; 11:6044136. [PMID: 33585864 PMCID: PMC8022983 DOI: 10.1093/g3journal/jkaa008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2020] [Accepted: 10/01/2020] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
The oyster mushroom Pleurotus ostreatus is a basidiomycete commonly found in the rotten wood and it is one of the most cultivated edible mushrooms globally. Pleurotus ostreatus is also a carnivorous fungus, which can paralyze and kill nematodes within minutes. However, the molecular mechanisms of the predator-prey interactions between P. ostreatus and nematodes remain unclear. PC9 and PC15 are two model strains of P. ostreatus and the genomes of both strains have been sequenced and deposited at the Joint Genome Institute (JGI). These two monokaryotic strains exhibit dramatic differences in growth, but because PC9 grows more robustly in laboratory conditions, it has become the strain of choice for many studies. Despite the fact that PC9 is the common strain for investigation, its genome is fragmentary and incomplete relative to that of PC15. To overcome this problem, we used PacBio long reads and Illumina sequencing to assemble and polish a more integrated genome for PC9. Our PC9 genome assembly, distributed across 17 scaffolds, is highly contiguous and includes five telomere-to-telomere scaffolds, dramatically improving the genome quality. We believe that our PC9 genome resource will be useful to the fungal research community investigating various aspects of P. ostreatus biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi-Yun Lee
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Academia Sinica, Nangang, Taipei 115, Taiwan.,Genome and Systems Biology Degree Program, National Taiwan University and Academic Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | | | - Erich M Schwarz
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853-2703, USA
| | - Jason E Stajich
- Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
| | - Yen-Ping Hsueh
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Academia Sinica, Nangang, Taipei 115, Taiwan.,Genome and Systems Biology Degree Program, National Taiwan University and Academic Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan.,Department of Biochemical Science and Technology, National Taiwan University, Taipei 106, Taiwan
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22
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Daba GM, Mostafa FA, Elkhateeb WA. The ancient koji mold (Aspergillus oryzae) as a modern biotechnological tool. BIORESOUR BIOPROCESS 2021; 8:52. [PMID: 38650252 PMCID: PMC10992763 DOI: 10.1186/s40643-021-00408-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2021] [Accepted: 06/16/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Aspergillus oryzae (A. oryzae) is a filamentous micro-fungus that is used from centuries in fermentation of different foods in many countries all over the world. This valuable fungus is also a rich source of many bioactive secondary metabolites. Moreover, A. oryzae has a prestigious secretory system that allows it to secrete high concentrations of proteins into its culturing medium, which support its use as biotechnological tool in veterinary, food, pharmaceutical, and industrial fields. This review aims to highlight the significance of this valuable fungus in food industry, showing its generosity in production of nutritional and bioactive metabolites that enrich food fermented by it. Also, using A. oryzae as a biotechnological tool in the field of enzymes production was described. Furthermore, domestication, functional genomics, and contributions of A. oryzae in functional production of human pharmaceutical proteins were presented. Finally, future prospects in order to get more benefits from A. oryzae were discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ghoson M Daba
- Chemistry of Natural and Microbial Products Department, Pharmaceutical Industries Researches Division, National Research Centre, El Buhouth Street, Dokki, Giza, 12311, Egypt.
| | - Faten A Mostafa
- Chemistry of Natural and Microbial Products Department, Pharmaceutical Industries Researches Division, National Research Centre, El Buhouth Street, Dokki, Giza, 12311, Egypt.
| | - Waill A Elkhateeb
- Chemistry of Natural and Microbial Products Department, Pharmaceutical Industries Researches Division, National Research Centre, El Buhouth Street, Dokki, Giza, 12311, Egypt
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Araki Y, Yuzuki M, Masakari Y, Sato A, Gomi K, Hara S. High-level heterologous protein production using an attenuated selection marker in Aspergillus sojae. J GEN APPL MICROBIOL 2021; 67:77-80. [PMID: 33298630 DOI: 10.2323/jgam.2020.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Filamentous fungi, including Aspergillus sojae, are essential for the industrial production of enzymes. Although multi-copy introduction of a gene encoding the protein of interest is useful for increasing protein production, this method has not been established in the case of filamentous fungi. In this study, we aimed to establish an efficient system for multi-copy chromosomal integration and high-level expression of a heterologous gene in A. sojae using an attenuated selectable marker. Consequently, by truncating the promoter region of selectable markers, we efficiently introduced multiple copies of a heterologous gene and enhanced the rate of high-level protein-production in the strains. Since the multi-copy strains obtained in this study maintained high productivity even in a non-selective medium, this system could be applicable for industrial protein production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasuko Araki
- Research and Development Division, Kikkoman Corporation
| | | | | | - Atsushi Sato
- Research and Development Division, Kikkoman Corporation
| | - Keiko Gomi
- Research and Development Division, Kikkoman Corporation
| | - Seiichi Hara
- Research and Development Division, Kikkoman Corporation
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24
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Ji L, Wang J, Luo Q, Ding Q, Tang W, Chen X, Liu L. Enhancing L-malate production of Aspergillus oryzae by nitrogen regulation strategy. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2021; 105:3101-3113. [PMID: 33818672 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-021-11149-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2020] [Revised: 01/14/2021] [Accepted: 01/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Regulating morphology engineering and fermentation of Aspergillus oryzae makes it possible to increase the titer of L-malate. However, the existing L-malate-producing strain has limited L-malate production capacity and the fermentation process is insufficiently mature, which cannot meet the needs of industrial L-malate production. To further increase the L-malate production capacity of A. oryzae, we screened out a mutant strain (FMME-S-38) that produced 79.8 g/L L-malate in 250-mL shake flasks, using a newly developed screening system based on colony morphology on the plate. We further compared the extracellular nitrogen (N1) and intracellular nitrogen (N2) contents of the control and mutant strain (FMME-S-38) to determine the relationship between the curve of nitrogen content (N1 and N2) and the L-malate titer. This correlation was then used to optimize the conditions for developing a novel nitrogen supply strategy (initial tryptone concentration of 6.5 g/L and feeding with 3 g/L tryptone at 24 h). Fermentation in a 7.5-L fermentor under the optimized conditions further increased the titer and productivity of L-malate to 143.3 g/L and 1.19 g/L/h, respectively, corresponding to 164.9 g/L and 1.14 g/L/h in a 30-L fermentor. This nitrogen regulation-based strategy cannot only enhance industrial-scale L-malate production but also has generalizability and the potential to increase the production of similar metabolites.Key Points• Construction of a new screening system based on colony morphology on the plate.• A novel nitrogen regulation strategy used to regulate the production of L-malate.• A nitrogen supply strategy used to maximize the production of L-malate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lihao Ji
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China.,International Joint Laboratory on Food Safety, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China
| | - Ju Wang
- College of Food Engineering, Anhui Science and Technology University, Chuzhou, 233100, Anhui, China
| | - Qiuling Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China.,International Joint Laboratory on Food Safety, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China
| | - Qiang Ding
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China.,International Joint Laboratory on Food Safety, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China
| | - Wenxiu Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China.,International Joint Laboratory on Food Safety, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China
| | - Xiulai Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China.,International Joint Laboratory on Food Safety, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China
| | - Liming Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China. .,International Joint Laboratory on Food Safety, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China.
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25
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Jiang C, Lv G, Tu Y, Cheng X, Duan Y, Zeng B, He B. Applications of CRISPR/Cas9 in the Synthesis of Secondary Metabolites in Filamentous Fungi. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:638096. [PMID: 33643273 PMCID: PMC7905030 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.638096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2020] [Accepted: 01/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Filamentous fungi possess the capacity to produce a wide array of secondary metabolites with diverse biological activities and structures, such as lovastatin and swainsonine. With the advent of the post-genomic era, increasing amounts of cryptic or uncharacterized secondary metabolite biosynthetic gene clusters are continually being discovered. However, owing to the longstanding lack of versatile, comparatively simple, and highly efficient genetic manipulation techniques, the broader exploration of industrially important secondary metabolites has been hampered thus far. With the emergence of CRISPR/Cas9-based genome editing technology, this dilemma may be alleviated, as this advanced technique has revolutionized genetic research and enabled the exploitation and discovery of new bioactive compounds from filamentous fungi. In this review, we introduce the CRISPR/Cas9 system in detail and summarize the latest applications of CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome editing in filamentous fungi. We also briefly introduce the specific applications of the CRISPR/Cas9 system and CRISPRa in the improvement of secondary metabolite contents and discovery of novel biologically active compounds in filamentous fungi, with specific examples noted. Additionally, we highlight and discuss some of the challenges and deficiencies of using the CRISPR/Cas9-based genome editing technology in research on the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites as well as future application of CRISPR/Cas9 strategy in filamentous fungi are highlighted and discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunmiao Jiang
- Jiangxi Key Laboratory of Bioprocess Engineering and Co-Innovation Center for In-Vitro Diagnostic Reagents and Devices of Jiangxi Province, College of Life Sciences, Jiangxi Science and Technology Normal University, Nanchang, China
| | - Gongbo Lv
- Jiangxi Key Laboratory of Bioprocess Engineering and Co-Innovation Center for In-Vitro Diagnostic Reagents and Devices of Jiangxi Province, College of Life Sciences, Jiangxi Science and Technology Normal University, Nanchang, China
| | - Yayi Tu
- Jiangxi Key Laboratory of Bioprocess Engineering and Co-Innovation Center for In-Vitro Diagnostic Reagents and Devices of Jiangxi Province, College of Life Sciences, Jiangxi Science and Technology Normal University, Nanchang, China
| | - Xiaojie Cheng
- College of Life Sciences, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu, China
| | - Yitian Duan
- School of Information, Renmin University of China, Beijing, China
| | - Bin Zeng
- Jiangxi Key Laboratory of Bioprocess Engineering and Co-Innovation Center for In-Vitro Diagnostic Reagents and Devices of Jiangxi Province, College of Life Sciences, Jiangxi Science and Technology Normal University, Nanchang, China.,College of Pharmacy, Shenzhen Technology University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Bin He
- Jiangxi Key Laboratory of Bioprocess Engineering and Co-Innovation Center for In-Vitro Diagnostic Reagents and Devices of Jiangxi Province, College of Life Sciences, Jiangxi Science and Technology Normal University, Nanchang, China
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26
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Molecular breeding of sporeless strains of Pleurotus ostreatus using a non-homologous DNA end-joining defective strain. Mycol Prog 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s11557-020-01661-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
AbstractGene targeting is useful to isolate strains with mutations in a gene of interest for efficient breeding. In this study, we generated msh4 or mer3 single-gene disruptant monokaryons using a Pleurotus ostreatus Δku80 strain for efficient gene targeting. Dikaryons of P. ostreatus Δmsh4×Δmsh4 or Δmer3×Δmer3 were isolated via backcrosses, and the number of basidiospores produced was measured. The number of basidiospores fell by an average 1/13.7 in the P. ostreatus Δmsh4×Δmsh4 dikaryons versus the P. ostreatus msh4+×Δmsh4 dikaryons, and 1/82.6 in the P. ostreatus Δmer3×Δmer3 dikaryons versus the P. ostreatus mer3+×Δmer3 dikaryons. To demonstrate the effects of ku80 disruption, P. ostreatus Δku80×Δku80 dikaryon strains were isolated and no significant effects on basidiospore production were observed. Fluorescence microscopy showed meiotic progression was arrested during prophase I in the msh4 or mer3 disruptants. To our knowledge, this is the first report on molecular breeding of sporeless strains in cultivated mushrooms using an efficient method for targeted gene disruption.
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Wohlschlager L, Csarman F, Chang H, Fitz E, Seiboth B, Ludwig R. Heterologous expression of Phanerochaete chrysosporium cellobiose dehydrogenase in Trichoderma reesei. Microb Cell Fact 2021; 20:2. [PMID: 33407462 PMCID: PMC7789494 DOI: 10.1186/s12934-020-01492-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2020] [Accepted: 12/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Cellobiose dehydrogenase from Phanerochaete chrysosporium (PcCDH) is a key enzyme in lignocellulose depolymerization, biosensors and biofuel cells. For these applications, it should retain important molecular and catalytic properties when recombinantly expressed. While homologous expression is time-consuming and the prokaryote Escherichia coli is not suitable for expression of the two-domain flavocytochrome, the yeast Pichia pastoris is hyperglycosylating the enzyme. Fungal expression hosts like Aspergillus niger and Trichoderma reesei were successfully used to express CDH from the ascomycete Corynascus thermophilus. This study describes the expression of basidiomycetes PcCDH in T. reesei (PcCDHTr) and the detailed comparison of its molecular, catalytic and electrochemical properties in comparison with PcCDH expressed by P. chrysosporium and P. pastoris (PcCDHPp). Results PcCDHTr was recombinantly produced with a yield of 600 U L−1 after 4 days, which is fast compared to the secretion of the enzyme by P. chrysosporium. PcCDHTr and PcCDH were purified to homogeneity by two chromatographic steps. Both enzymes were comparatively characterized in terms of molecular and catalytic properties. The pH optima for electron acceptors are identical for PcCDHTr and PcCDH. The determined FAD cofactor occupancy of 70% for PcCDHTr is higher than for other recombinantly produced CDHs and its catalytic constants are in good accordance with those of PcCDH. Mass spectrometry showed high mannose-type N-glycans on PcCDH, but only single N-acetyl-d-glucosamine additions at the six potential N-glycosylation sites of PcCDHTr, which indicates the presence of an endo-N-acetyl-β-d-glucosaminidase in the supernatant. Conclusions Heterologous production of PcCDHTr is faster and the yield higher than secretion by P. chrysosporium. It also does not need a cellulose-based medium that impedes efficient production and purification of CDH by binding to the polysaccharide. The obtained high uniformity of PcCDHTr glycoforms will be very useful to investigate electron transfer characteristics in biosensors and biofuel cells, which are depending on the spatial restrictions inflicted by high-mannose N-glycan trees. The determined catalytic and electrochemical properties of PcCDHTr are very similar to those of PcCDH and the FAD cofactor occupancy is good, which advocates T. reesei as expression host for engineered PcCDH for biosensors and biofuel cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lena Wohlschlager
- Biocatalysis and Biosensing Laboratory, Department of Food Science and Technology, BOKU-University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Muthgasse 18, 1190, Vienna, Austria
| | - Florian Csarman
- Biocatalysis and Biosensing Laboratory, Department of Food Science and Technology, BOKU-University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Muthgasse 18, 1190, Vienna, Austria
| | - Hucheng Chang
- Biocatalysis and Biosensing Laboratory, Department of Food Science and Technology, BOKU-University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Muthgasse 18, 1190, Vienna, Austria
| | - Elisabeth Fitz
- Research Division Biochemical Technology, Institute of Chemical, Environmental and Bioscience Engineering, TU Wien, 1060, Vienna, Austria
| | - Bernhard Seiboth
- Research Division Biochemical Technology, Institute of Chemical, Environmental and Bioscience Engineering, TU Wien, 1060, Vienna, Austria
| | - Roland Ludwig
- Biocatalysis and Biosensing Laboratory, Department of Food Science and Technology, BOKU-University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Muthgasse 18, 1190, Vienna, Austria.
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28
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Kuo CC, Lin YC, Chen LH, Lin MY, Shih MC, Lee MH. CaNRT2.1 Is Required for Nitrate but Not Nitrite Uptake in Chili Pepper Pathogen Colletotrichum acutatum. Front Microbiol 2021; 11:613674. [PMID: 33469454 PMCID: PMC7813687 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.613674] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2020] [Accepted: 11/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Chili peppers are an important food additive used in spicy cuisines worldwide. However, the yield and quality of chilis are threatened by anthracnose disease caused by Colletotrichum acutatum. Despite the impact of C. acutatum on chili production, the genes involved in fungal development and pathogenicity in this species have not been well characterized. In this study, through T-DNA insertional mutagenesis, we identified a mutant strain termed B7, which is defective for the growth of C. acutatum on a minimal nutrient medium. Our bioinformatics analysis revealed that a large fragment DNA (19.8 kb) is deleted from the B7 genome, thus resulting in the deletion of three genes, including CaGpiP1 encoding a glycosylphosphatidyl-inisotol (GPI)-anchored protein, CaNRT2.1 encoding a membrane-bound nitrate/nitrite transporter, and CaRQH1 encoding a RecQ helicase protein. In addition, T-DNA is inserted upstream of the CaHP1 gene encoding a hypothetical protein. Functional characterization of CaGpiP1, CaNRT2.1, and CaHP1 by targeted gene disruption and bioassays indicated that CaNRT2.1 is responsible for the growth-defective phenotype of B7. Both B7 and CaNRT2.1 mutant strains cannot utilize nitrate as nitrogen sources, thus restraining the fungal growth on a minimal nutrient medium. In addition to CaNRT2.1, our results showed that CaGpiP1 is a cell wall-associated GPI-anchored protein. However, after investigating the functions of CaGpiP1 and CaHP1 in fungal pathogenicity, growth, development and stress tolerance, we were unable to uncover the roles of these two genes in C. acutatum. Collectively, in this study, our results identify the growth-defective strain B7 via T-DNA insertion and reveal the critical role of CaNRT2.1 in nitrate transportation for the fungal growth of C. acutatum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chia-Chi Kuo
- Department of Plant Pathology, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Yung-Chu Lin
- Department of Plant Pathology, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Li-Hung Chen
- Department of Plant Pathology, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan.,Advanced Plant Biotechnology Center, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Meng-Yi Lin
- Department of Plant Pathology, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan.,Advanced Plant Biotechnology Center, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Ming-Che Shih
- Agricultural Biotechnology Research Center, Academic Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Miin-Huey Lee
- Department of Plant Pathology, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan.,Advanced Plant Biotechnology Center, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan
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29
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Lu J, Li J, Gao H, Zhou D, Xu H, Cong Y, Zhang W, Xin F, Jiang M. Recent progress on bio-succinic acid production from lignocellulosic biomass. World J Microbiol Biotechnol 2021; 37:16. [PMID: 33394223 DOI: 10.1007/s11274-020-02979-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2020] [Accepted: 12/05/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Succinic acid is a valuable bulk chemical, which has been extensively applied in food, medicine, surfactants and biodegradable plastics industries. As a substitute for chemical raw material, bio-based succinic acid production has received increasing attention due to the depletion of fossil fuels and environmental issues. Meanwhile, the effective bioconversion of lignocellulosic biomass has always been a hot spot of interest owning to the advantages of low expense, abundance and renewability. Consolidated bioprocessing (CBP) is considered to be an alternative approach with outstanding potential, as CBP can not only improve the product yield and productivity, but also reduce the equipment and operating costs. In addition, the current emerging microbial co-cultivation systems provide strong competitiveness for lignocellulose utilization through CBP. This article comprehensively discusses different strategies for the bioconversion of lignocellulose to succinic acid. Based on the principles and technical concepts of CBP, this review focuses on the progress of succinic acid production under different CBP strategies (metabolic engineering based and microbial co-cultivation based). Moreover, the main challenges faced by CBP-based succinic acid fermentation are analyzed, and the future direction of CBP production is prospected.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiasheng Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering, College of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Puzhu South Road 30#, Nanjing, 211816, People's Republic of China
| | - Jiawen Li
- State Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering, College of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Puzhu South Road 30#, Nanjing, 211816, People's Republic of China
| | - Hao Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering, College of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Puzhu South Road 30#, Nanjing, 211816, People's Republic of China
| | - Dawei Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering, College of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Puzhu South Road 30#, Nanjing, 211816, People's Republic of China
| | - Huixin Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering, College of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Puzhu South Road 30#, Nanjing, 211816, People's Republic of China
| | - Yuexin Cong
- State Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering, College of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Puzhu South Road 30#, Nanjing, 211816, People's Republic of China
| | - Wenming Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering, College of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Puzhu South Road 30#, Nanjing, 211816, People's Republic of China. .,Jiangsu National Synergetic Innovation Center for Advanced Materials (SICAM), Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing, 211816, People's Republic of China.
| | - Fengxue Xin
- State Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering, College of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Puzhu South Road 30#, Nanjing, 211816, People's Republic of China. .,Jiangsu National Synergetic Innovation Center for Advanced Materials (SICAM), Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing, 211816, People's Republic of China.
| | - Min Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering, College of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Puzhu South Road 30#, Nanjing, 211816, People's Republic of China.,Jiangsu National Synergetic Innovation Center for Advanced Materials (SICAM), Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing, 211816, People's Republic of China
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30
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Gressler M, Löhr NA, Schäfer T, Lawrinowitz S, Seibold PS, Hoffmeister D. Mind the mushroom: natural product biosynthetic genes and enzymes of Basidiomycota. Nat Prod Rep 2021; 38:702-722. [PMID: 33404035 DOI: 10.1039/d0np00077a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Covering: up to September 2020 Mushroom-forming fungi of the division Basidiomycota have traditionally been recognised as prolific producers of structurally diverse and often bioactive secondary metabolites, using the methods of chemistry for research. Over the past decade, -omics technologies were applied on these fungi, and sophisticated heterologous gene expression platforms emerged, which have boosted research into the genetic and biochemical basis of the biosyntheses. This review provides an overview on experimentally confirmed natural product biosyntheses of basidiomycete polyketides, amino acid-derived products, terpenoids, and volatiles. We also present challenges and solutions particular to natural product research with these fungi. 222 references are cited.
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Affiliation(s)
- Markus Gressler
- Department of Pharmaceutical Microbiology at the Hans Knöll Institute, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, Winzerlaer Strasse 2, 07745 Jena, Germany.
| | - Nikolai A Löhr
- Department of Pharmaceutical Microbiology at the Hans Knöll Institute, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, Winzerlaer Strasse 2, 07745 Jena, Germany.
| | - Tim Schäfer
- Department of Pharmaceutical Microbiology at the Hans Knöll Institute, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, Winzerlaer Strasse 2, 07745 Jena, Germany.
| | - Stefanie Lawrinowitz
- Department of Pharmaceutical Microbiology at the Hans Knöll Institute, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, Winzerlaer Strasse 2, 07745 Jena, Germany.
| | - Paula Sophie Seibold
- Department of Pharmaceutical Microbiology at the Hans Knöll Institute, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, Winzerlaer Strasse 2, 07745 Jena, Germany.
| | - Dirk Hoffmeister
- Department of Pharmaceutical Microbiology at the Hans Knöll Institute, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, Winzerlaer Strasse 2, 07745 Jena, Germany.
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An advanced genetic toolkit for exploring the biology of the rock-inhabiting black fungus Knufia petricola. Sci Rep 2020; 10:22021. [PMID: 33328531 PMCID: PMC7745021 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-79120-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2020] [Accepted: 12/03/2020] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Microcolonial black fungi are a group of ascomycetes that exhibit high stress tolerance, yeast-like growth and constitutive melanin formation. They dominate a range of hostile natural and man-made environments, from desert rocks and salterns to dishwashers, roofs and solar panels. Due to their slow growth and a lack of genetic tools, the underlying mechanisms of black fungi’s phenotypic traits have remained largely unexplored. We chose to address this gap by genetically engineering the rock-inhabiting fungus Knufia petricola (Eurotiomycetes, Chaetothyriales), a species that exhibits all characteristics of black fungi. A cell biological approach was taken by generating K. petricola strains expressing green or red fluorescent protein variants. By applying: (1) traditional gene replacement; (2) gene editing and replacement via plasmid-based or ribonucleoprotein (RNP)-based CRISPR/Cas9, and (3) silencing by RNA interference (RNAi), we constructed mutants in the pathways leading to melanin, carotenoids, uracil and adenine. Stable single and double mutants were generated with homologous recombination (HR) rates up to 100%. Efficient, partially cloning-free strategies to mutate multiple genes with or without resistance cassettes were developed. This state-of-the-art genetic toolkit, together with the annotated genome sequence of strain A95, firmly established K. petricola as a model for exploring microcolonial black fungi.
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32
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Ullah M, Xia L, Xie S, Sun S. CRISPR/Cas9-based genome engineering: A new breakthrough in the genetic manipulation of filamentous fungi. Biotechnol Appl Biochem 2020; 67:835-851. [PMID: 33179815 DOI: 10.1002/bab.2077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2020] [Accepted: 10/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Filamentous fungi have several industrial, environmental, and medical applications. However, they are rarely utilized owing to the limited availability of full-genome sequences and genetic manipulation tools. Since the recent discovery of the full-genome sequences for certain industrially important filamentous fungi, CRISPR/Cas9 technology has drawn attention for the efficient development of engineered strains of filamentous fungi. CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing has been successfully applied to diverse filamentous fungi. In this review, we briefly discuss the use of common genetic transformation techniques as well as CRISPR/Cas9-based systems in filamentous fungi. Furthermore, we describe potential limitations and challenges in the practical application of genome engineering of filamentous fungi. Finally, we provide suggestions and highlight future research prospects in the area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mati Ullah
- Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Lin Xia
- Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Shangxian Xie
- Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Su Sun
- Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
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33
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Son YE, Park HS. Genetic Manipulation and Transformation Methods for Aspergillus spp. MYCOBIOLOGY 2020; 49:95-104. [PMID: 37970179 PMCID: PMC10635212 DOI: 10.1080/12298093.2020.1838115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2020] [Revised: 09/28/2020] [Accepted: 10/13/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2023]
Abstract
Species of the genus Aspergillus have a variety of effects on humans and have been considered industrial cell factories due to their prominent ability for manufacturing several products such as heterologous proteins, secondary metabolites, and organic acids. Scientists are trying to improve fungal strains and re-design metabolic processes through advanced genetic manipulation techniques and gene delivery systems to enhance their industrial efficiency and utility. In this review, we describe the current status of the genetic manipulation techniques and transformation methods for species of the genus Aspergillus. The host strains, selective markers, and experimental materials required for the genetic manipulation and fungal transformation are described in detail. Furthermore, the advantages and disadvantages of these techniques are described.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ye-Eun Son
- School of Food Science and Biotechnology, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Republic of Korea
| | - Hee-Soo Park
- School of Food Science and Biotechnology, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Republic of Korea
- Department of Integrative Biology, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Republic of Korea
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34
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Zhang Z, Li Y, Luo L, Hao J, Li J. Characterization of cmcp Gene as a Pathogenicity Factor of Ceratocystis manginecans. Front Microbiol 2020; 11:1824. [PMID: 32849428 PMCID: PMC7411389 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.01824] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2020] [Accepted: 07/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Ceratocystis manginecans causes mango wilt with significant economic losses. In the infection court, cerato-platanin (CP) family proteins (CPPs) are believed to involve in pathogenesis but has not been determined in C. manginecans. To confirm this function, a CP protein (CmCP) of C. manginecans was characterized in this study. A protoplast of C. manginecans was prepared by treating its mycelia with driselase and lysing enzymes. The cmcp gene was edited using CRISPR/Cas-U6-1 expression vectors in 60% PEG and 50 μg/mL hygromycin B in the medium, resulting in mutants with cmcp deletion (Δcmcp). A complemented mutant (Δcmcp-C) was obtained by transforming cmcp to Δcmcp. Both Δcmcp and Δcmcp-C were characterized by comparing them with a wild-type strain on morphology, mycelial growth, conidial production and pathogenicity. Additionally, cmcp was transformed and expressed in Pichia pastoris, and the derived recombinant protein CmCP caused a severe necrosis on Nicotiana tabacum leaves. CmCP-treated plant leaves showed symptoms of hypersensitive response including electrolyte leakage, reactive oxygen species generation and overexpression of defense-related genes PR-1, PAD3, ERF1, HSR203J, and HIN1. All those results suggested that cmcp gene was required for the growth development of C. manginecans and functioned as a major pathogenicity factor in mango infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiping Zhang
- College of Plant Protection/Beijing Key Laboratory of Seed Disease Testing and Control (BKL-SDTC), China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Yingbin Li
- College of Plant Protection/Beijing Key Laboratory of Seed Disease Testing and Control (BKL-SDTC), China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Laixin Luo
- College of Plant Protection/Beijing Key Laboratory of Seed Disease Testing and Control (BKL-SDTC), China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Jianjun Hao
- School of Food and Agriculture, The University of Maine, Orono, ME, United States
| | - Jianqiang Li
- College of Plant Protection/Beijing Key Laboratory of Seed Disease Testing and Control (BKL-SDTC), China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
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Zhang X, Zhao Y, Liu Y, Wang J, Deng Y. Recent progress on bio-based production of dicarboxylic acids in yeast. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2020; 104:4259-4272. [PMID: 32215709 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-020-10537-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2020] [Revised: 02/06/2020] [Accepted: 03/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Dicarboxylic acids are widely used in fine chemical and food industries as well as the monomer for polymerisation of high molecular material. Given the problems of environmental contamination and sustainable development faced by traditional production of dicarboxylic acids based on petrol, new approaches such as bio-based production of dicarboxylic acids drew more attentions. The yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, was regarded as an ideal organism for bio-based production of dicarboxylic acids with high tolerance to acidic and hyperosmotic environments, robust growth using a broad range of substrates, great convenience for genetic manipulation, stable inheritance via sub-cultivation, and food compatibility. In this review, the production of major dicarboxylates via S. cerevisiae was concluded and the challenges and opportunities facing were discussed.Key Points• Summary of current production of major dicarboxylic acids by Saccharomyces cerevisiae.• Discussion of influence factors on four-carbon dicarboxylic acids production by Saccharomyces cerevisiae.• Outlook of potential production of five- and six-carbon dicarboxylic acids by Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xi Zhang
- National Engineering Laboratory for Cereal Fermentation Technology (NELCF), School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Road, Wuxi, 214122, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yunying Zhao
- National Engineering Laboratory for Cereal Fermentation Technology (NELCF), School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Road, Wuxi, 214122, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yingli Liu
- China-Canada Joint Lab of Food Nutrition and Health (Beijing), Beijing Technology & Business University, Beijing, 100048, China
| | - Jing Wang
- China-Canada Joint Lab of Food Nutrition and Health (Beijing), Beijing Technology & Business University, Beijing, 100048, China
| | - Yu Deng
- National Engineering Laboratory for Cereal Fermentation Technology (NELCF), School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Road, Wuxi, 214122, Jiangsu, China. .,School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Road, Wuxi, 214122, Jiangsu, China.
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Bitencourt TA, Lang EAS, Sanches PR, Peres NTA, Oliveira VM, Fachin AL, Rossi A, Martinez-Rossi NM. HacA Governs Virulence Traits and Adaptive Stress Responses in Trichophyton rubrum. Front Microbiol 2020; 11:193. [PMID: 32153523 PMCID: PMC7044415 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.00193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2019] [Accepted: 01/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The ability of fungi to sense environmental stressors and appropriately respond is linked to secretory system functions. The dermatophyte infection process depends on an orchestrated signaling regulation that triggers the transcription of genes responsible for adherence and penetration of the pathogen into host-tissue. A high secretion system is activated to support the host-pathogen interaction and assures maintenance of the dermatophyte infection. The gateway of secretion machinery is the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), which is the primary site for protein folding and transport. Current studies have shown that ER stress that affects adaptive responses is primarily regulated by UPR and supports fungal pathogenicity; this has been assessed for yeasts and Aspergillus fumigatus, in regard to how these fungi cope with host environmental stressors. Fungal UPR consists of a transmembrane kinase sensor (Ire1/IreA) and a downstream target Hac1/HacA. The active form of Hac is achieved via non-spliceosomal intron removal promoted by endonuclease activity of Ire1/IreA. Here, we assessed features of HacA and its involvement in virulence and susceptibility in Trichophyton rubrum. Our results showed that exposure to antifungals and ER-stressing agents initiated the activation of HacA from T. rubrum. Interestingly, the activation occurs when a 20 nt fragment is removed from part of the exon-2 and part of intron-2, which in turn promotes the arisen of the DNA binding site motif and a dimer interface domain. Further, we found changes in the cell wall and cellular membrane composition in the ΔhacA mutant as well as an increase in susceptibility toward azole and cell wall disturbing agents. Moreover, the ΔhacA mutant presented significant defects in important virulence traits like thermotolerance and growth on keratin substrates. For instance, the development of the ΔhacA mutant was impaired in co-culture with keratinocytes or human nail fragments. Changes in the pro-inflammatory cytokine release were verified for the ΔhacA mutant during the co-culture assay, which might be related to differences in pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) in the cell wall. Together, these results suggested that HacA is an integral part of T. rubrum physiology and virulence, implying that it is an important molecular target for antidermatophytic therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamires A. Bitencourt
- Department of Genetics, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Elza A. S. Lang
- Department of Genetics, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Pablo R. Sanches
- Department of Genetics, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Nalu T. A. Peres
- Department of Genetics, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Vanderci M. Oliveira
- Department of Genetics, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Ana Lúcia Fachin
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Ribeirão Preto, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Antonio Rossi
- Department of Genetics, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Nilce M. Martinez-Rossi
- Department of Genetics, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
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Schmitz L, Kronstad JW, Heimel K. Conditional gene expression reveals stage-specific functions of the unfolded protein response in the Ustilago maydis-maize pathosystem. MOLECULAR PLANT PATHOLOGY 2020; 21:258-271. [PMID: 31802604 PMCID: PMC6988420 DOI: 10.1111/mpp.12893] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Ustilago maydis is a model organism for the study of biotrophic plant-pathogen interactions. The sexual and pathogenic development of the fungus are tightly connected since fusion of compatible haploid sporidia is prerequisite for infection of the host plant, maize (Zea mays). After plant penetration, the unfolded protein response (UPR) is activated and required for biotrophic growth. The UPR is continuously active throughout all stages of pathogenic development in planta. However, since development of UPR deletion mutants stops directly after plant penetration, the role of an active UPR at later stages of development remained to be determined. Here, we established a gene expression system for U. maydis that uses endogenous, conditionally active promoters to either induce or repress expression of a gene of interest during different stages of plant infection. Integration of the expression constructs into the native genomic locus and removal of resistance cassettes were required to obtain a wild-type-like expression pattern. This indicates that genomic localization and chromatin structure are important for correct promoter activity and gene expression. By conditional expression of the central UPR regulator, Cib1, in U. maydis, we show that a functional UPR is required for continuous plant defence suppression after host infection and that U. maydis relies on a robust control system to prevent deleterious UPR hyperactivation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lara Schmitz
- Institute for Microbiology and GeneticsDepartment of Molecular Microbiology and GeneticsGöttingen Center for Molecular Biosciences (GZMB)University of GöttingenGrisebachstr. 8D‐37077GöttingenGermany
- International Research Training Group 2172 PRoTECTGöttingen, VancouverGermany
| | - James W. Kronstad
- International Research Training Group 2172 PRoTECTGöttingen, VancouverGermany
- Michael Smith LaboratoriesDepartment of Microbiology and ImmunologyUniversity of British ColumbiaVancouverBCV6T 1Z4Canada
| | - Kai Heimel
- Institute for Microbiology and GeneticsDepartment of Molecular Microbiology and GeneticsGöttingen Center for Molecular Biosciences (GZMB)University of GöttingenGrisebachstr. 8D‐37077GöttingenGermany
- International Research Training Group 2172 PRoTECTGöttingen, VancouverGermany
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Liu K, Sun B, You H, Tu JL, Yu X, Zhao P, Xu JW. Dual sgRNA-directed gene deletion in basidiomycete Ganoderma lucidum using the CRISPR/Cas9 system. Microb Biotechnol 2020; 13:386-396. [PMID: 31958883 PMCID: PMC7017817 DOI: 10.1111/1751-7915.13534] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2019] [Revised: 12/28/2019] [Accepted: 12/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Ganoderma lucidum is an important medicinal mushroom in traditional Chinese medicine. However, the lack of adequate genetic tools has hindered molecular genetic research in and the genetic modification of this species. Here, we report that the presence of an intron is necessary for the efficient expression of the heterologous phosphinothricin-resistance and green fluorescent protein genes in G. lucidum. Moreover, we improved the CRISPR/Cas9-mediated gene disruption frequency in G. lucidum by adding an intron upstream of the Cas9 gene. Our results showed that the disruption frequency of the orotidine 5'-monophosphate decarboxylase gene (ura3) in transformants containing the glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase gene intron in the Cas9 plasmid is 14-18 in 107 protoplasts, which is 10.6 times higher than that in transformants without any intron sequence. Furthermore, genomic fragment deletions in the ura3 and GL17624 genes were achieved via a dual sgRNA-directed CRISPR/Cas9 system in G. lucidum. We achieved a ura3 deletion frequency of 36.7% in G. lucidum. The developed method provides a powerful platform to generate gene deletion mutants and will facilitate functional genomic studies in G. lucidum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ke Liu
- Faculty of Life Science and Technology, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, 650500, China
| | - Bin Sun
- Faculty of Life Science and Technology, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, 650500, China
| | - Hao You
- Faculty of Life Science and Technology, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, 650500, China
| | - Jun-Liang Tu
- Faculty of Life Science and Technology, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, 650500, China
| | - Xuya Yu
- Faculty of Life Science and Technology, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, 650500, China
| | - Peng Zhao
- Faculty of Life Science and Technology, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, 650500, China
| | - Jun-Wei Xu
- Faculty of Life Science and Technology, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, 650500, China
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39
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Chen C, Liu J, Duan C, Pan Y, Liu G. Improvement of the CRISPR-Cas9 mediated gene disruption and large DNA fragment deletion based on a chimeric promoter in Acremonium chrysogenum. Fungal Genet Biol 2020; 134:103279. [DOI: 10.1016/j.fgb.2019.103279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2019] [Revised: 09/30/2019] [Accepted: 10/10/2019] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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40
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Lichius A, Ruiz DM, Zeilinger S. Genetic Transformation of Filamentous Fungi: Achievements and Challenges. GRAND CHALLENGES IN FUNGAL BIOTECHNOLOGY 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-29541-7_5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
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41
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Nogueira-López G, Padilla-Arizmendi F, Inwood S, Lyne S, Steyaert JM, Nieto-Jacobo MF, Stewart A, Mendoza-Mendoza A. TrichoGate: An Improved Vector System for a Large Scale of Functional Analysis of Trichoderma Genes. Front Microbiol 2019; 10:2794. [PMID: 31921006 PMCID: PMC6915037 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.02794] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2019] [Accepted: 11/18/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Species of the genus Trichoderma are ubiquitous in the environment and are widely used in agriculture, as biopesticides, and in the industry for the production of plant cell wall-degrading enzymes. Trichoderma represents an important genus of endophytes, and several Trichoderma species have become excellent models for the study of fungal biology and plant–microbe interactions; moreover, are exceptional biotechnological factories for the production of bioactive molecules useful in agriculture and medicine. Next-generation sequencing technology coupled with systematic construction of recombinant DNA molecules provides powerful tools that contribute to the functional analysis of Trichoderma genetics, thus allowing for a better understanding of the underlying factors determining its biology. Here, we present the creation of diverse vectors containing (i) promoter-specific vectors for Trichoderma, (ii) gene deletions (using hygromycin phosphotransferase as selection marker), (iii) protein localization (mCherry and eGFP, which were codon-optimized for Trichoderma), (iv) gene complementation (neomycin phosphotransferase) and (v) overexpression of encoding gene proteins fused to fluorescent markers, by using the Golden Gate cloning technology. Furthermore, we present the design and implementation of a binary vector for Agrobacterium-mediated transformation in Trichoderma to increase the homologous recombination rate and the generation of a novel selection marker based on carboxin resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Sarah Inwood
- Bio-Protection Research Centre, Lincoln University, Lincoln, New Zealand.,Department of Biochemistry, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Sarah Lyne
- Bio-Protection Research Centre, Lincoln University, Lincoln, New Zealand
| | - Johanna M Steyaert
- Bio-Protection Research Centre, Lincoln University, Lincoln, New Zealand.,Lincoln Agritech Ltd, Lincoln, New Zealand
| | - Maria Fernanda Nieto-Jacobo
- Bio-Protection Research Centre, Lincoln University, Lincoln, New Zealand.,Plant & Food Research Gerald St, Lincoln, New Zealand
| | - Alison Stewart
- Bio-Protection Research Centre, Lincoln University, Lincoln, New Zealand.,Foundation For Arable Research, Templeton, New Zealand
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Endo-β-1,3-glucanase (GH16 Family) from Trichoderma harzianum Participates in Cell Wall Biogenesis but Is Not Essential for Antagonism Against Plant Pathogens. Biomolecules 2019; 9:biom9120781. [PMID: 31779176 PMCID: PMC6995588 DOI: 10.3390/biom9120781] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2019] [Revised: 11/20/2019] [Accepted: 11/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Trichoderma species are known for their ability to produce lytic enzymes, such as exoglucanases, endoglucanases, chitinases, and proteases, which play important roles in cell wall degradation of phytopathogens. β-glucanases play crucial roles in the morphogenetic-morphological process during the development and differentiation processes in Trichoderma species, which have β-glucans as the primary components of their cell walls. Despite the importance of glucanases in the mycoparasitism of Trichoderma spp., only a few functional analysis studies have been conducted on glucanases. In the present study, we used a functional genomics approach to investigate the functional role of the gluc31 gene, which encodes an endo-β-1,3-glucanase belonging to the GH16 family in Trichoderma harzianum ALL42. We demonstrated that the absence of the gluc31 gene did not affect the in vivo mycoparasitism ability of mutant T. harzianum ALL42; however, gluc31 evidently influenced cell wall organization. Polymer measurements and fluorescence microscopy analyses indicated that the lack of the gluc31 gene induced a compensatory response by increasing the production of chitin and glucan polymers on the cell walls of the mutant hyphae. The mutant strain became more resistant to the fungicide benomyl compared to the parental strain. Furthermore, qRT-PCR analysis showed that the absence of gluc31 in T. harzianum resulted in the differential expression of other glycosyl hydrolases belonging to the GH16 family, because of functional redundancy among the glucanases.
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Mahmoudjanlou Y, Hoff B, Kück U. Construction of a Codon-Adapted Nourseotricin-Resistance Marker Gene for Efficient Targeted Gene Deletion in the Mycophenolic Acid Producer Penicillium brevicompactum. J Fungi (Basel) 2019; 5:jof5040096. [PMID: 31658687 PMCID: PMC6958462 DOI: 10.3390/jof5040096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2019] [Revised: 10/01/2019] [Accepted: 10/06/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Penicillium brevicompactum is a filamentous ascomycete used in the pharmaceutical industry to produce mycophenolic acid, an immunosuppressant agent. To extend options for genetic engineering of this fungus, we have tested two resistance markers that have not previously been applied to P. brevicompactum. Although a generally available phleomycin resistance marker (ble) was successfully used in DNA-mediated transformation experiments, we were not able to use a commonly applicable nourseothricin resistance cassette (nat1). To circumvent this failure, we constructed a new nat gene, considering the codon bias for P. brevicompactum. We then used this modified nat gene in subsequent transformation experiments for the targeted disruption of two nuclear genes, MAT1-2-1 and flbA. For MAT1-2-1, we obtained deletion strains with a frequency of about 10%. In the case of flbA, the frequency was about 4%, and this disruption strain also showed reduced conidiospore formation. To confirm the deletion, we used ble to reintroduce the wild-type genes. This step restored the wild-type phenotype in the flbA deletion strain, which had a sporulation defect. The successful transformation system described here substantially extends options for genetically manipulating the biotechnologically relevant fungus P. brevicompactum.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Birgit Hoff
- Allgemeine & Molekulare Botanik, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, 44780 Bochum, Germany.
| | - Ulrich Kück
- Allgemeine & Molekulare Botanik, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, 44780 Bochum, Germany.
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Jiao X, Zhang Y, Liu X, Zhang Q, Zhang S, Zhao ZK. Developing a CRISPR/Cas9 System for Genome Editing in the Basidiomycetous Yeast Rhodosporidium toruloides. Biotechnol J 2019; 14:e1900036. [PMID: 31066204 DOI: 10.1002/biot.201900036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2019] [Revised: 04/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
The basidiomycetous yeast Rhodosporidium toruloides (R. toruloides) has been explored as a promising host for the production of lipids and carotenoids. However, the rational manipulation of this yeast remains difficult due to lack of efficient genetic tools. Here, the development of a clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated nuclease (Cas9) system for genome editing in R. toruloides is described. First, R. toruloides strains are generated with sufficient production of the Cas9 protein of Staphylococcus aureus origin by integrating a cassette containing a codon-optimized Cas9 gene into the genome. In parallel, two U6 genes are identified, predicting two U6 promoters and confirming better transcription of single-guide RNA (sgRNA) with the U6b promoter. Next, sgRNA cassettes are designed targeting CRTI, CAR2, and CLYBL gene, respectively, transforming into those Cas9-expressed strains, and finding over 60% transformants with successful insertion and deletion (indel) mutations. Furthermore, when the sgRNA cassette includes donor DNA flanked by two homologous arms of the gene CRTI, gene knockout occurs via homologous recombination. Thus, the CRISPR/Cas9 system is now established as a powerful genome-editing tool in R. toruloides, which should facilitate functional genomic study and advanced cell factory development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiang Jiao
- Division of Biotechnology, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian, 116023, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Yue Zhang
- Division of Biotechnology, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian, 116023, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Xiangjian Liu
- Division of Biotechnology, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian, 116023, China
| | - Qi Zhang
- Division of Biotechnology, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian, 116023, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Sufang Zhang
- Division of Biotechnology, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian, 116023, China
| | - Zongbao K Zhao
- Division of Biotechnology, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian, 116023, China
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45
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Strategies for gene disruption and expression in filamentous fungi. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2019; 103:6041-6059. [DOI: 10.1007/s00253-019-09953-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2019] [Revised: 05/24/2019] [Accepted: 05/28/2019] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
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He B, Tu Y, Jiang C, Zhang Z, Li Y, Zeng B. Functional Genomics of Aspergillus oryzae: Strategies and Progress. Microorganisms 2019; 7:E103. [PMID: 30974907 PMCID: PMC6518170 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms7040103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2019] [Revised: 04/01/2019] [Accepted: 04/06/2019] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Aspergillus oryzae has been used for the production of traditional fermentation and has promising potential to produce primary and secondary metabolites. Due to the tough cell walls and high drug resistance of A. oryzae, functional genomic characterization studies are relatively limited. The exploitation of selection markers and genetic transformation methods are critical for improving A. oryzae fermentative strains. In this review, we describe the genome sequencing of various A. oryzae strains. Recently developed selection markers and transformation strategies are also described in detail, and the advantages and disadvantages of transformation methods are presented. Lastly, we introduce the recent progress on highlighted topics in A. oryzae functional genomics including conidiation, protein secretion and expression, and secondary metabolites, which will be beneficial for improving the application of A. oryzae to industrial production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bin He
- Jiangxi Key Laboratory of Bioprocess Engineering and Co-Innovation Center for In-vitro Diagnostic Reagents and Devices of Jiangxi Province, College of Life Sciences, Jiangxi Science & Technology Normal University, Nanchang 330013, China.
| | - Yayi Tu
- Jiangxi Key Laboratory of Bioprocess Engineering and Co-Innovation Center for In-vitro Diagnostic Reagents and Devices of Jiangxi Province, College of Life Sciences, Jiangxi Science & Technology Normal University, Nanchang 330013, China.
| | - Chunmiao Jiang
- Jiangxi Key Laboratory of Bioprocess Engineering and Co-Innovation Center for In-vitro Diagnostic Reagents and Devices of Jiangxi Province, College of Life Sciences, Jiangxi Science & Technology Normal University, Nanchang 330013, China.
| | - Zhe Zhang
- Jiangxi Key Laboratory of Bioprocess Engineering and Co-Innovation Center for In-vitro Diagnostic Reagents and Devices of Jiangxi Province, College of Life Sciences, Jiangxi Science & Technology Normal University, Nanchang 330013, China.
| | - Yongkai Li
- Jiangxi Key Laboratory of Bioprocess Engineering and Co-Innovation Center for In-vitro Diagnostic Reagents and Devices of Jiangxi Province, College of Life Sciences, Jiangxi Science & Technology Normal University, Nanchang 330013, China.
| | - Bin Zeng
- Jiangxi Key Laboratory of Bioprocess Engineering and Co-Innovation Center for In-vitro Diagnostic Reagents and Devices of Jiangxi Province, College of Life Sciences, Jiangxi Science & Technology Normal University, Nanchang 330013, China.
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Developments and opportunities in fungal strain engineering for the production of novel enzymes and enzyme cocktails for plant biomass degradation. Biotechnol Adv 2019; 37:107361. [PMID: 30825514 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2019.02.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2018] [Revised: 02/11/2019] [Accepted: 02/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Fungal strain engineering is commonly used in many areas of biotechnology, including the production of plant biomass degrading enzymes. Its aim varies from the production of specific enzymes to overall increased enzyme production levels and modification of the composition of the enzyme set that is produced by the fungus. Strain engineering involves a diverse range of methodologies, including classical mutagenesis, genetic engineering and genome editing. In this review, the main approaches for strain engineering of filamentous fungi in the field of plant biomass degradation will be discussed, including recent and not yet implemented methods, such as CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing and adaptive evolution.
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Shanmugam K, Ramalingam S, Venkataraman G, Hariharan GN. The CRISPR/Cas9 System for Targeted Genome Engineering in Free-Living Fungi: Advances and Opportunities for Lichenized Fungi. Front Microbiol 2019; 10:62. [PMID: 30792699 PMCID: PMC6375251 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.00062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2018] [Accepted: 01/15/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Studies using whole genome sequencing, computational and gene expression, targeted genome engineering techniques for generating site-specific sequence alterations through non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) by genomic double-strand break (DSB) repair pathway with high precision, resulting in gene inactivation have elucidated the complexity of gene expression, and metabolic pathways in fungi. These tools and the data generated are crucial for precise generation of fungal products such as enzymes, secondary metabolites, antibiotics etc. Artificially engineered molecular scissors, zinc finger nucleases (ZFNs), Transcriptional activator-like effector nucleases (TALENs; that use protein motifs for DNA sequence recognition in the genome) and CRISPR associated protein 9 (Cas9;CRISPR/Cas9) system (RNA-DNA recognition) are being used in achieving targeted genome modifications for modifying traits in free-living fungal systems. Here, we discuss the recent research breakthroughs and developments which utilize CRISPR/Cas9 in the metabolic engineering of free-living fungi for the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites, enzyme production, antibiotics and to develop resistance against post-harvest browning of edible mushrooms and fungal pathogenesis. We also discuss the potential and advantages of using targeted genome engineering in lichenized fungal (mycobiont) cultures to enhance their growth and secondary metabolite production in vitro can be complemented by other molecular approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karthik Shanmugam
- M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation, Chennai, India
- Department of Mycology, University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany
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Cys 2His 2 Zinc Finger Transcription Factor BcabaR1 Positively Regulates Abscisic Acid Production in Botrytis cinerea. Appl Environ Microbiol 2018; 84:AEM.00920-18. [PMID: 29959241 DOI: 10.1128/aem.00920-18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2018] [Accepted: 06/11/2018] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Abscisic acid (ABA) is one of the five classical phytohormones involved in increasing the tolerance of plants for various kinds of stresses caused by abiotic or biotic factors, and it also plays important roles in regulating the activation of innate immune cells and glucose homeostasis in mammals. For these reasons, as a "stress hormone," ABA has recently received attention as a candidate drug for agriculture and biomedical applications, prompting significant development of ABA synthesis. Some plant-pathogenic fungi can synthesize natural ABA. The fungus Botrytis cinerea has been used for biotechnological production of ABA. Identification of the transcription factors (TFs) involved in regulation of ABA biosynthesis in B. cinerea would provide new clues to understand how ABA is synthesized and regulated. In this study, we defined a novel Cys2His2 TF, BcabaR1, that regulates the transcriptional levels of ABA synthase genes (bcaba1, bcaba2, bcaba3, and bcaba4) in an ABA-overproducing mutant, B. cinerea TBC-A. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays revealed that recombinant BcabaR1 can bind specifically to both a 14-nucleotide sequence motif and a 39-nucleotide sequence motif in the promoter region of bcaba1 to -4 genes in vitro A decreased transcriptional level of the bcabaR1 gene in B. cinerea led to significantly decreased ABA production and downregulated transcription of bcaba1 to -4 When bcabaR1 was overexpressed in B. cinerea, ABA production was significantly increased, with upregulated transcription of bcaba1 to -4 Thus, in this study, we found that BcabaR1 acts as a positive regulator of ABA biosynthesis in B. cinereaIMPORTANCE Abscisic acid (ABA) could make a potentially important contribution to theoretical research and applications in agriculture and medicine. Botrytis cinerea is a plant-pathogenic fungus that was found to produce ABA. There has been a view that ABA is related to the interaction between pathogenic fungi and plants. Identification of regulatory genes involved in ABA biosynthesis may facilitate an understanding of the underlying molecular mechanisms of ABA biosynthesis and the pathogenesis of B. cinerea Here, we present a positive regulator, BcabaR1, of ABA biosynthesis in B. cinerea that can affect the transcriptional level of the ABA biosynthesis gene cluster, bcaba1 to -4, by directly binding to the conserved sequence elements in the promoter of the bcaba1 to -4 genes. This TF was found to be specifically involved in regulation of ABA biosynthesis. This work provides new clues for finding other ABA biosynthesis genes and improving ABA yield in B. cinerea.
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Electroporation of germinated conidia and young mycelium as an efficient transformation system for Acremonium chrysogenum. Folia Microbiol (Praha) 2018; 64:33-39. [DOI: 10.1007/s12223-018-0625-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2017] [Accepted: 06/11/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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