Construction of a starch-inducible homologous expression system to produce cellulolytic enzymes from Acremonium cellulolyticus

The effect of barium and strontium on activity of glucoamylase QsGH97a from Qipengyuania seohaensis SW-135

Glycoside hydrolases (GHs), the enzymes that break glycosidic bonds, are ubiquitous in the ecosystem, where they perform a range of biological functions. As an interesting glycosidase family, Glycoside hydrolase family 97 (GH97) contains α-glucosidase, α-galactosidase, and glucoamylase. Only ten members of GH97 have been characterized so far. It is critical to explore novel members to elucidate the catalytic mechanism and application potential of GH97 family. In this study, a novel glucoamylase QsGH97a from Qipengyuania seohaensis SW-135 was cloned and expressed in E. coli. Sequence analysis and NMR results show that QsGH97a is classified into GH97a, and adopts inverting mechanism. The biochemical characterization indicates that QsGH97a shows the optimal activity at 50 °C and pH 8.0. Ca²⁺ has little effect on the catalytic activity; however, the activity can be substantially increased by 8-13 folds in the presence of Ba²⁺ or Sr²⁺. Additionally, the metal content of QsGH97a assay showed a high proportion of Sr²⁺. The specific metal activity was initially revealed in glucoamylases, which is not found in other members. These results imply that QsGH97a not only is a new member of GH97, but also has potential for industrial applications. Our study reveals that Ba²⁺ or Sr²⁺ may be involved in the catalytic mechanism of glucoamylase, laying the groundwork for a more complete knowledge of GH97 and its possible industrial application.

Identification of the Talaromyces cellulolyticus Gene Encoding an Extracellular Enzyme with β-galactosidase Activity and Testing it as a Reporter for Gene Expression Assays

The filamentous fungus Talaromyces cellulolyticus (formerly Acremonium cellulolyticus) is currently being intensively studied as a promising industrial producer of a number of secreted cellulolytic enzymes. In this study, the T. cellulolyticus gene lacA, which encodes a protein orthologous to the fungal extracellular β-galactosidases of family 35, was identified. The substitution of the lacA upstream region with a constitutive promoter demonstrated that the product of this gene is effectively secreted and possesses β-galactosidase activity. The optimal pH and temperature values for the hydrolysis of o-nitrophenyl-β-D-galactopyranoside by this enzyme were determined to be pH 4.5-5.5 and 50 °C, respectively. The negligible production of β-galactosidase activity by strains expressing lacA under native regulation raises the possibility of using lacA as a reporter gene. To test this hypothesis, the native promoter of lacA was replaced with the strong inducible promoter of the T. cellulolyticus cellobiohydrolase I gene. The cultivation of the resulting strain in various media showed that the β-galactosidase activity depends on cultivation conditions similar to the cellobiohydrolase activity. Thus, the suitability of lacA as a reporter for evaluating promoters with a wide range of expression profiles was demonstrated.

The Transcription Factor Gene tclB2 Regulates Mannanolytic Enzyme Production in the Fungus Talaromyces cellulolyticus

The filamentous fungus Talaromyces cellulolyticus is a well-characterized cellulolytic and hemicellulolytic enzyme producer. In this study, the function of the tclB2 gene, which is a homolog of the manR/clrB/clr-2 gene in other filamentous fungi, in mannanolytic enzyme production by T. cellulolyticus was investigated. When a tclB2-disrupted strain (YDTclB) was grown in the presence of glucomannan, the production of β-mannanase, β-mannosidase, and α-galactosidase was decreased at the protein and transcriptional levels when compared to the control strain. In addition, a tclB2-overexpressing strain (YHTclB) showed higher β-mannanase and β-mannosidase production. When cellulose was used as a carbon source, the expression of genes encoding mannanolytic enzymes also decreased in YDTclB. These results suggested that TclB2 contributes to mannanolytic enzyme production in T. cellulolyticus. This work is the first study to identify a transcriptional regulator of mannanolytic enzyme genes in T. cellulolyticus.

Crystal structure of GH30-7 endoxylanase C from the filamentous fungus Talaromyces cellulolyticus

GH30-7 endoxylanase C from the cellulolytic fungus Talaromyces cellulolyticus (TcXyn30C) belongs to glycoside hydrolase family 30 subfamily 7, and specifically releases 22-(4-O-methyl-α-D-glucuronosyl)-xylobiose from glucuronoxylan, as well as various arabino-xylooligosaccharides from arabinoxylan. TcXyn30C has a modular structure consisting of a catalytic domain and a C-terminal cellulose-binding module 1 (CBM1). In this study, the crystal structure of a TcXyn30C mutant which lacks the CBM1 domain was determined at 1.65 Å resolution. The structure of the active site of TcXyn30C was compared with that of the bifunctional GH30-7 xylanase B from T. cellulolyticus (TcXyn30B), which exhibits glucuronoxylanase and xylobiohydrolase activities. The results revealed that TcXyn30C has a conserved structural feature for recognizing the 4-O-methyl-α-D-glucuronic acid (MeGlcA) substituent in subsite -2b. Additionally, the results demonstrated that Phe47 contributes significantly to catalysis by TcXyn30C. Phe47 is located in subsite -2b and also near the C-3 hydroxyl group of a xylose residue in subsite -2a. Substitution of Phe47 with an arginine residue caused a remarkable decrease in the catalytic efficiency towards arabinoxylan, suggesting the importance of Phe47 in arabinoxylan hydrolysis. These findings indicate that subsite -2b of TcXyn30C has unique structural features that interact with arabinofuranose and MeGlcA substituents.

The Putative Transcription Factor Gene thaB Regulates Cellulase and Xylanase Production at the Enzymatic and Transcriptional Level in the Fungus Talaromyces cellulolyticus

Talaromyces cellulolyticus is a promising strain for industrial cellulase production. In this study, the thaB gene, which is a homologue of the hap2/B gene in other filamentous fungi, was isolated and characterized. When grown in the presence of cellulose, culture supernatants of a thaB-disrupted strain (YDTha) exhibited decreased cellulase and xylanase enzymatic activities compared to the control strain. Furthermore, YDTha exhibited lower expression of the genes encoding cellulases and xylanases compared to the control strain. When cellobiose and lactose (soluble carbon sources) were used as carbon sources, the expression of the genes encoding cellulases and xylanases was decreased in both the YDTha and the control strains, though the expression levels in YDTha remained lower than those in the control strain. These results suggested that thaB has a positive role in cellulase and xylanase production in T. cellulolyticus.

GH30-7 Endoxylanase C from the Filamentous Fungus Talaromyces cellulolyticus

Glycoside hydrolase family 30 subfamily 7 (GH30-7) enzymes include various types of xylanases, such as glucuronoxylanase, endoxylanase, xylobiohydrolase, and reducing-end xylose-releasing exoxylanase. Here, we characterized the mode of action and gene expression of the GH30-7 endoxylanase from the cellulolytic fungus Talaromyces cellulolyticus (TcXyn30C). TcXyn30C has a modular structure consisting of a GH30-7 catalytic domain and a C-terminal cellulose binding module 1, whose cellulose-binding ability has been confirmed. Sequence alignment of GH30-7 xylanases exhibited that TcXyn30C has a conserved Phe residue at the position corresponding to a conserved Arg residue in GH30-7 glucuronoxylanases, which is required for the recognition of the 4-O-methyl-α-d-glucuronic acid (MeGlcA) substituent. TcXyn30C degraded both glucuronoxylan and arabinoxylan with similar kinetic constants and mainly produced linear xylooligosaccharides (XOSs) with 2 to 3 degrees of polymerization, in an endo manner. Notably, the hydrolysis of glucuronoxylan caused an accumulation of 2²-(MeGlcA)-xylobiose (U^4m2X). The production of this acidic XOS is likely to proceed via multistep reactions by putative glucuronoxylanase activity that produces 2²-(MeGlcA)-XOSs (X _n U^4m2X, n ≥ 0) in the initial stages of the hydrolysis and by specific release of U^4m2X from a mixture containing X _n U^4m2X. Our results suggest that the unique endoxylanase activity of TcXyn30C may be applicable to the production of linear and acidic XOSs. The gene xyn30C was located adjacent to the putative GH62 arabinofuranosidase gene (abf62C) in the T. cellulolyticus genome. The expression of both genes was induced by cellulose. The results suggest that TcXyn30C may be involved in xylan removal in the hydrolysis of lignocellulose by the T. cellulolyticus cellulolytic system.IMPORTANCE Xylooligosaccharides (XOSs), which are composed of xylose units with a β-1,4 linkage, have recently gained interest as prebiotics in the food and feed industry. Apart from linear XOSs, branched XOSs decorated with a substituent such as methyl glucuronic acid and arabinose also have potential applications. Endoxylanase is a promising tool in producing XOSs from xylan. The structural variety of XOSs generated depends on the substrate specificity of the enzyme as well as the distribution of the substituents in xylan. Thus, the exploration of endoxylanases with novel specificities is expected to be useful in the provision of a series of XOSs. In this study, the endoxylanase TcXyn30C from Talaromyces cellulolyticus was characterized as a unique glycoside hydrolase belonging to the family GH30-7, which specifically releases 2²-(4-O-methyl-α-d-glucuronosyl)-xylobiose from hardwood xylan. This study provides new insights into the production of linear and branched XOSs by GH30-7 endoxylanase.

Mode of Action of GH30-7 Reducing-End Xylose-Releasing Exoxylanase A (Xyn30A) from the Filamentous Fungus Talaromyces cellulolyticus

In this study, we characterized the mode of action of reducing-end xylose-releasing exoxylanase (Rex), which belongs to the glycoside hydrolase family 30-7 (GH30-7). GH30-7 Rex, isolated from the cellulolytic fungus Talaromyces cellulolyticus (Xyn30A), exists as a dimer. The purified Xyn30A released xylose from linear xylooligosaccharides (XOSs) 3 to 6 xylose units in length with similar kinetic constants. Hydrolysis of branched, borohydride-reduced, and p-nitrophenyl XOSs clarified that Xyn30A possesses a Rex activity. ¹H nuclear magnetic resonance (¹H NMR) analysis of xylotriose hydrolysate indicated that Xyn30A degraded XOSs via a retaining mechanism and without recognizing an anomeric structure at the reducing end. Hydrolysis of xylan by Xyn30A revealed that the enzyme continuously liberated both xylose and two types of acidic XOSs: 2²-(4-O-methyl-α-d-glucuronyl)-xylotriose (MeGlcA²Xyl₃) and 2²-(MeGlcA)-xylobiose (MeGlcA²Xyl₂). These acidic products were also detected during hydrolysis using a mixture of MeGlcA²Xyl _n (n = 2 to 14) as the substrate. This indicates that Xyn30A can release MeGlcA²Xyl _n (n = 2 and 3) in an exo manner. Comparison of subsites in Xyn30A and GH30-7 glucuronoxylanase using homology modeling suggested that the binding of the reducing-end residue at subsite +2 was partially prevented by a Gln residue conserved in GH30-7 Rex; additionally, the Arg residue at subsite -2b, which is conserved in glucuronoxylanase, was not found in Xyn30A. Our results lead us to propose that GH30-7 Rex plays a complementary role in hydrolysis of xylan by fungal cellulolytic systems.IMPORTANCE Endo- and exo-type xylanases depolymerize xylan and play crucial roles in the assimilation of xylan in bacteria and fungi. Exoxylanases release xylose from the reducing or nonreducing ends of xylooligosaccharides; this is generated by the activity of endoxylanases. β-Xylosidase, which hydrolyzes xylose residues on the nonreducing end of a substrate, is well studied. However, the function of reducing-end xylose-releasing exoxylanases (Rex), especially in fungal cellulolytic systems, remains unclear. This study revealed the mode of xylan hydrolysis by Rex from the cellulolytic fungus Talaromyces cellulolyticus (Xyn30A), which belongs to the glycoside hydrolase family 30-7 (GH30-7). A conserved residue related to Rex activity is found in the substrate-binding site of Xyn30A. These findings will enhance our understanding of the function of GH30-7 Rex in the cooperative hydrolysis of xylan by fungal enzymes.

Designing cellulolytic enzyme systems for biorefinery: From nature to application

Cellulolytic enzymes play a key role on conversion of lignocellulosic plant biomass to biofuels and biochemicals in sugar platform biorefineries. In this review, we survey composite carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZymes) among groups of cellulolytic fungi and bacteria that exist under aerobic and anaerobic conditions. Recent advances in designing effective cellulase mixtures are described, starting from the most complex microbial consortium-based enzyme preparations, to single-origin enzymes derived from intensively studied cellulase producers such as Trichoderma reesei, Talaromyces cellulolyticus, and Penicellium funiculosum, and the simplest minimal enzyme systems comprising selected sets of mono-component enzymes tailor-made for specific lignocellulosic substrates. We provide a comprehensive update on studies in developing high-performance cellulases for biorefineries.

Construction of thermostable cellobiohydrolase I from the fungus Talaromyces cellulolyticus by protein engineering

Fungus-derived GH-7 family cellobiohydrolase I (CBHI, EC 3.2.1.91) is one of the most important industrial enzymes for cellulosic biomass saccharification. Talaromyces cellulolyticus is well known as a mesophilic fungus producing a high amount of CBHI. Thermostability enhances the economic value of enzymes by making them more robust. However, CBHI has proven difficult to engineer, a fact that stems in part from its low expression in heterozygous hosts and its complex structure. Here, we report the successful improvement of the thermostability of CBHI from T. cellulolyticus using our homologous expression system and protein engineering method. We examined the key structures that seem to contribute to its thermostability using the 3D structural information of CBHI. Some parts of the structure of the Talaromyces emersonii CBHI were grafted into T. cellulolyticus CBHI and thermostable mutant CBHIs were constructed. The thermostability was primarily because of the improvement in the loop structures, and the positive effects of the mutations for thermostability were additive. By combing the mutations, the constructed thermophilic CBHI exhibits high hydrolytic activity toward crystalline cellulose with an optimum temperature at over 70°C. In addition, the strategy can be applied to the construction of the other thermostable CBHIs.

Structural and functional characterization of a bifunctional GH30-7 xylanase B from the filamentous fungus Talaromyces cellulolyticus

Glucuronoxylanases are endo-xylanases and members of the glycoside hydrolase family 30 subfamilies 7 (GH30-7) and 8 (GH30-8). Unlike for the well-studied GH30-8 enzymes, the structural and functional characteristics of GH30-7 enzymes remain poorly understood. Here, we report the catalytic properties and three-dimensional structure of GH30-7 xylanase B (Xyn30B) identified from the cellulolytic fungus Talaromyces cellulolyticus Xyn30B efficiently degraded glucuronoxylan to acidic xylooligosaccharides (XOSs), including an α-1,2-linked 4-O-methyl-d-glucuronosyl substituent (MeGlcA). Rapid analysis with negative-mode electrospray-ionization multistage MS (ESI(-)-MS ⁿ ) revealed that the structures of the acidic XOS products are the same as those of the hydrolysates (MeGlcA²Xyl _n , n > 2) obtained with typical glucuronoxylanases. Acidic XOS products were further degraded by Xyn30B, releasing first xylobiose and then xylotetraose and xylohexaose as transglycosylation products. This hydrolase reaction was unique to Xyn30B, and the substrate was cleaved at the xylobiose unit from its nonreducing end, indicating that Xyn30B is a bifunctional enzyme possessing both endo-glucuronoxylanase and exo-xylobiohydrolase activities. The crystal structure of Xyn30B was determined as the first structure of a GH30-7 xylanase at 2.25 Å resolution, revealing that Xyn30B is composed of a pseudo-(α/β)₈-catalytic domain, lacking an α6 helix, and a small β-rich domain. This structure and site-directed mutagenesis clarified that Arg⁴⁶, conserved in GH30-7 glucuronoxylanases, is a critical residue for MeGlcA appendage-dependent xylan degradation. The structural comparison between Xyn30B and the GH30-8 enzymes suggests that Asn⁹³ in the β2-α2 loop is involved in xylobiohydrolase activity. In summary, our findings indicate that Xyn30B is a bifunctional endo- and exo-xylanase.

Quantitative multiplexed profiling of Penicillium funiculosum secretome grown on polymeric cellulase inducers and glucose

Filamentous fungi respond to the need to secure utilisable carbon from their growth milieu by secreting unique extracellular proteins depending upon the types of polymeric substrates. We have here profiled the variations in the secretome pattern of a non-model hypercellulolytic fungus - Penicillium funiculosum, grown in minimal media containing four different polymeric cellulase inducers, i.e., Avicel, wheat bran, ammonium-pretreated wheat straw and Avicel & wheat bran, and glucose over its early and late log phases of growth. Of the 137 secreted proteins validated at 1% FDR, we identified the quantified proteins in three clusters as early, persistently or lately expressed. The type of carbon substrate present in the culture media significantly affected the levels of cellulolytic enzymes expression by the fungus. The top abundant proteins quantified in the secretome for Avicel and wheat bran were cellobiohydrolaseI [GH7-CBM1], cellobiohydrolaseII [GH6-CBM1], β-glucosidase [GH3], arabinofuranosidase [GH51] and β-xylosidase [GH3], with bicupin being highest in case of wheat straw. Our results further suggested that the fungus secreted the extracellular proteins in waves, such that the initial responders act to hydrolyse the composite substrates in the culture environment before the second wave of proteins which tend to be more tailored to the specific substrate in the cultivating media.

BIOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE

In this article, we have comprehensively examined the dynamics of the secretome of a non-model hypercellulolytic fungus produced in response to model and composite cellulase inducers. Our study has provided additional insights into how the fungus enzyme machinery responds to the presence of different polymeric cellulase inducers over the two different growth phases (early growth and late growth phase). The comprehensive typing and quantification of the different proteins present in the secretomes of the cellulolytic fungal strains in response to diverse nutrient sources hold many prospects in understanding the fungus unique enzyme machinery and dynamics for the downstream biotechnological applications.

Deletion Analysis of GH7 Endoglucanase Gene (cel7B) Promoter Region in a Talaromyces cellulolyticus ligD-Disrupted Strain

Talaromyces cellulolyticus is expected to become an industrial cellulase producer. In this study, we performed deletion analysis of the promoter region of the GH7 endoglucanase gene (cel7B), which encodes one of the major cellulases, using a β-glucuronidase reporter system. To obtain strains that harbor each gene cassette at the same locus, we had to improve the homologous recombination frequency. Hence, the ligD gene, encoding DNA ligase IV, was disrupted by homologous recombination. After that, the introduced pyrF marker gene, encoding orotate phosphoribosyl transferase, was deleted by a marker recycling system. The resultant strain, YDLP, exhibits high homologous recombination frequency. These data suggest that this approach will drastically improve the genetic modification tools of T. cellulolyticus. We obtained 7 strains for reporter analysis using YDLP as the host strain. Reporter analysis revealed that the promoter region between -812 and -612 is important for expression of cel7B. These results imply a relationship between this region and novel transcriptional factors.

Using an Inducible Promoter of a Gene Encoding Penicillium verruculosum Glucoamylase for Production of Enzyme Preparations with Enhanced Cellulase Performance

Background

Penicillium verruculosum is an efficient producer of highly active cellulase multienzyme system. One of the approaches for enhancing cellulase performance in hydrolysis of cellulosic substrates is to enrich the reaction system with β -glucosidase and/or accessory enzymes, such as lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases (LPMO) displaying a synergism with cellulases.

Results

Genes bglI, encoding β-glucosidase from Aspergillus niger (AnBGL), and eglIV, encoding LPMO (formerly endoglucanase IV) from Trichoderma reesei (TrLPMO), were cloned and expressed by P. verruculosum B1-537 strain under the control of the inducible gla1 gene promoter. Content of the heterologous AnBGL in the secreted multienzyme cocktails (hBGL1, hBGL2 and hBGL3) varied from 4 to 10% of the total protein, while the content of TrLPMO in the hLPMO sample was ~3%. The glucose yields in 48-h hydrolysis of Avicel and milled aspen wood by the hBGL1, hBGL2 and hBGL3 preparations increased by up to 99 and 80%, respectively, relative to control enzyme preparations without the heterologous AnBGL (at protein loading 5 mg/g substrate for all enzyme samples). The heterologous TrLPMO in the hLPMO preparation boosted the conversion of the lignocellulosic substrate by 10–43%; however, in hydrolysis of Avicel the hLPMO sample was less effective than the control preparations. The highest product yield in hydrolysis of aspen wood was obtained when the hBGL2 and hLPMO preparations were used at the ratio 1:1.

Conclusions

The enzyme preparations produced by recombinant P. verruculosum strains, expressing the heterologous AnBGL or TrLPMO under the control of the gla1 gene promoter in a starch-containing medium, proved to be more effective in hydrolysis of a lignocellulosic substrate than control enzyme preparations without the heterologous enzymes. The enzyme composition containing both AnBGL and TrLPMO demonstrated the highest performance in lignocellulose hydrolysis, providing a background for developing a fungal strain capable to express both heterologous enzymes simultaneously.

Optimization of a minimal synergistic enzyme system for hydrolysis of raw cassava pulp

Cassava pulp is an underused agricultural by-product comprising residual starch granules entrapped in cell wall polysaccharides, making it unique from other lignocellulosic wastes in terms of enzymatic processing.

Enhancing cellulase production by overexpression of xylanase regulator protein gene, xlnR, in Talaromyces cellulolyticus cellulase hyperproducing mutant strain

We obtained strains with the xylanase regulator gene, xlnR, overexpressed (HXlnR) and disrupted (DXlnR) derived from Talaromyces cellulolyticus strain C-1, which is a cellulase hyperproducing mutant. Filter paper degrading enzyme activity and cellobiohydrolase I gene expression was the highest in HXlnR, followed by C-1 and DXlnR. These results indicate that the enhancement of cellulase productivity was succeeded by xlnR overexpression.

Identification and characterization of a mesophilic phytase highly resilient to high-temperatures from a fungus-garden associated metagenome

Phytases are enzymes degrading phytic acid and thereby releasing inorganic phosphate. While the phytases reported to date are majorly from culturable microorganisms, the fast-growing quantity of publicly available metagenomic data generated in the last decade has enabled bioinformatic mining of phytases in numerous data mines derived from a variety of ecosystems throughout the world. In this study, we are interested in the histidine acid phosphatase (HAP) family phytases present in insect-cultivated fungus gardens. Using bioinformatic approaches, 11 putative HAP phytase genes were initially screened from 18 publicly available metagenomes of fungus gardens and were further overexpressed in Escherichia coli. One phytase from a south pine beetle fungus garden showed the highest activity and was then chosen for further study. Biochemical characterization showed that the phytase is mesophilic but possesses strong ability to withstand high temperatures. To our knowledge, it has the longest half-life time at 100 °C (27 min) and at 80 °C (2.1 h) as compared to all the thermostable phytases publicly reported to date. After 100 °C incubation for 15 min, more than 93 % of the activity was retained. The activity was 3102 μmol P/min/mg at 37 °C and 4135 μmol P/min/mg at 52.5 °C, which is higher than all the known thermostable phytases. For the high activity level demonstrated at mesophilic temperatures as well as the high resilience to high temperatures, the phytase might be promising for potential application as an additive enzyme in animal feed.

Characterization of a feruloyl esterase B from Talaromyces cellulolyticus

A feruloyl esterase catalyzes the hydrolysis of the 4-hydroxy-3-methoxycinnamoyl (feruloyl) group from esterified sugars in plant cell walls. Talaromyces cellulolyticus is a high cellulolytic-enzyme producing fungus. However, there is no report for feruloyl esterase activity of T. cellulolyticus. Analysis of the genome database of T. cellulolyticus identified a gene encoding a putative feruloyl esterase B. The recombinant enzyme was prepared using a T. cellulolyticus homologous expression system and characterized. The purified enzyme exhibited hydrolytic activity toward p-nitrophenyl acetate, p-nitrophenyl trans-ferulate, methyl ferulate, rice husk, and bagasse. HPLC assays showed that the enzyme released ferulic acid and p-coumaric acid from hydrothermal-treated rice husk and bagasse. Trichoderma sp. is well-known high cellulolytic-enzyme producing fungus useful for the lignocellulosic biomass saccharification. Interestingly, no feruloyl esterase has been reported from Trichoderma sp. The results show that this enzyme is expected to be industrially useful for biomass saccharification.

Draft Genome Sequence of Talaromyces cellulolyticus Strain Y-94, a Source of Lignocellulosic Biomass-Degrading Enzymes

Talaromyces cellulolyticus (formerly Acremonium cellulolyticus) is a promising fungus for cellulase production. Here, we present the draft genome sequence of T. cellulolyticus strain Y-94. The genome is 36.4 Mbp long and contains genes for several enzymes involved in the degradation of lignocellulosic biomass, including cellulases, hemicellulases, pectinases, and amylases.

Contribution of a family 1 carbohydrate-binding module in thermostable glycoside hydrolase 10 xylanase from Talaromyces cellulolyticus toward synergistic enzymatic hydrolysis of lignocellulose

BACKGROUND

Enzymatic removal of hemicellulose components such as xylan is an important factor for maintaining high glucose conversion from lignocelluloses subjected to low-severity pretreatment. Supplementation of xylanase in the cellulase mixture enhances glucose release from pretreated lignocellulose. Filamentous fungi produce multiple xylanases in their cellulase system, and some of them have modular structures consisting of a catalytic domain and a family 1 carbohydrate-binding module (CBM1). However, the role of CBM1 in xylanase in the synergistic hydrolysis of lignocellulose has not been investigated in depth.

RESULTS

Thermostable endo-β-1,4-xylanase (Xyl10A) from Talaromyces cellulolyticus, which is recognized as one of the core enzymes in the fungal cellulase system, has a modular structure consisting of a glycoside hydrolase family 10 catalytic domain and CBM1 at the C-terminus separated by a linker region. Three recombinant Xyl10A variants, that is, intact Xyl10A (Xyl10Awt), CBM1-deleted Xyl10A (Xyl10AdC), and CBM1 and linker region-deleted Xyl10A (Xyl10AdLC), were constructed and overexpressed in T. cellulolyticus. Cellulose-binding ability of Xyl10A CBM1 was demonstrated using quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring. Xyl10AdC and Xyl10AdLC showed relatively high catalytic activities for soluble and insoluble xylan substrates, whereas Xyl10Awt was more effective in xylan hydrolysis of wet disc-mill treated rice straw (WDM-RS). The enzyme mixture of cellulase monocomponents and intact or mutant Xyl10A enhanced the hydrolysis of WDM-RS glucan, with the most efficient synergism found in the interactions with Xyl10Awt. The increased glucan hydrolysis yield exhibited a linear relationship with the xylan hydrolysis yield by each enzyme. This relationship revealed significant hydrolysis of WDM-RS glucan with lower supplementation of Xyl10Awt.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results suggest that Xyl10A CBM1 has the following two roles in synergistic hydrolysis of lignocellulose by Xyl10A and cellulases: enhancement of lignocellulosic xylan hydrolysis by binding to cellulose, and the efficient removal of xylan obstacles that interrupt the cellulase activity (because of similar binding target of CBM1). The combination of CBM-containing cellulases and xylanases in a fugal cellulase system could contribute to reduction of the enzyme loading in the hydrolysis of pretreated lignocelluloses.

Crystallization and preliminary X-ray crystallographic analysis of a putative feruloyl esterase from Talaromyces cellulolyticus

Feruloyl esterase (FAE; EC 3.1.1.73) catalyzes the cleavage of the ester bond between ferulic acid and polysaccharides in plant cell walls, and thus holds significant potential for the industrial utilization of biomass saccharification. A feruloyl esterase was identified from the genome database of Talaromyces cellulolyticus (formerly known as Acremonium cellulolyticus). The gene consists of the catalytic domain and a carbohydrate-binding module connected through a serine/threonine-rich linker region. The recombinant enzyme was prepared, purified and crystallized at 293 K using 0.1 M imidazole pH 8.0, 0.2 M calcium acetate, 14% PEG 8000 as the precipitant. The crystal diffracted to 2.6 Å resolution and the crystal system is primitive orthorhombic, with unit-cell parameters a = 90.9, b = 123.4, c = 135.4 Å. Four molecules are assumed to be present per asymmetric unit, corresponding to a Matthews coefficient of 2.50 Å(3) Da(-1) and a solvent content of 50.88%(v/v).

Heterologous expression of hyperthermophilic cellulases of archaea Pyrococcus sp. by fungus Talaromyces cellulolyticus

Talaromyces cellulolyticus (formerly known as Acremonium cellulolyticus) is one of the high cellulolytic enzyme-producing fungi. T. cellulolyticus exhibits the potential ability for high amount production of enzyme proteins. Using the homologous expression system under the control of a glucoamylase promoter, some kinds of cellulases of T. cellulolyticus can be expressed by T. cellulolyticus. On the other hand, hyperthermophilic cellulase has been expected to be useful in the industrial applications to biomass. The hyperthermophilic archaea Pyrococcus horikoshii and P. furiosus have GH family 5 and 12 hyperthermophilic endocellulase, respectively. The two kinds of hyperthermophilic endocellulases were successfully produced by T. cellulolyticus using the above expression system under the control of a glucoamylase promoter of T. cellulolyticus. These recombinant cellulases exhibited the same characteristics as those of the recombinant cellulases prepared in E. coli. The productions of the recombinant enzymes were estimated to be over 100 mg/L. In this study, we first report the overexpression of the hyperthermophilic enzymes of archaea using the fungal expression system.

Characterization of the xylanase regulator protein gene, xlnR, in Talaromyces cellulolyticus (formerly known as Acremonium cellulolyticus)

We cloned a putative Talaromyces cellulolyticus (formerly known as Acremonium cellulolyticus) xlnR gene and isolated a xlnR disruptant strain. XlnR protein was localized in the nucleus. Xylanase production by the xlnR disruptant was lower than in the control strain at both the enzyme and transcriptional level. These data suggest that the XlnR protein regulates xylanase production in T. cellulolyticus.

Gene targeting by RNAi-mediated knockdown of potent DNA ligase IV homologue in the cellulase-producing fungus Talaromyces cellulolyticus

The genome of the cellulase-producing fungus Talaromyces cellulolyticus (formerly Acremonium cellulolyticus) was screened for a potent DNA ligase IV gene (ligD homologue). Homologous recombination efficiency in T. cellulolyticus is very low. Therefore, suppression of a non-homologous end-joining system was attempted to enable specific gene knockouts for molecular breeding. The transcript levels of ligD homologue were 0.037 of those of the parental YP-4 strain in the Li20 transformant carrying the RNAi construct targeting the ligD homologue. Transformation of the hairpin-type RNAi vector into T. cellulolyticus could be useful in fungal gene knockdown experiments. Cellulase production and protein secretion were similar in the parental YP-4 strain and the Li20 transformant. Knockout transformation of ligD homologue using the Li20 transformant led to 23.1 % double crossover gene targeting. Our results suggest that the potent DNA ligase IV gene of T. cellulolyticus is related to non-homologous end joining and that the knockdown of the ligD homologue is useful in gene targeting.

Xylanase (GH11) from Acremonium cellulolyticus: homologous expression and characterization

Cellulosic materials constitute most of the biomass on earth, and can be converted into biofuel or bio-based materials if fermentable sugars can be released using cellulose-related enzymes. Acremonium cellulolyticus is a mesophilic fungus which produces a high amount of cellulose-related enzymes. In the genome sequence data of A. cellulolyticus, ORFs showing homology to GH10 and GH11 xylanases were found. The xylanases of A. cellulolyticus play an important role in cellulolytic biomass degradation. Search of a draft genome sequence of A. cellulolyticus for xylanase coding regions identified seven ORFs showing homology to GH 11 xylanase genes (xylA, xylB, xylC, xylD, xylE, xylF and xylG). These genes were cloned and their enzymes were prepared with a homologous expression system under the control of a glucoamylase promoter. Six of the seven recombinant enzymes were successfully expressed, prepared, and characterized. These enzymes exhibited optimal xylanase activity at pH 4.0 – 4.5. But this time, we found that only XylC had enormously higher relative activity (2947 U•mg ⁻¹) than the other xylanases at optimum pH. This result is surprising because XylC does not retain a carbohydrate-binding module 1 (CBM-1) that is necessary to bind tightly own substrate such as xylan. In this study, we discuss the relationship between activity, pH and sequence of seven xylanases in A. cellulolyticus.

Identification and characterization of core cellulolytic enzymes from Talaromyces cellulolyticus (formerly Acremonium cellulolyticus) critical for hydrolysis of lignocellulosic biomass

BACKGROUND

Enzymatic hydrolysis of pretreated lignocellulosic biomass is an essential process for the production of fermentable sugars for industrial use. A better understanding of fungal cellulase systems will provide clues for maximizing the hydrolysis of target biomass. Talaromyces cellulolyticus is a promising fungus for cellulase production and efficient biomass hydrolysis. Several cellulolytic enzymes purified from T. cellulolyticus were characterized in earlier studies, but the core enzymes critical for hydrolysis of lignocellulosic biomass remain unknown.

RESULTS

Six cellulolytic enzymes critical for the hydrolysis of crystalline cellulose were purified from T. cellulolyticus culture supernatant using an enzyme assay based on synergistic hydrolysis of Avicel. The purified enzymes were identified by their substrate specificities and analyses of trypsin-digested peptide fragments and were classified into the following glycosyl hydrolase (GH) families: GH3 (β-glucosidase, Bgl3A), GH5 (endoglucanase, Cel5A), GH6 (cellobiohydrolase II, Cel6A), GH7 (cellobiohydrolase I and endoglucanase, Cel7A and Cel7B, respectively), and GH10 (xylanase, Xyl10A). Hydrolysis of dilute acid-pretreated corn stover (PCS) with mixtures of the purified enzymes showed that Cel5A, Cel7B, and Xyl10A each had synergistic effects with a mixture of Cel6A and Cel7A. Cel5A seemed to be more effective in the synergistic hydrolysis of the PCS than Cel7B. The ratio of Cel5A, Cel6A, Cel7A, and Xyl10A was statistically optimized for the hydrolysis of PCS glucan in the presence of Bgl3A. The resultant mixture achieved higher PCS glucan hydrolysis at lower enzyme loading than a culture filtrate from T. cellulolyticus or a commercial enzyme preparation, demonstrating that the five enzymes play a role as core enzymes in the hydrolysis of PCS glucan.

CONCLUSIONS

Core cellulolytic enzymes in the T. cellulolyticus cellulase system were identified to Cel5A, Cel6A, Cel7A, Xyl10A, and Bgl3A and characterized. The optimized mixture of these five enzymes was highly effective for the hydrolysis of PCS glucan, providing a foundation for future improvement of the T. cellulolyticus cellulase system.

Enhancing cellulase and hemicellulase production by genetic modification of the carbon catabolite repressor gene, creA, in Acremonium cellulolyticus

Acremonium cellulolyticus is one of several fungi that offer promise as an alternative to Trichoderma reesei for use in industrial cellulase production. However, the mechanism of cellulase production has not been studied at the molecular level because adequate genetic engineering tools for use in A. cellulolyticus are lacking. In the present study, we developed a gene disruption method for A. cellulolyticus, which needs a longer homologous region length. We cloned a putative A. cellulolyticus creA gene that is highly similar to the creA genes derived from other filamentous fungi, and isolated a creA disruptant strain by using the disruption method. Growth of the creA disruptant on agar plates was slower than that of the control strain. In the wild-type strain, the CreA protein was localized in the nucleus, suggesting that the cloned gene encodes the CreA transcription factor. Cellulase and xylanase production by the creA disruptant were higher than that of the control strain at the enzyme and transcription levels. Furthermore, the creA disruptant produced cellulase and xylanase in the presence of glucose. These data suggest both that the CreA protein functions as a catabolite repressor protein, and that disruption of creA is effective for enhancing enzyme production by A. cellulolyticus.