1
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Zhou J, Pan Q, Xue Y, Dong Y, Chen Y, Huang L, Zhang B, Liu ZQ, Zheng Y. Synthetic biology for Monascus: From strain breeding to industrial production. Biotechnol J 2024; 19:e2400180. [PMID: 39014924 DOI: 10.1002/biot.202400180] [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: 03/19/2024] [Revised: 06/25/2024] [Accepted: 06/29/2024] [Indexed: 07/18/2024]
Abstract
Traditional Chinese food therapies often motivate the development of modern medicines, and learning from them will bring bright prospects. Monascus, a conventional Chinese fungus with centuries of use in the food industry, produces various metabolites, including natural pigments, lipid-lowering substances, and other bioactive ingredients. Recent Monascus studies focused on the metabolite biosynthesis mechanisms, strain modifications, and fermentation process optimizations, significantly advancing Monascus development on a lab scale. However, the advanced manufacture for Monascus is lacking, restricting its scale production. Here, the synthetic biology techniques and their challenges for engineering filamentous fungi were summarized, especially for Monascus. With further in-depth discussions of automatic solid-state fermentation manufacturing and prospects for combining synthetic biology and process intensification, the industrial scale production of Monascus will succeed with the help of Monascus improvement and intelligent fermentation control, promoting Monascus applications in food, cosmetic, agriculture, medicine, and environmental protection industries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junping Zhou
- The National and Local Joint Engineering Research Center for Biomanufacturing of Chiral Chemicals, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, China
| | - Qilu Pan
- The National and Local Joint Engineering Research Center for Biomanufacturing of Chiral Chemicals, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yinan Xue
- The National and Local Joint Engineering Research Center for Biomanufacturing of Chiral Chemicals, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yaping Dong
- The National and Local Joint Engineering Research Center for Biomanufacturing of Chiral Chemicals, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yihong Chen
- The National and Local Joint Engineering Research Center for Biomanufacturing of Chiral Chemicals, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, China
| | - Lianggang Huang
- The National and Local Joint Engineering Research Center for Biomanufacturing of Chiral Chemicals, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, China
| | - Bo Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Synthesis of Zhejiang Province, College of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, China
| | - Zhi-Qiang Liu
- The National and Local Joint Engineering Research Center for Biomanufacturing of Chiral Chemicals, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Synthesis of Zhejiang Province, College of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yuguo Zheng
- The National and Local Joint Engineering Research Center for Biomanufacturing of Chiral Chemicals, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, China
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2
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Alam M, Pandit B, Moin A, Iqbal UN. Invisible Inhabitants of Plants and a Sustainable Planet: Diversity of Bacterial Endophytes and their Potential in Sustainable Agriculture. Indian J Microbiol 2024; 64:343-366. [PMID: 39011025 PMCID: PMC11246410 DOI: 10.1007/s12088-024-01225-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2023] [Accepted: 02/07/2024] [Indexed: 07/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Uncontrolled usage of chemical fertilizers, climate change due to global warming, and the ever-increasing demand for food have necessitated sustainable agricultural practices. Removal of ever-increasing environmental pollutants, treatment of life-threatening diseases, and control of drug-resistant pathogens are also the need of the present time to maintain the health and hygiene of nature, as well as human beings. Research on plant-microbe interactions is paving the way to ameliorate all these sustainably. Diverse bacterial endophytes inhabiting the internal tissues of different parts of the plants promote the growth and development of their hosts by different mechanisms, such as through nutrient acquisition, phytohormone production and modulation, protection from biotic or abiotic challenges, assisting in flowering and root development, etc. Notwithstanding, efficient exploitation of endophytes in human welfare is hindered due to scarce knowledge of the molecular aspects of their interactions, community dynamics, in-planta activities, and their actual functional potential. Modern "-omics-based" technologies and genetic manipulation tools have empowered scientists to explore the diversity, dynamics, roles, and functional potential of endophytes, ultimately empowering humans to better use them in sustainable agricultural practices, especially in future harsh environmental conditions. In this review, we have discussed the diversity of bacterial endophytes, factors (biotic as well as abiotic) affecting their diversity, and their various plant growth-promoting activities. Recent developments and technological advancements for future research, such as "-omics-based" technologies, genetic engineering, genome editing, and genome engineering tools, targeting optimal utilization of the endophytes in sustainable agricultural practices, or other purposes, have also been discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masrure Alam
- Microbial Ecology and Physiology Lab, Department of Biological Sciences, Aliah University, IIA/27 New Town, Kolkata, West Bengal 700160 India
| | - Baishali Pandit
- Microbial Ecology and Physiology Lab, Department of Biological Sciences, Aliah University, IIA/27 New Town, Kolkata, West Bengal 700160 India
- Department of Botany, Surendranath College, 24/2 MG Road, Kolkata, West Bengal 700009 India
| | - Abdul Moin
- Microbial Ecology and Physiology Lab, Department of Biological Sciences, Aliah University, IIA/27 New Town, Kolkata, West Bengal 700160 India
| | - Umaimah Nuzhat Iqbal
- Microbial Ecology and Physiology Lab, Department of Biological Sciences, Aliah University, IIA/27 New Town, Kolkata, West Bengal 700160 India
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3
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Liu J, Zhu J, Zhang Q, Lv R, Liu H. Establishing a one-step marker-free CRISPR/Cas9 system for industrial Aspergillus niger using counter-selectable marker Ang-ace2. Biotechnol Lett 2023; 45:1477-1485. [PMID: 37805953 DOI: 10.1007/s10529-023-03434-3] [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: 06/08/2023] [Revised: 07/24/2023] [Accepted: 09/06/2023] [Indexed: 10/10/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To develop a one-step, marker-free CRISPR/Cas9 system for highly efficient genome editing in industrial Aspergillus niger, with a short genetic operation cycle. RESULTS Firstly, evaluation of different promoters for sgRNA expression revealed tRNAGly15 as the most efficient, achieving a remarkable 100% gene editing efficiency. Furthermore, a counter-selectable marker, Ang-ace2, was identified for A. niger. Subsequently, a CRISPR/Cas9 plasmid was developed, utilizing a truncated AMA1 element and the Ang-ace2 conditional expression cassette driven by a Tet-on promoter. In the presence of doxycycline, the plasmid demonstrated a 33% loss efficiency in the progeny of A. niger spores after a single generation, resulting in a shortened genetic operation cycle of 16 days for CRISPR/Cas9. CONCLUSIONS The one-step marker-free CRISPR/Cas9 system was successfully developed in industrial A. niger, allowing for efficient gene editing while simultaneously reducing the editing time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiao Liu
- MOE Key Laboratory of Industrial Fermentation Microbiology, College of Biotechnology, Tianjin University of Science & Technology, Tianjin, 300457, China
- Tianjin Engineering Research Center of Microbial Metabolism and Fermentation Process Control, Tianjin University of Science & Technology, Tianjin, 300457, China
| | - Jie Zhu
- MOE Key Laboratory of Industrial Fermentation Microbiology, College of Biotechnology, Tianjin University of Science & Technology, Tianjin, 300457, China
| | - Qian Zhang
- MOE Key Laboratory of Industrial Fermentation Microbiology, College of Biotechnology, Tianjin University of Science & Technology, Tianjin, 300457, China
| | - Ruitong Lv
- MOE Key Laboratory of Industrial Fermentation Microbiology, College of Biotechnology, Tianjin University of Science & Technology, Tianjin, 300457, China
| | - Hao Liu
- MOE Key Laboratory of Industrial Fermentation Microbiology, College of Biotechnology, Tianjin University of Science & Technology, Tianjin, 300457, China.
- Tianjin Engineering Research Center of Microbial Metabolism and Fermentation Process Control, Tianjin University of Science & Technology, Tianjin, 300457, China.
- National Technology Innovation Center of Synthetic Biology, Tianjin, 300308, People's Republic of China.
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4
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Zhao F, Ding X, Liu Z, Yan X, Chen Y, Jiang Y, Chen S, Wang Y, Kang T, Xie C, He M, Zheng J. Application of CRISPR/Cas9-based genome editing in ecotoxicology. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2023; 336:122458. [PMID: 37633433 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2023.122458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2023] [Revised: 08/22/2023] [Accepted: 08/23/2023] [Indexed: 08/28/2023]
Abstract
Chemicals are widely used and released into the environment, and their degradation, accumulation, migration, and transformation processes in the environment can pose a threat to the ecosystem. The advancement in analytical methods with high-throughput screening of biomolecules has revolutionized the way toxicologists used to explore the effects of chemicals on organisms. CRISPR/Cas is a newly developed tool, widely used in the exploration of basic science and biologically engineered products given its high efficiency and low cost. For example, it can edit target genes efficiently, and save loss of the crop yield caused by environmental pollution as well as gain a better understanding of the toxicity mechanisms from various chemicals. This review briefly introduces the development history of CRISPR/Cas and summarizes the current application of CRISPR/Cas in ecotoxicology, including its application on improving crop yield and drug resistance towards agricultural pollution, antibiotic pollution and other threats. The benefits by applying the CRISPR/Cas9 system in conventional toxicity mechanism studies are fully demonstrated here together with its foreseeable expansions in other area of ecotoxicology. Finally, the prospects and disadvantages of CRISPR/Cas system in the field of ecotoxicology are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fang Zhao
- Scientific Research Center, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China; State Environmental Protection Key laboratory of Environmental Pollution Health Risk Assessment, South China Institute of Environmental Sciences. Ministry of Environmental Protection, Guangzhou, China; School of Public Health, Guizhou Medical University, Guizhou, China
| | - Xiaofan Ding
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, Macao SAR, China
| | - Zimeng Liu
- Scientific Research Center, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Xiao Yan
- State Environmental Protection Key laboratory of Environmental Pollution Health Risk Assessment, South China Institute of Environmental Sciences. Ministry of Environmental Protection, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yanzhen Chen
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, Macao SAR, China
| | - Yaxin Jiang
- Scientific Research Center, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Shunjie Chen
- Scientific Research Center, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yuanfang Wang
- Scientific Research Center, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Tingting Kang
- Scientific Research Center, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Chun Xie
- School of Public Health, Guizhou Medical University, Guizhou, China
| | - Mian He
- Scientific Research Center, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China.
| | - Jing Zheng
- State Environmental Protection Key laboratory of Environmental Pollution Health Risk Assessment, South China Institute of Environmental Sciences. Ministry of Environmental Protection, Guangzhou, China
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5
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Zhang Y, Chen S, Yang L, Zhang Q. Application progress of CRISPR/Cas9 genome-editing technology in edible fungi. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1169884. [PMID: 37303782 PMCID: PMC10248459 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1169884] [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: 02/20/2023] [Accepted: 04/26/2023] [Indexed: 06/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Edible fungi are not only delicious but are also rich in nutritional and medicinal value, which is highly sought after by consumers. As the edible fungi industry continues to rapidly advance worldwide, particularly in China, the cultivation of superior and innovative edible fungi strains has become increasingly pivotal. Nevertheless, conventional breeding techniques for edible fungi can be arduous and time-consuming. CRISPR/Cas9 (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats/CRISPR-associated nuclease 9) is a powerful tool for molecular breeding due to its ability to mediate high-efficiency and high-precision genome modification, which has been successfully applied to many kinds of edible fungi. In this review, we briefly summarized the working mechanism of the CRISPR/Cas9 system and highlighted the application progress of CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome-editing technology in edible fungi, including Agaricus bisporus, Ganoderma lucidum, Flammulina filiformis, Ustilago maydis, Pleurotus eryngii, Pleurotus ostreatus, Coprinopsis cinerea, Schizophyllum commune, Cordyceps militaris, and Shiraia bambusicola. Additionally, we discussed the limitations and challenges encountered using CRISPR/Cas9 technology in edible fungi and provided potential solutions. Finally, the applications of CRISPR/Cas9 system for molecular breeding of edible fungi in the future are explored.
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CRISPR/dCas9-Mediated Gene Silencing in Two Plant Fungal Pathogens. mSphere 2023; 8:e0059422. [PMID: 36655998 PMCID: PMC9942560 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.00594-22] [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] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Magnaporthe oryzae and Ustilaginoidea virens are two filamentous fungal pathogens that threaten rice production worldwide. Genetic tools that permit fast gene deletion and silencing are of great interest for functional genomics of fungal pathogens. As a revolutionary genome editing tool, clustered regularly interspaced palindromic repeats (CRISPR) and CRISPR-associated protein 9 (Cas9) enable many innovative applications. Here, we developed a CRISPR interference (CRISPRi) toolkit using nuclease activity dead Cas9 (dCas9) to silence genes of interest in M. oryzae and U. virens. We optimized the components of CRISPRi vectors, including transcriptional repression domains, dCas9 promoters, and guide RNA (gRNA) promoters. The CRISPRi tool was tested using nine gRNAs to target the promoters of MoATG3, MoATG7, and UvPal1. The results indicated that a single gRNA could direct the dCas9-fused transcriptional repression domain to efficiently silence the target gene in M. oryzae and U. virens. In both fungi, the target genes were repressed >100-fold, and desired phenotypes were observed in CRISPRi strains. Importantly, we showed that multiple genes could be easily silenced using polycistronic tRNA-gRNA in CRISPRi. Furthermore, gRNAs that bind different promoter regions displayed variable repression levels of target genes, highlighting the importance of gRNA design for CRISPRi efficiency. Together, this study provides an efficient and robust CRISPRi tool for targeted gene silencing in M. oryzae and U. virens. Owing to its simplicity and multiplexity, CRISPRi will be a useful tool for gene function discovery in fungal pathogens. IMPORTANCE Many devastating plant diseases are caused by fungal pathogens that evolve rapidly to adapt to host resistance and environmental changes. Therefore, genetic tools that enable fast gene function discovery are needed to study the pathogenicity and stress adaptation of fungal pathogens. In this study, we adopted the CRISPR/Cas9 system to silence genes in Magnaporthe oryzae and Ustilaginoidea virens, which are two dominant fungal pathogens that threaten rice production worldwide. We present a versatile and robust CRISPRi toolkit that represses target gene expression >100-fold using a single gRNA. We also demonstrated that CRISPRi could simultaneously silence multiple genes using the tRNA-gRNA strategy. The CRISPRi technologies described in this study would accelerate the functional genomics of fungal pathogens.
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Deng H, Liang X, Liu J, Zheng X, Fan TP, Cai Y. Advances and perspectives on perylenequinone biosynthesis. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:1070110. [PMID: 36605511 PMCID: PMC9808054 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.1070110] [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: 10/14/2022] [Accepted: 11/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Under illumination, the fungal secondary metabolites, perylenequinones (PQs) react with molecular oxygen to generate reactive oxygen species (ROS), which, in excess can damage cellular macromolecules and trigger apoptosis. Based on this property, PQs have been widely used as photosensitizers and applied in pharmaceuticals, which has stimulated research into the discovery of new PQs and the elucidation of their biosynthetic pathways. The PQs-associated literature covering from April 1967 to September 2022 is reviewed in three sections: (1) the sources, structural diversity, and biological activities of microbial PQs; (2) elucidation of PQ biosynthetic pathways, associated genes, and mechanisms of regulation; and (3) advances in pathway engineering and future potential strategies to modify cellular metabolism and improve PQ production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huaxiang Deng
- Center for Synthetic Biochemistry, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China,The Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu, China,*Correspondence: Huaxiang Deng,
| | - Xinxin Liang
- The Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu, China
| | - Jinbin Liu
- School of Marine and Bioengineering, Yancheng Institute of Technology, Yancheng, Jiangsu, China
| | - Xiaohui Zheng
- College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi’an, Shanxi, China
| | - Tai-Ping Fan
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Yujie Cai
- The Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu, China,Yujie Cai,
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Gakuubi MM, Ching KC, Munusamy M, Wibowo M, Lim CT, Ma GL, Liang ZX, Kanagasundaram Y, Ng SB. CRISPR/Cas9 RNP-assisted validation of palmarumycin biosynthetic gene cluster in Lophiotrema sp. F6932. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:1012115. [PMID: 36246293 PMCID: PMC9556985 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.1012115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2022] [Accepted: 09/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Lophiotrema is a genus of ascomycetous fungi within the family Lophiotremataceae. Members of this genus have been isolated as endophytes from a wide range of host plants and also from plant debris within terrestrial and marine habitats, where they are thought to function as saprobes. Lophiotrema sp. F6932 was isolated from white mangrove (Avicennia officinalis) in Pulau Ubin Island, Singapore. Crude extracts from the fungus exhibited strong antibacterial activity, and bioassay-guided isolation and structure elucidation of bioactive constituents led to the isolation of palmarumycin C8 and a new analog palmarumycin CP30. Whole-genome sequencing analysis resulted in the identification of a putative type 1 iterative PKS (iPKS) predicated to be involved in the biosynthesis of palmarumycins. To verify the involvement of palmarumycin (PAL) gene cluster in the biosynthesis of these compounds, we employed ribonucleoprotein (RNP)-mediated CRISPR-Cas9 to induce targeted deletion of the ketosynthase (KS) domain in PAL. Double-strand breaks (DSBs) upstream and downstream of the KS domain was followed by homology-directed repair (HDR) with a hygromycin resistance cassette flanked by a 50 bp of homology on both sides of the DSBs. The resultant deletion mutants displayed completely different phenotypes compared to the wild-type strain, as they had different colony morphology and were no longer able to produce palmarumycins or melanin. This study, therefore, confirms the involvement of PAL in the biosynthesis of palmarumycins, and paves the way for implementing a similar approach in the characterization of other gene clusters of interest in this largely understudied fungal strain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Muthee Gakuubi
- Singapore Institute of Food and Biotechnology Innovation (SIFBI), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, Singapore
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Kuan Chieh Ching
- Singapore Institute of Food and Biotechnology Innovation (SIFBI), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, Singapore
| | - Madhaiyan Munusamy
- Singapore Institute of Food and Biotechnology Innovation (SIFBI), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, Singapore
| | - Mario Wibowo
- Singapore Institute of Food and Biotechnology Innovation (SIFBI), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, Singapore
| | - Chun Teck Lim
- Singapore Institute of Food and Biotechnology Innovation (SIFBI), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, Singapore
| | - Guang-Lei Ma
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Zhao-Xun Liang
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Yoganathan Kanagasundaram
- Singapore Institute of Food and Biotechnology Innovation (SIFBI), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, Singapore
| | - Siew Bee Ng
- Singapore Institute of Food and Biotechnology Innovation (SIFBI), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, Singapore
- *Correspondence: Siew Bee Ng,
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Abdulrachman D, Champreda V, Eurwilaichitr L, Chantasingh D, Pootanakit K. Efficient multiplex CRISPR/Cpf1 (Cas12a) genome editing system in Aspergillus aculeatus TBRC 277. J Biotechnol 2022; 355:53-64. [PMID: 35788357 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiotec.2022.06.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2021] [Revised: 05/13/2022] [Accepted: 06/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
CRISPR/Cas technology is a versatile tool for genome engineering in many organisms, including filamentous fungi. Cpf1 is a multi-domain protein of class 2 (type V) RNA-guided CRISPR/Cas endonuclease, and is an alternative platform with distinct features when compared to Cas9. However, application of this technology in filamentous fungi is limited. Here, we present a single CRISPR/Cpf1 plasmid system in Aspergillus aculeatus strain TBRC 277, an industrially relevant cell factory. We first evaluated the functionality of three Cpf1 orthologs from Acidaminococcus sp. BV3L6 (AsCpf1), Francisella tularensis subsp. novicida U112 (FnCpf1), and Lachnospiraceae bacterium (LbCpf1), in RNA-guided site-specific DNA cleavage at the pksP locus. FnCpf1 showed the highest editing efficiency (93%) among the three Cpf1s. It was further investigated for its ability to delete a 1.7kb and a 0.5kb from pksP and pyrG genes, respectively, using two protospacers targeting these gene loci in a single crRNA array. Lastly, simultaneous editing of three sites within TBRC 277 genome was performed using three guide sequences targeting these two genes as well as an additional gene, kusA, which resulted in combined editing efficiency of 40%. The editing of the NHEJ pathway by targeting kusA to generate a NHEJ-deficient strain of A. aculeatus TBRC 277 improved gene targeting efficiency and yielded more precise gene-editing than that of using wild-type strain. This promising genome-editing system can be used for strain improvement in industrial applications such as production of valuable bioproducts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dede Abdulrachman
- Institute of Molecular Biosciences, Mahidol University, Salaya, Nakhon Pathom, Thailand
| | - Verawat Champreda
- Enzyme Technology Laboratory, National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), Thailand Science Park, Pathumthani, Thailand
| | - Lily Eurwilaichitr
- Thailand Bioresource Research Center (TBRC), National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), Thailand Science Park, Pathumthani, Thailand
| | - Duriya Chantasingh
- Enzyme Technology Laboratory, National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), Thailand Science Park, Pathumthani, Thailand.
| | - Kusol Pootanakit
- Institute of Molecular Biosciences, Mahidol University, Salaya, Nakhon Pathom, Thailand.
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The application of genome-wide CRISPR-Cas9 screens to dissect the molecular mechanisms of toxins. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2022; 20:5076-5084. [PMID: 36187925 PMCID: PMC9489804 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2022.09.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2022] [Revised: 09/07/2022] [Accepted: 09/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Many toxins are life-threatening to both animals and humans. However, specific antidotes are not available for most of those toxins. The molecular mechanisms underlying the toxicology of well-known toxins are not yet fully characterized. Recently, the advance in CRISPR-Cas9 technologies has greatly accelerated the process of revealing the toxic mechanisms of some common toxins on hosts from a genome-wide perspective. The high-throughput CRISPR screen has made it feasible to untangle complicated interactions between a particular toxin and its corresponding targeting tissue(s). In this review, we present an overview of recent advances in molecular dissection of toxins’ cytotoxicity by using genome-wide CRISPR screens, summarize the components essential for toxin-specific CRISPR screens, and propose new strategies for future research.
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Mózsik L, Pohl C, Meyer V, Bovenberg RAL, Nygård Y, Driessen AJM. Modular Synthetic Biology Toolkit for Filamentous Fungi. ACS Synth Biol 2021; 10:2850-2861. [PMID: 34726388 PMCID: PMC8609570 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.1c00260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
![]()
Filamentous fungi
are highly productive cell factories, often used
in industry for the production of enzymes and small bioactive compounds.
Recent years have seen an increasing number of synthetic-biology-based
applications in fungi, emphasizing the need for a synthetic biology
toolkit for these organisms. Here we present a collection of 96 genetic
parts, characterized in Penicillium or Aspergillus species, that are
compatible and interchangeable with the Modular Cloning system. The
toolkit contains natural and synthetic promoters (constitutive and
inducible), terminators, fluorescent reporters, and selection markers.
Furthermore, there are regulatory and DNA-binding domains of transcriptional
regulators and components for implementing different CRISPR-based
technologies. Genetic parts can be assembled into complex multipartite
assemblies and delivered through genomic integration or expressed
from an AMA1-sequence-based, fungal-replicating shuttle vector. With
this toolkit, synthetic transcription units with established promoters,
fusion proteins, or synthetic transcriptional regulation devices can
be more rapidly assembled in a standardized and modular manner for
novel fungal cell factories.
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Affiliation(s)
- László Mózsik
- Molecular Microbiology, Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, University of Groningen, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Carsten Pohl
- Chair of Applied and Molecular Microbiology, Institute of Biotechnology, Technische Universität Berlin, 10623 Berlin, Germany
| | - Vera Meyer
- Chair of Applied and Molecular Microbiology, Institute of Biotechnology, Technische Universität Berlin, 10623 Berlin, Germany
| | - Roel A. L. Bovenberg
- DSM Biotechnology Center, 2613 AX Delft, The Netherlands
- Synthetic Biology and Cell Engineering, Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, University of Groningen, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Yvonne Nygård
- Department of Biology and Biological Engineering, Division of Industrial Biotechnology, Chalmers University of Technology, 412 96 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Arnold J. M. Driessen
- Molecular Microbiology, Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, University of Groningen, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
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Zhang G, Ren X, Liang X, Wang Y, Feng D, Zhang Y, Xian M, Zou H. Improving the Microbial Production of Amino Acids: From Conventional Approaches to Recent Trends. BIOTECHNOL BIOPROC E 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s12257-020-0390-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
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13
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Mondal S, Halder SK, Mondal KC. Tailoring in fungi for next generation cellulase production with special reference to CRISPR/CAS system. SYSTEMS MICROBIOLOGY AND BIOMANUFACTURING 2021; 2:113-129. [PMID: 38624901 PMCID: PMC8319711 DOI: 10.1007/s43393-021-00045-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2021] [Revised: 07/14/2021] [Accepted: 07/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Cellulose is the utmost plenteous source of biopolymer in our earth, and fungi are the most efficient and ubiquitous organism in degrading the cellulosic biomass by synthesizing cellulases. Tailoring through genetic manipulation has played a substantial role in constructing novel fungal strains towards improved cellulase production of desired traits. However, the traditional methods of genetic manipulation of fungi are time-consuming and tedious. With the availability of the full-genome sequences of several industrially relevant filamentous fungi, CRISPR-CAS (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats/CRISPR-associated protein) technology has come into the focus for the proficient development of manipulated strains of filamentous fungi. This review summarizes the mode of action of cellulases, transcription level regulation for cellulase expression, various traditional strategies of genetic manipulation with CRISPR-CAS technology to develop modified fungal strains for a preferred level of cellulase production, and the futuristic trend in this arena of research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Subhadeep Mondal
- Center for Life Sciences, Vidyasagar University, Midnapore, 721102 West Bengal India
| | - Suman Kumar Halder
- Department of Microbiology, Vidyasagar University, Midnapore, 721102 West Bengal India
| | - Keshab Chandra Mondal
- Department of Microbiology, Vidyasagar University, Midnapore, 721102 West Bengal India
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14
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Genome editing for resistance against plant pests and pathogens. Transgenic Res 2021; 30:427-459. [PMID: 34143358 DOI: 10.1007/s11248-021-00262-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2020] [Accepted: 05/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The conventional breeding of crops struggles to keep up with increasing food needs and ever-adapting pests and pathogens. Global climate changes have imposed another layer of complexity to biological systems, increasing the challenge to obtain improved crop cultivars. These dictate the development and application of novel technologies, like genome editing (GE), that assist targeted and fast breeding programs in crops, with enhanced resistance to pests and pathogens. GE does not require crossings, hence avoiding the introduction of undesirable traits through linkage in elite varieties, speeding up the whole breeding process. Additionally, GE technologies can improve plant protection by directly targeting plant susceptibility (S) genes or virulence factors of pests and pathogens, either through the direct edition of the pest genome or by adding the GE machinery to the plant genome or to microorganisms functioning as biocontrol agents (BCAs). Over the years, GE technology has been continuously evolving and more so with the development of CRISPR/Cas. Here we review the latest advancements of GE to improve plant protection, focusing on CRISPR/Cas-based genome edition of crops and pests and pathogens. We discuss how other technologies, such as host-induced gene silencing (HIGS) and the use of BCAs could benefit from CRISPR/Cas to accelerate the development of green strategies to promote a sustainable agriculture in the future.
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15
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Valente S, Piombo E, Schroeckh V, Meloni GR, Heinekamp T, Brakhage AA, Spadaro D. CRISPR-Cas9-Based Discovery of the Verrucosidin Biosynthesis Gene Cluster in Penicillium polonicum. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:660871. [PMID: 34093475 PMCID: PMC8176439 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.660871] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2021] [Accepted: 04/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Penicillium polonicum, commonly found on food matrices, is a mycotoxigenic species able to produce a neurotoxin called verrucosidin. This methylated α-pyrone polyketide inhibits oxidative phosphorylation in mitochondria and thereby causes neurological diseases. Despite the importance of verrucosidin as a toxin, its biosynthetic genes have not been characterized yet. By similarity analysis with the polyketide synthase (PKS) genes for the α-pyrones aurovertin (AurA) and citreoviridin (CtvA), 16 PKS genes for putative α-pyrones were identified in the P. polonicum genome. A single PKS gene, verA, was found to be transcribed under verrucosidin-producing growth conditions. The annotated functions of the genes neighboring verA correspond to those required for verrucosidin biosynthesis. To prove the involvement of verA in verrucosidin biosynthesis, the clustered regularly interspaced short palindrome repeats (CRISPR) technology was applied to P. polonicum. In vitro reconstituted CRISPR-Cas9 was used to induce targeted gene deletions in P. polonicum. This approach allowed identifying and characterizing the verrucosidin biosynthetic gene cluster. VerA deletion mutants were no longer able to produce verrucosidin, whereas they were displaying morphological characteristics comparable with the wild-type strain. The available CRISPR-Cas9 technology allows characterizing the biosynthetic potential of P. polonicum as a valuable source of novel compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Valente
- AGROINNOVA - Centre of Competence for the Innovation in the Agro-Environmental Sector, Grugliasco, Italy.,Department of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences, Università degli Studi di Torino, Grugliasco, Italy
| | - Edoardo Piombo
- AGROINNOVA - Centre of Competence for the Innovation in the Agro-Environmental Sector, Grugliasco, Italy.,Department of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences, Università degli Studi di Torino, Grugliasco, Italy
| | - Volker Schroeckh
- Department of Molecular and Applied Microbiology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology - Hans Knöll Institute, Jena, Germany
| | - Giovanna Roberta Meloni
- AGROINNOVA - Centre of Competence for the Innovation in the Agro-Environmental Sector, Grugliasco, Italy.,Department of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences, Università degli Studi di Torino, Grugliasco, Italy
| | - Thorsten Heinekamp
- Department of Molecular and Applied Microbiology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology - Hans Knöll Institute, Jena, Germany
| | - Axel A Brakhage
- Department of Molecular and Applied Microbiology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology - Hans Knöll Institute, Jena, Germany.,Department of Microbiology and Molecular Biology, Institute for Microbiology, Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany
| | - Davide Spadaro
- AGROINNOVA - Centre of Competence for the Innovation in the Agro-Environmental Sector, Grugliasco, Italy.,Department of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences, Università degli Studi di Torino, Grugliasco, Italy
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16
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Genetic barcodes allow traceability of CRISPR/Cas9-derived Aspergillus niger strains without affecting their fitness. Curr Genet 2021; 67:673-684. [PMID: 33723654 PMCID: PMC8254718 DOI: 10.1007/s00294-021-01164-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2021] [Revised: 02/14/2021] [Accepted: 02/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Safe use of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in biotechnology requires the ability to track the presence of these strains in any environment in which they are applied. For this, introduction of genetic barcodes within the editing site represents a valuable tool for the identification of microbial strains that have undergone genetic modifications. However, it is not known whether these barcodes would have any unexpected effect in the resulting strains or affect the efficiency of the genetic modification. CRISPR/Cas9 has become one of the fastest-growing technologies for genome editing in a range of organisms, including fungi. However, this technology enables the generation of scarless GMOs that are very difficult to distinguish from naturally occurring mutants or other modified organisms. In this study, we address this issue using the industrial workhorse Aspergillus niger as a test case. We applied CRISPR/Cas9 technology to delete the genes encoding the transcriptional regulators XlnR and AraR, involved in the production of plant biomass-degrading enzymes. We generated 20-bp barcoded and non-barcoded ΔxlnR and ΔaraR mutants and analyzed the traceability and fitness of the resulting strains, as well as the efficiency of the genetic modification. Results showed that both barcoded and non-barcoded mutants can be traced by routine PCR reactions when the specific CRISPR/Cas9 modification is known. Additionally, barcodes neither affected the efficiency of the genetic modification nor the growth or protein production of the resulting strains. These results confirm the suitability of genetic barcodes to trace CRISPR-derived GMOs without affecting the performance of the resulting strains.
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17
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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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18
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Abdulrachman D, Eurwilaichitr L, Champreda V, Chantasingh D, Pootanakit K. Development of a CRISPR/Cpf1 system for targeted gene disruption in Aspergillus aculeatus TBRC 277. BMC Biotechnol 2021; 21:15. [PMID: 33573639 PMCID: PMC7879532 DOI: 10.1186/s12896-021-00669-8] [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: 10/27/2020] [Accepted: 01/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND CRISPR-Cas genome editing technologies have revolutionized biotechnological research particularly in functional genomics and synthetic biology. As an alternative to the most studied and well-developed CRISPR/Cas9, a new class 2 (type V) CRISPR-Cas system called Cpf1 has emerged as another versatile platform for precision genome modification in a wide range of organisms including filamentous fungi. RESULTS In this study, we developed AMA1-based single CRISPR/Cpf1 expression vector that targets pyrG gene in Aspergillus aculeatus TBRC 277, a wild type filamentous fungus and potential enzyme-producing cell factory. The results showed that the Cpf1 codon optimized from Francisella tularensis subsp. novicida U112, FnCpf1, works efficiently to facilitate RNA-guided site-specific DNA cleavage. Specifically, we set up three different guide crRNAs targeting pyrG gene and demonstrated that FnCpf1 was able to induce site-specific double-strand breaks (DSBs) followed by an endogenous non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ) DNA repair pathway which caused insertions or deletions (indels) at these site-specific loci. CONCLUSIONS The use of FnCpf1 as an alternative class II (type V) nuclease was reported for the first time in A. aculeatus TBRC 277 species. The CRISPR/Cpf1 system developed in this study highlights the feasibility of CRISPR/Cpf1 technology and could be envisioned to further increase the utility of the CRISPR/Cpf1 in facilitating strain improvements as well as functional genomics of filamentous fungi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dede Abdulrachman
- Institute of Molecular Biosciences, Mahidol University, Salaya, Nakhon Pathom, Thailand
| | - Lily Eurwilaichitr
- Thailand Bioresource Research Center (TBRC), National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), Thailand Science Park, Khlong Luang District, Pathumthani, Thailand
| | - Verawat Champreda
- Enzyme Technology Laboratory, National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), Thailand Science Park, Khlong Luang District, Pathumthani, Thailand
| | - Duriya Chantasingh
- Enzyme Technology Laboratory, National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), Thailand Science Park, Khlong Luang District, Pathumthani, Thailand.
| | - Kusol Pootanakit
- Institute of Molecular Biosciences, Mahidol University, Salaya, Nakhon Pathom, Thailand.
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19
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Wang Q, Zhao Q, Liu Q, He X, Zhong Y, Qin Y, Gao L, Liu G, Qu Y. CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome editing in Penicillium oxalicum and Trichoderma reesei using 5S rRNA promoter-driven guide RNAs. Biotechnol Lett 2021; 43:495-502. [PMID: 33048255 DOI: 10.1007/s10529-020-03024-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2020] [Accepted: 10/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To construct convenient CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome editing systems in industrial enzyme-producing fungi Penicillium oxalicum and Trichoderma reesei. RESULTS Employing the 5S rRNA promoter from Aspergillus niger for guide RNA expression, the β-glucosidase gene bgl2 in P. oxalicum was deleted using a donor DNA carrying 40-bp homology arms or a donor containing no selectable marker gene. Using a markerless donor DNA as editing template, precise replacement of a small region was achieved in the creA gene. In T. reesei, the A. niger 5S rRNA promoter was less efficient than that in P. oxalicum when used for gene editing. Using a native 5S rRNA promoter, stop codons were introduced into the lae1 coding region using a markerless donor DNA with an editing efficiency of 36.67%. CONCLUSIONS Efficient genome editing systems were developed in filamentous fungi P. oxalicum and T. reesei by using heterologous or native 5S rRNA promoters for guide RNA expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qi Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, National Glycoengineering Research Center, Shandong University, 27 Binhai Road, Qingdao, 266237, China
| | - Qinqin Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, National Glycoengineering Research Center, Shandong University, 27 Binhai Road, Qingdao, 266237, China
| | - Qin Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, National Glycoengineering Research Center, Shandong University, 27 Binhai Road, Qingdao, 266237, China
| | - Xin He
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, National Glycoengineering Research Center, Shandong University, 27 Binhai Road, Qingdao, 266237, China
| | - Yaohua Zhong
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, National Glycoengineering Research Center, Shandong University, 27 Binhai Road, Qingdao, 266237, China
| | - Yuqi Qin
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, National Glycoengineering Research Center, Shandong University, 27 Binhai Road, Qingdao, 266237, China
| | - Liwei Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, National Glycoengineering Research Center, Shandong University, 27 Binhai Road, Qingdao, 266237, China.
| | - Guodong Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, National Glycoengineering Research Center, Shandong University, 27 Binhai Road, Qingdao, 266237, China.
| | - Yinbo Qu
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, National Glycoengineering Research Center, Shandong University, 27 Binhai Road, Qingdao, 266237, China
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20
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Alberti F, Kaleem S, Weaver JA. Recent developments of tools for genome and metabolome studies in basidiomycete fungi and their application to natural product research. Biol Open 2020; 9:bio056010. [PMID: 33268478 PMCID: PMC7725599 DOI: 10.1242/bio.056010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Basidiomycota are a large and diverse phylum of fungi. They can make bioactive metabolites that are used or have inspired the synthesis of antibiotics and agrochemicals. Terpenoids are the most abundant class of natural products encountered in this taxon. Other natural product classes have been described, including polyketides, peptides, and indole alkaloids. The discovery and study of natural products made by basidiomycete fungi has so far been hampered by several factors, which include their slow growth and complex genome architecture. Recent developments of tools for genome and metabolome studies are allowing researchers to more easily tackle the secondary metabolome of basidiomycete fungi. Inexpensive long-read whole-genome sequencing enables the assembly of high-quality genomes, improving the scaffold upon which natural product gene clusters can be predicted. CRISPR/Cas9-based engineering of basidiomycete fungi has been described and will have an important role in linking natural products to their genetic determinants. Platforms for the heterologous expression of basidiomycete genes and gene clusters have been developed, enabling natural product biosynthesis studies. Molecular network analyses and publicly available natural product databases facilitate data dereplication and natural product characterisation. These technological advances combined are prompting a revived interest in natural product discovery from basidiomycete fungi.This article has an associated Future Leader to Watch interview with the first author of the paper.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabrizio Alberti
- School of Life Sciences and Department of Chemistry, University of Warwick, Gibbet Hill Road, Coventry CV4 7AL, UK
| | - Saraa Kaleem
- School of Life Sciences, University of Warwick, Gibbet Hill Road, Coventry CV4 7AL, UK
| | - Jack A Weaver
- School of Life Sciences, University of Warwick, Gibbet Hill Road, Coventry CV4 7AL, UK
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21
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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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22
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Compant S, Cambon MC, Vacher C, Mitter B, Samad A, Sessitsch A. The plant endosphere world - bacterial life within plants. Environ Microbiol 2020; 23:1812-1829. [PMID: 32955144 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.15240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 96] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2020] [Revised: 09/11/2020] [Accepted: 09/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
The plant endosphere is colonized by complex microbial communities and microorganisms, which colonize the plant interior at least part of their lifetime and are termed endophytes. Their functions range from mutualism to pathogenicity. All plant organs and tissues are generally colonized by bacterial endophytes and their diversity and composition depend on the plant, the plant organ and its physiological conditions, the plant growth stage as well as on the environment. Plant-associated microorganisms, and in particular endophytes, have lately received high attention, because of the increasing awareness of the importance of host-associated microbiota for the functioning and performance of their host. Some endophyte functions are known from mostly lab assays, genome prediction and few metagenome analyses; however, we have limited understanding on in planta activities, particularly considering the diversity of micro-environments and the dynamics of conditions. In our review, we present recent findings on endosphere environments, their physiological conditions and endophyte colonization. Furthermore, we discuss microbial functions, the interaction between endophytes and plants as well as methodological limitations of endophyte research. We also provide an outlook on needs of future research to improve our understanding on the role of microbiota colonizing the endosphere on plant traits and ecosystem functioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stéphane Compant
- Center for Health and Bioresources, Bioresources Unit, Konrad Lorenz Straße 24, AIT Austrian Institute of Technology, Tulln, A-3430, Austria
| | | | | | - Birgit Mitter
- Center for Health and Bioresources, Bioresources Unit, Konrad Lorenz Straße 24, AIT Austrian Institute of Technology, Tulln, A-3430, Austria
| | - Abdul Samad
- Natural Resources Canada, Canadian Forest Service, Laurentian Forestry Centre, Québec, G1V4C7, Canada
| | - Angela Sessitsch
- Center for Health and Bioresources, Bioresources Unit, Konrad Lorenz Straße 24, AIT Austrian Institute of Technology, Tulln, A-3430, Austria
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23
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Naranjo‐Ortiz MA, Gabaldón T. Fungal evolution: cellular, genomic and metabolic complexity. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2020; 95:1198-1232. [PMID: 32301582 PMCID: PMC7539958 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12605] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2019] [Revised: 03/31/2020] [Accepted: 04/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The question of how phenotypic and genomic complexity are inter-related and how they are shaped through evolution is a central question in biology that historically has been approached from the perspective of animals and plants. In recent years, however, fungi have emerged as a promising alternative system to address such questions. Key to their ecological success, fungi present a broad and diverse range of phenotypic traits. Fungal cells can adopt many different shapes, often within a single species, providing them with great adaptive potential. Fungal cellular organizations span from unicellular forms to complex, macroscopic multicellularity, with multiple transitions to higher or lower levels of cellular complexity occurring throughout the evolutionary history of fungi. Similarly, fungal genomes are very diverse in their architecture. Deep changes in genome organization can occur very quickly, and these phenomena are known to mediate rapid adaptations to environmental changes. Finally, the biochemical complexity of fungi is huge, particularly with regard to their secondary metabolites, chemical products that mediate many aspects of fungal biology, including ecological interactions. Herein, we explore how the interplay of these cellular, genomic and metabolic traits mediates the emergence of complex phenotypes, and how this complexity is shaped throughout the evolutionary history of Fungi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miguel A. Naranjo‐Ortiz
- Bioinformatics and Genomics Programme, Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG)The Barcelona Institute of Science and TechnologyDr. Aiguader 88, Barcelona08003Spain
| | - Toni Gabaldón
- Bioinformatics and Genomics Programme, Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG)The Barcelona Institute of Science and TechnologyDr. Aiguader 88, Barcelona08003Spain
- Department of Experimental Sciences, Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF)Dr. Aiguader 88, 08003BarcelonaSpain
- ICREAPg. Lluís Companys 23, 08010BarcelonaSpain
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24
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Deng H, Liang W, Fan TP, Zheng X, Cai Y. Modular engineering of Shiraia bambusicola for hypocrellin production through an efficient CRISPR system. Int J Biol Macromol 2020; 165:796-803. [PMID: 33010268 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2020.09.208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2020] [Revised: 09/22/2020] [Accepted: 09/23/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Shiraia bambusicola exhibits an excellent capability to produce high-value pharmacological drugs, such as hypocrellin. However, less effective molecular tools hamper the processes to discover or exploit these metabolites. To address this issue, the more effective CRISPR/Cas9 system was constructed by optimizing the sgRNA transcription elements and disrupting the endogenous non-homologous end-joining pathway. These tactics prompted the gene-targeting frequency of 100% and simultaneously multiplex genome editing in S. bambusicola. This optimal CRISPR system encouraged us to rewire the entire hypocrellin flux and improve the yield by orchestrating the substrate pool supply, the central hypocrellin pathway, and the antioxidant system. Thus, 8632 mg/L hypocrellin was obtained, resulting in a 12-fold increase than that of the wild-type strain. This engineered S. bambusicola can still endure oxidative stresses from higher target metabolites and sustain an excellent biological activity. This study provides a whole conception to establish the more efficient genome-editing system. Higher conserved transcription elements for sgRNA expressions inspire us to adopt this system for gene modifications of other filamentous fungi. The rational and global biosystems outline will offer guidance to modulate metabolite productivity in other filamentous fungi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huaxiang Deng
- The Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Road, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China.
| | - Weiyue Liang
- The Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Road, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China
| | - Tai-Ping Fan
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB2 1PD, United Kingdom
| | - Xiaohui Zheng
- College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an, Shanxi 710069, China
| | - Yujie Cai
- The Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Road, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China.
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25
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Zou Z, Liu F, Selin C, Fernando WGD. Generation and Characterization of a Virulent Leptosphaeria maculans Isolate Carrying a Mutated AvrLm7 Gene Using the CRISPR/Cas9 System. Front Microbiol 2020; 11:1969. [PMID: 32849487 PMCID: PMC7432424 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.01969] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2020] [Accepted: 07/24/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Blackleg, caused by the fungal pathogen Leptosphaeria maculans, is the most important disease affecting canola (Brassica napus) crops worldwide. We employed the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated (Cas) system to generate the mutant isolate umavr7 from a point mutation of the AvrLm7 coding region in a L. maculans isolate (UMAvr7). Reverse transcription PCR and transcriptome data confirmed that the AvrLm7 gene was knocked out in the mutant isolate. Pathogenicity tests indicated that umavr7 can cause large lesions on a set of Brassica differential genotypes that express different resistance (R) genes. Comparative pathogenicity tests between UMAvr7 (wild type) and umavr7 on the corresponding B. napus genotype 01-23-2-1 (with Rlm7) showed that umavr7 is a mutant isolate, producing large gray/green lesions on cotyledons. The pathogenicity of the mutant isolate was shifted from avirulent to virulent on the B. napus Rlm7 genotype. Therefore, this mutant is virulence on the identified resistant genes to blackleg disease in B. napus genotypes. Superoxide accumulated differently in cotyledons in response to infection with UMAvr7 and umavr7, especially in resistant B. napus genotype 01-23-2-1. Resistance/susceptibility was further evaluated on 123 B. napus genotypes with the mutant isolate, umavr7. Only 6 of the 123 genotypes showed resistance to umavr7. The identification of these six resistant B. napus genotypes will lead to further studies on the development of blackleg disease resistance through breeding and the identification of novel R genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhongwei Zou
- Department of Plant Science, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - Fei Liu
- Department of Plant Science, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - Carrie Selin
- Department of Plant Science, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
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Li F, Liu Q, Li X, Zhang C, Li J, Sun W, Liu D, Xiao D, Tian C. Construction of a new thermophilic fungus Myceliophthora thermophila platform for enzyme production using a versatile 2A peptide strategy combined with efficient CRISPR-Cas9 system. Biotechnol Lett 2020; 42:1181-1191. [PMID: 32253539 DOI: 10.1007/s10529-020-02882-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2020] [Accepted: 03/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To construct a new thermophilic platform for glucoamylase production through 2A peptide strategy combined with CRISPR-Cas9 system using Myceliophthora thermophila as host, thermophilic filamentous fungus with industrial attractiveness to produce enzymes and chemicals from biomass. RESULTS We adapted the viral 2A peptide approach for M. thermophila and constructed a bicistronic vector for co-expressing two heterologous genes MhglaA and egfp. We obtained positive transformants OE-MhglaA-gfp overexpressing MhGlaA-9 ×His-2A-eGFP through convenient fluorescence screening, western blotting and RT-qPCR. We purified and characterized the recombinant MhGlaA, which exhibited stability in a broader pH range of 3.0-9.0 and thermostable stability at 65 °C, suggesting its potential industrial application. Furthermore, to improve glucoamylase secretion, we genetically engineered the obtained strain OE-MhglaA-gfp through our efficient CRISPR/Cas9 system and generated the quintuple mutant OE-MhglaA-gfpOE-amyRΔalp-1Δres-1Δcre-1, in which protein productivity and amylase activity were increased by approximately 12.0- and 8.2-fold compared with WT. CONCLUSIONS The 2A peptide approach worked well in M. thermophila and can be used to heterologously co-express two different proteins, and thus in combination with efficient CRISPR-Cas system will accelerate establishing hyper-secretion platforms for biotechnological applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fangya Li
- College of Biotechnology, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Tianjin, 300457, China.,Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, 300308, China
| | - Qian Liu
- Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, 300308, China
| | - Xiaolin Li
- Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, 300308, China
| | - Chenyang Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, 300308, China
| | - Jingen Li
- Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, 300308, China
| | - Wenliang Sun
- Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, 300308, China
| | - Dandan Liu
- Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, 300308, China
| | - Dongguang Xiao
- Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, 300308, China
| | - Chaoguang Tian
- Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, 300308, China.
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Rojas-Sánchez U, López-Calleja AC, Millán-Chiu BE, Fernández F, Loske AM, Gómez-Lim MA. Enhancing the yield of human erythropoietin in Aspergillus niger by introns and CRISPR-Cas9. Protein Expr Purif 2020; 168:105570. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pep.2020.105570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2019] [Revised: 01/12/2020] [Accepted: 01/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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Huang PW, Yang Q, Zhu YL, Zhou J, Sun K, Mei YZ, Dai CC. The construction of CRISPR-Cas9 system for endophytic Phomopsis liquidambaris and its PmkkA-deficient mutant revealing the effect on rice. Fungal Genet Biol 2020; 136:103301. [DOI: 10.1016/j.fgb.2019.103301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2019] [Revised: 08/31/2019] [Accepted: 11/12/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
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29
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Deng H, Bai Y, Fan TP, Zheng X, Cai Y. Advanced strategy for metabolite exploration in filamentous fungi. Crit Rev Biotechnol 2020; 40:180-198. [PMID: 31906740 DOI: 10.1080/07388551.2019.1709798] [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] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Filamentous fungi comprise an abundance of gene clusters that encode high-value metabolites, whereas affluent gene clusters remain silent during laboratory conditions. Complex cellular metabolism further limits these metabolite yields. Therefore, diverse strategies such as genetic engineering and chemical mutagenesis have been developed to activate these cryptic pathways and improve metabolite productivity. However, lower efficiencies of gene modifications and screen tools delayed the above processes. To address the above issues, this review describes an alternative design-construction evaluation optimization (DCEO) approach. The DCEO tool provides theoretical and practical principles to identify potential pathways, modify endogenous pathways, integrate exogenous pathways, and exploit novel pathways for their diverse metabolites and desirable productivities. This DCEO method also offers different tactics to balance the cellular metabolisms, facilitate the genetic engineering, and exploit the scalable metabolites in filamentous fungi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huaxiang Deng
- The Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu, China.,Center for Synthetic Biochemistry, Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technologies, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yajun Bai
- College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an, Shanxi, China
| | - Tai-Ping Fan
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Xiaohui Zheng
- College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an, Shanxi, China
| | - Yujie Cai
- The Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu, China
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Nevalainen H. Strategies and Challenges for the Development of Industrial Enzymes Using Fungal Cell Factories. GRAND CHALLENGES IN FUNGAL BIOTECHNOLOGY 2020. [PMCID: PMC7123961 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-29541-7_7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Industrial enzymes have been produced from microorganisms for more than a century. Today, a large share of enzyme products is manufactured using recombinant microorganisms. This chapter focuses on major industrial fungal species belonging to the ascomycetes like Aspergillus niger, A. oryzae, and Trichoderma reesei. Many of the commercially available recombinant enzymes are manufactured using fungi. Examples of fungal enzymes used in food products are described. The enzyme industry is to a large extent cost-driven, so the enzyme product needs to meet strict COGS (cost of goods sold) targets. Therefore, the cell factory must be very efficient to produce the enzyme in high titers and efficiently utilize raw materials. Secondly, it must be designed for a robust and generic fermentation process. When developing fungal hosts for enzyme production, several properties of the system need to be considered relating to efficiency of the cell factory, purity of the product, and safety of both the cell factory and the product. Purity is secured by engineering of the cell factory, and properties related to safety must also be engineered into the fungal host. The methods used for strain improvement are continuously being developed to increase yields and are described herein. More automation using precision tools for modification of the genome (i.e., CRISPR) and low-cost sequencing have vastly expanded the possibilities and enabled fast strain development. Using systems biology approaches, better understanding of cellular processes is now possible enabling advanced engineering of fungal cell factories. Surprisingly, a survey of innovation in the field revealed a decrease in the number of patent applications in recent years. Finally, the requirements for enzyme approval, especially in food and feed, have increased significantly worldwide in the last few years. A description of the regulatory landscape and its challenges in food and feed is included.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helena Nevalainen
- Department of Molecular Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW Australia
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31
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Villena GK, Kitazono AA, Hernández-Macedo M L. Bioengineering Fungi and Yeast for the Production of Enzymes, Metabolites, and Value-Added Compounds. Fungal Biol 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-41870-0_9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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32
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Qiao YM, Yu RL, Zhu P. Advances in targeting and heterologous expression of genes involved in the synthesis of fungal secondary metabolites. RSC Adv 2019; 9:35124-35134. [PMID: 35530690 PMCID: PMC9074735 DOI: 10.1039/c9ra06908a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2019] [Accepted: 10/18/2019] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
The revolutionary discovery of penicillin only marks the start of our exploration for valuable fungal natural products. Advanced genome sequencing technologies have translated the fungal genome into a huge reservoir of "recipes" - biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) - for biosynthesis. Studying complex fungal genetics demands specific gene manipulation strategies. This review summarizes the current progress in efficient gene targeting in fungal cells and heterologous expression systems for expressing fungal BGCs of fungal secondary metabolites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yun-Ming Qiao
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substance and Function of Natural Medicines, NHC Key Laboratory of Biosynthesis of Natural Products, CAMS Key Laboratory of Enzyme and Biocatalysis of Natural Drugs, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Peking Union Medical College Beijing 100050 China +86-10-63017757 +86-10-63165197
| | - Rui-Lin Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substance and Function of Natural Medicines, NHC Key Laboratory of Biosynthesis of Natural Products, CAMS Key Laboratory of Enzyme and Biocatalysis of Natural Drugs, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Peking Union Medical College Beijing 100050 China +86-10-63017757 +86-10-63165197
| | - Ping Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substance and Function of Natural Medicines, NHC Key Laboratory of Biosynthesis of Natural Products, CAMS Key Laboratory of Enzyme and Biocatalysis of Natural Drugs, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Peking Union Medical College Beijing 100050 China +86-10-63017757 +86-10-63165197
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Kwon MJ, Schütze T, Spohner S, Haefner S, Meyer V. Practical guidance for the implementation of the CRISPR genome editing tool in filamentous fungi. Fungal Biol Biotechnol 2019; 6:15. [PMID: 31641526 PMCID: PMC6796461 DOI: 10.1186/s40694-019-0079-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2019] [Accepted: 10/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Within the last years, numerous reports described successful application of the CRISPR nucleases Cas9 and Cpf1 for genome editing in filamentous fungi. However, still a lot of efforts are invested to develop and improve protocols for the fungus and genes of interest with respect to applicability, scalability and targeting efficiencies. These efforts are often hampered by the fact that-although many different protocols are available-none have systematically analysed and compared different CRISPR nucleases and different application procedures thereof for the efficiency of single- and multiplex-targeting approaches in the same fungus. Results We present here data for successful genome editing in the cell factory Thermothelomyces thermophilus, formerly known as Myceliophthora thermophila, using the three different nucleases SpCas9, FnCpf1, AsCpf1 guided to four different gene targets of our interest. These included a polyketide synthase (pks4.2), an alkaline protease (alp1), a SNARE protein (snc1) and a potential transcription factor (ptf1). For all four genes, guide RNAs were developed which enabled successful single-targeting and multiplex-targeting. CRISPR nucleases were either delivered to T. thermophilus on plasmids or preassembled with in vitro transcribed gRNA to form ribonucleoproteins (RNPs). We also evaluated the efficiency of single oligonucleotides for site-directed mutagenesis. Finally, we were able to scale down the transformation protocol to microtiter plate format which generated high numbers of positive transformants and will thus pave the way for future high-throughput investigations. Conclusion We provide here the first comprehensive analysis and evaluation of different CRISPR approaches for a filamentous fungus. All approaches followed enabled successful genome editing in T. thermophilus; however, with different success rates. In addition, we show that the success rate depends on the respective nuclease and on the targeted gene locus. We finally present a practical guidance for experimental considerations aiming to guide the reader for successful implementation of CRISPR technology for other fungi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Jin Kwon
- 1Chair of Applied and Molecular Microbiology, Institute of Biotechnology, Technische Universität Berlin, 10263 Berlin, Germany
| | - Tabea Schütze
- 1Chair of Applied and Molecular Microbiology, Institute of Biotechnology, Technische Universität Berlin, 10263 Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Stefan Haefner
- 2BASF SE, Carl-Bosch-Strasse 38, 67056 Ludwigshafen, Germany
| | - Vera Meyer
- 1Chair of Applied and Molecular Microbiology, Institute of Biotechnology, Technische Universität Berlin, 10263 Berlin, Germany
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34
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Kjærbølling I, Mortensen UH, Vesth T, Andersen MR. Strategies to establish the link between biosynthetic gene clusters and secondary metabolites. Fungal Genet Biol 2019; 130:107-121. [DOI: 10.1016/j.fgb.2019.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2018] [Revised: 05/26/2019] [Accepted: 06/02/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
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Zheng X, Zheng P, Zhang K, Cairns TC, Meyer V, Sun J, Ma Y. 5S rRNA Promoter for Guide RNA Expression Enabled Highly Efficient CRISPR/Cas9 Genome Editing in Aspergillus niger. ACS Synth Biol 2019; 8:1568-1574. [PMID: 29687998 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.7b00456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The CRISPR/Cas9 system is a revolutionary genome editing tool. However, in eukaryotes, search and optimization of a suitable promoter for guide RNA expression is a significant technical challenge. Here we used the industrially important fungus, Aspergillus niger, to demonstrate that the 5S rRNA gene, which is both highly conserved and efficiently expressed in eukaryotes, can be used as a guide RNA promoter. The gene editing system was established with 100% rates of precision gene modifications among dozens of transformants using short (40-bp) homologous donor DNA. This system was also applicable for generation of designer chromosomes, as evidenced by deletion of a 48 kb gene cluster required for biosynthesis of the mycotoxin fumonisin B1. Moreover, this system also facilitated simultaneous mutagenesis of multiple genes in A. niger. We anticipate that the use of the 5S rRNA gene as guide RNA promoter can broadly be applied for engineering highly efficient eukaryotic CRISPR/Cas9 toolkits. Additionally, the system reported here will enable development of designer chromosomes in model and industrially important fungi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaomei Zheng
- Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Tianjin , 300308 , China
- Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology , Chinese Academy of Sciences , Tianjin , 300308 , China
| | - Ping Zheng
- Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Tianjin , 300308 , China
- Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology , Chinese Academy of Sciences , Tianjin , 300308 , China
| | - Kun Zhang
- Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Tianjin , 300308 , China
- Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology , Chinese Academy of Sciences , Tianjin , 300308 , China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing , 100049 , China
| | - Timothy C Cairns
- Department Applied and Molecular Microbiology , Institute of Biotechnology, Technische Universität Berlin , Berlin , 13355 , Germany
| | - Vera Meyer
- Department Applied and Molecular Microbiology , Institute of Biotechnology, Technische Universität Berlin , Berlin , 13355 , Germany
| | - Jibin Sun
- Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Tianjin , 300308 , China
- Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology , Chinese Academy of Sciences , Tianjin , 300308 , China
| | - Yanhe Ma
- Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Tianjin , 300308 , China
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Gene expression engineering in fungi. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2019; 59:141-149. [PMID: 31154079 DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2019.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2018] [Revised: 03/27/2019] [Accepted: 04/24/2019] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Fungi are a highly diverse group of microbial species that possess a plethora of biotechnologically useful metabolic and physiological properties. Important enablers for fungal biology studies and their biotechnological use are well-performing gene expression tools. Different types of gene expression tools exist; however, typically they are at best only functional in one or a few closely related species. This has hampered research and development of industrially relevant production systems. Here, we review operational principles and concepts of fungal gene expression tools. We present an overview on tools that utilize endogenous fungal promoters and modified hybrid expression systems composed of engineered promoters and transcription factors. Finally, we review synthetic expression tools that are functional across a broad range of fungal species.
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Sebastian J, Hegde K, Kumar P, Rouissi T, Brar SK. Bioproduction of fumaric acid: an insight into microbial strain improvement strategies. Crit Rev Biotechnol 2019; 39:817-834. [DOI: 10.1080/07388551.2019.1620677] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Satinder Kaur Brar
- INRS-ETE, Université du Québec, Québec, Canada
- Department of Civil Engineering, Lassonde School of Engineering, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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Schuster M, Kahmann R. CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing approaches in filamentous fungi and oomycetes. Fungal Genet Biol 2019; 130:43-53. [PMID: 31048007 DOI: 10.1016/j.fgb.2019.04.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 91] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2019] [Revised: 04/27/2019] [Accepted: 04/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Due to their biotechnological relevance as well as their importance as disease agents, filamentous fungi and oomycetes have been prime candidates for genetic selection and in vitro manipulation for decades. With the advent of new genome editing technologies such manipulations have reached a new level of speed and sophistication. The CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing technology in particular has revolutionized the ways how desired mutations can be introduced. To date, the CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing system has been established in more than 40 different species of filamentous fungi and oomycetes. In this review we describe the various approaches taken to assure expression of the components necessary for editing and describe the varying strategies used to achieve gene disruptions, gene replacements and precise editing. We discuss potential problems faced when establishing the system, propose ways to circumvent them and suggest future approaches not yet realized in filamentous fungi or oomycetes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana Schuster
- Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Dept. Organismic Interactions, 35043 Marburg, Germany.
| | - Regine Kahmann
- Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Dept. Organismic Interactions, 35043 Marburg, Germany.
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Abstract
Microbial production of biofuels and bioproducts offers a sustainable and economic alternative to petroleum-based fuels and chemicals. The basidiomycete yeast Rhodosporidium toruloides is a promising platform organism for generating bioproducts due to its ability to consume a broad spectrum of carbon sources (including those derived from lignocellulosic biomass) and to naturally accumulate high levels of lipids and carotenoids, two biosynthetic pathways that can be leveraged to produce a wide range of bioproducts. While R. toruloides has great potential, it has a more limited set of tools for genetic engineering relative to more advanced yeast platform organisms such as Yarrowia lipolytica and Saccharomyces cerevisiae Significant advancements in the past few years have bolstered R. toruloides' engineering capacity. Here we expand this capacity by demonstrating the first use of CRISPR-Cas9-based gene disruption in R. toruloides Transforming a Cas9 expression cassette harboring nourseothricin resistance and selecting transformants on this antibiotic resulted in strains of R. toruloides exhibiting successful targeted disruption of the native URA3 gene. While editing efficiencies were initially low (0.002%), optimization of the cassette increased efficiencies 364-fold (to 0.6%). Applying these optimized design conditions enabled disruption of another native gene involved in carotenoid biosynthesis, CAR2, with much greater success; editing efficiencies of CAR2 deletion reached roughly 50%. Finally, we demonstrated efficient multiplexed genome editing by disrupting both CAR2 and URA3 in a single transformation. Together, our results provide a framework for applying CRISPR-Cas9 to R. toruloides that will facilitate rapid and high-throughput genome engineering in this industrially relevant organism.IMPORTANCE Microbial biofuel and bioproduct platforms provide access to clean and renewable carbon sources that are more sustainable and environmentally friendly than petroleum-based carbon sources. Furthermore, they can serve as useful conduits for the synthesis of advanced molecules that are difficult to produce through strictly chemical means. R. toruloides has emerged as a promising potential host for converting renewable lignocellulosic material into valuable fuels and chemicals. However, engineering efforts to improve the yeast's production capabilities have been impeded by a lack of advanced tools for genome engineering. While this is rapidly changing, one key tool remains unexplored in R. toruloides: CRISPR-Cas9. The results outlined here demonstrate for the first time how effective multiplexed CRISPR-Cas9 gene disruption provides a framework for other researchers to utilize this revolutionary genome-editing tool effectively in R. toruloides.
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Llanos A, Déjean S, Neugnot-Roux V, François JM, Parrou JL. Carbon sources and XlnR-dependent transcriptional landscape of CAZymes in the industrial fungus Talaromyces versatilis: when exception seems to be the rule. Microb Cell Fact 2019; 18:14. [PMID: 30691469 PMCID: PMC6348686 DOI: 10.1186/s12934-019-1062-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2018] [Accepted: 01/13/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Research on filamentous fungi emphasized the remarkable redundancy in genes encoding hydrolytic enzymes, the similarities but also the large differences in their expression, especially through the role of the XlnR/XYR1 transcriptional activator. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the specificities of the industrial fungus Talaromyces versatilis, getting clues into the role of XlnR and the importance of glucose repression at the transcriptional level, to provide further levers for cocktail production. Results By studying a set of 62 redundant genes representative of several categories of enzymes, our results underlined the huge plasticity of transcriptional responses when changing nutritional status. As a general trend, the more heterogeneous the substrate, the more efficient to trigger activation. Genetic modifications of xlnR led to significant reorganisation of transcriptional patterns. Just a minimal set of genes actually fitted in a simplistic model of regulation by a transcriptional activator, and this under specific substrates. On the contrary, the diversity of xlnR+ versus ΔxlnR responses illustrated the existence of complex and unpredicted patterns of co-regulated genes that were highly dependent on the culture condition, even between genes that encode members of a functional category of enzymes. They notably revealed a dual, substrate-dependant repressor-activator role of XlnR, with counter-intuitive transcripts regulations that targeted specific genes. About glucose, it appeared as a formal repressive sugar as we observed a massive repression of most genes upon glucose addition to the mycelium grown on wheat straw. However, we also noticed a positive role of this sugar on the basal expression of a few genes, (notably those encoding cellulases), showing again the strong dependence of these regulatory mechanisms upon promoter and nutritional contexts. Conclusions The diversity of transcriptional patterns appeared to be the rule, while common and stable behaviour, both within gene families and with fungal literature, the exception. The setup of a new biotechnological process to reach optimized, if not customized expression patterns of enzymes, hence appeared tricky just relying on published data that can lead, in the best scenario, to approximate trends. We instead encourage preliminary experimental assays, carried out in the context of interest to reassess gene responses, as a mandatory step before thinking in (genetic) strategies for the improvement of enzyme production in fungi.![]() Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12934-019-1062-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agustina Llanos
- LISBP, Université de Toulouse, INSA, INRA, CNRS, Toulouse, France.,Adisseo France S.A.S, 135 Avenue de Rangueil, 31077, Toulouse, France
| | - Sébastien Déjean
- Institut de Mathématiques de Toulouse, UMR5219-Université de Toulouse; CNRS-UPS, 31062, Toulouse Cedex 9, France
| | | | - Jean M François
- LISBP, Université de Toulouse, INSA, INRA, CNRS, Toulouse, France
| | - Jean-Luc Parrou
- LISBP, Université de Toulouse, INSA, INRA, CNRS, Toulouse, France.
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Leynaud-Kieffer LMC, Curran SC, Kim I, Magnuson JK, Gladden JM, Baker SE, Simmons BA. A new approach to Cas9-based genome editing in Aspergillus niger that is precise, efficient and selectable. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0210243. [PMID: 30653574 PMCID: PMC6336261 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0210243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2018] [Accepted: 12/19/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Aspergillus niger and other filamentous fungi are widely used in industry, but efficient genetic engineering of these hosts remains nascent. For example, while molecular genetic tools have been developed, including CRISPR/Cas9, facile genome engineering of A. niger remains challenging. To address these challenges, we have developed a simple Cas9-based gene targeting method that provides selectable, iterative, and ultimately marker-free generation of genomic deletions and insertions. This method leverages locus-specific “pop-out” recombination to suppress off-target integrations. We demonstrated the effectiveness of this method by targeting the phenotypic marker albA and validated it by targeting the glaA and mstC loci. After two selection steps, we observed 100% gene editing efficiency across all three loci. This method greatly reduces the effort required to engineer the A. niger genome and overcomes low Cas9 transformations efficiency by eliminating the need for extensive screening. This method represents a significant addition to the A. niger genome engineering toolbox and could be adapted for use in other organisms. It is expected that this method will impact several areas of industrial biotechnology, such as the development of new strains for the secretion of heterologous enzymes and the discovery and optimization of metabolic pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laure M. C. Leynaud-Kieffer
- Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne, Lausanne, Vaud, Switzerland
- Joint Bioenergy Institute, Emeryville, CA, United States of America
- Biological Systems and Engineering Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, United States of America
| | - Samuel C. Curran
- Joint Bioenergy Institute, Emeryville, CA, United States of America
- Biological Systems and Engineering Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, United States of America
- Comparative Biochemistry Graduate Group, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, United States of America
| | - Irene Kim
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, CA, United States of America
| | - Jon K. Magnuson
- Joint Bioenergy Institute, Emeryville, CA, United States of America
- Chemical and Biological Process Development Group, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, United States of America
| | - John M. Gladden
- Joint Bioenergy Institute, Emeryville, CA, United States of America
- Department of Biomass Science and Conversion Technology, Sandia National Laboratories, Livermore, CA, United States of America
| | - Scott E. Baker
- Joint Bioenergy Institute, Emeryville, CA, United States of America
- Biosystems Design and Simulation Group, Environmental Molecular Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, United States of America
| | - Blake A. Simmons
- Joint Bioenergy Institute, Emeryville, CA, United States of America
- Biological Systems and Engineering Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Yao R, Liu D, Jia X, Zheng Y, Liu W, Xiao Y. CRISPR-Cas9/Cas12a biotechnology and application in bacteria. Synth Syst Biotechnol 2018; 3:135-149. [PMID: 30345399 PMCID: PMC6190536 DOI: 10.1016/j.synbio.2018.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2018] [Revised: 09/24/2018] [Accepted: 09/25/2018] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
CRISPR-Cas technologies have greatly reshaped the biology field. In this review, we discuss the CRISPR-Cas with a particular focus on the associated technologies and applications of CRISPR-Cas9 and CRISPR-Cas12a, which have been most widely studied and used. We discuss the biological mechanisms of CRISPR-Cas as immune defense systems, recently-discovered anti-CRISPR-Cas systems, and the emerging Cas variants (such as xCas9 and Cas13) with unique characteristics. Then, we highlight various CRISPR-Cas biotechnologies, including nuclease-dependent genome editing, CRISPR gene regulation (including CRISPR interference/activation), DNA/RNA base editing, and nucleic acid detection. Last, we summarize up-to-date applications of the biotechnologies for synthetic biology and metabolic engineering in various bacterial species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruilian Yao
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Di Liu
- Department of Biomass Science and Conversion Technology, Sandia National Laboratories, Livermore, CA 94551, USA
| | - Xiao Jia
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Yuan Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Wei Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Yi Xiao
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
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Villarino M, Espeso EA, Melgarejo P, Larena I. Transformation of Penicillium rubens 212 and Expression of GFP and DsRED Coding Genes for Visualization of Plant-Biocontrol Agent Interaction. Front Microbiol 2018; 9:1653. [PMID: 30083150 PMCID: PMC6064719 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.01653] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2018] [Accepted: 07/02/2018] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Strain 212 of Penicillium rubens (PO212) is an effective fungal biological control agent against a broad spectrum of diseases of horticultural plants. A pyrimidine auxotrophic isolate of PO212, PO212_18.2, carrying an inactive pyrG gene, has been used as host for transformation by positive selection of vectors containing the gene complementing the pyrG1 mutation. Both integrative and autonomously replicating plasmids transformed PO212_18.2 with high efficiency. Novel PO212-derived strains expressed green (sGFP) and red (Ds-Red Express) fluorescent reporter proteins, driven by the A. nidulans gpdA promoter. Fluorescence microscopy revealed constitutive expression of the sGFP and Ds-Red Express proteins, homogenously distributed across fungal cells. Transformation with either type of plasmid, did not affect the growth and morphological culture characteristics, and the biocontrol efficacy of either transformed strains compared to the wild-type, PO212. Fluorescent transformants pointed the capacity of PO212 to colonize tomato roots without invading plant root tissues. This work demonstrates susceptibility of the biocontrol agent PO212 to be transformed, showing that the use of GFP and DsRed as markers for PO212 is a useful, fast, reliable and effective approach for studying plant-fungus interactions and tomato root colonization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Villarino
- Departamento de Protección Vegetal, Subdirección General de Investigación y Tecnología (SGIT), Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (INIA), Madrid, Spain
| | - Eduardo A. Espeso
- Departamento de Biología Celular y Molecular, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas (CIB), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Madrid, Spain
| | - Paloma Melgarejo
- Departamento de Protección Vegetal, Subdirección General de Investigación y Tecnología (SGIT), Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (INIA), Madrid, Spain
| | - Inmaculada Larena
- Departamento de Protección Vegetal, Subdirección General de Investigación y Tecnología (SGIT), Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (INIA), Madrid, Spain
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Deng H, Gao R, Liao X, Cai Y. Characterisation of a monooxygenase in Shiraia bambusicola. MICROBIOLOGY-SGM 2018; 164:1180-1188. [PMID: 30028664 DOI: 10.1099/mic.0.000694] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
A monooxygenase-encoding gene (Mono) is located in the hypocrellin gene cluster of Shiraia sp. SUPER-H168 and was targeted by a clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/Cas9 system. The ΔMono mutant abolished hypocrellin production, whereas the ΔMono complement mutant restored hypocrellin production. Relative expression levels of the Mono and its adjacent genes were abolished in the ΔMono mutant compared with the wild-type strain. These results indicate the essential role of Mono in hypocrellin biosynthesis. The Mono gene of Shiraia bambusicola was further expressed in Pichia pastoris and salicylate monooxygenase activity was detected, which suggested that this monooxygenase has the ability to catalyse decarboxylative hydroxylation. The relative growth ratio of the ΔMono mutant was significantly improved compared with the wild-type strain. In contrast to the wild-type strain, the ΔMono mutant also represented excellent oxidative stress tolerance after exposure to high concentrations of H2O2 (16 mM) based on the increasing activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase. These results suggest that ΔMono mutants could be used as microbial cell factories to produce metabolites that will cause oxidative stress. This study also enhances our understanding of hypocrellin biosynthesis and opens an avenue for decoding the hypocrellin pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huaxiang Deng
- The Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Road, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, PR China
| | - Ruijie Gao
- The Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Road, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, PR China
| | - Xiangru Liao
- The Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Road, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, PR China
| | - Yujie Cai
- The Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Road, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, PR China
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Cairns TC, Nai C, Meyer V. How a fungus shapes biotechnology: 100 years of Aspergillus niger research. Fungal Biol Biotechnol 2018; 5:13. [PMID: 29850025 PMCID: PMC5966904 DOI: 10.1186/s40694-018-0054-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 139] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2018] [Accepted: 04/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
In 1917, a food chemist named James Currie made a promising discovery: any strain of the filamentous mould Aspergillus niger would produce high concentrations of citric acid when grown in sugar medium. This tricarboxylic acid, which we now know is an intermediate of the Krebs cycle, had previously been extracted from citrus fruits for applications in food and beverage production. Two years after Currie’s discovery, industrial-level production using A. niger began, the biochemical fermentation industry started to flourish, and industrial biotechnology was born. A century later, citric acid production using this mould is a multi-billion dollar industry, with A. niger additionally producing a diverse range of proteins, enzymes and secondary metabolites. In this review, we assess main developments in the field of A. niger biology over the last 100 years and highlight scientific breakthroughs and discoveries which were influential for both basic and applied fungal research in and outside the A. niger community. We give special focus to two developments of the last decade: systems biology and genome editing. We also summarize the current international A. niger research community, and end by speculating on the future of fundamental research on this fascinating fungus and its exploitation in industrial biotechnology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy C Cairns
- Department of Applied and Molecular Microbiology, Institute of Biotechnology, Technische Universität Berlin, Gustav-Meyer-Allee 25, 13355 Berlin, Germany
| | - Corrado Nai
- Department of Applied and Molecular Microbiology, Institute of Biotechnology, Technische Universität Berlin, Gustav-Meyer-Allee 25, 13355 Berlin, Germany
| | - Vera Meyer
- Department of Applied and Molecular Microbiology, Institute of Biotechnology, Technische Universität Berlin, Gustav-Meyer-Allee 25, 13355 Berlin, Germany
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Schuster M, Trippel C, Happel P, Lanver D, Reißmann S, Kahmann R. Single and Multiplexed Gene Editing in Ustilago maydis Using CRISPR-Cas9. Bio Protoc 2018; 8:e2928. [DOI: 10.21769/bioprotoc.2928] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2018] [Revised: 06/25/2018] [Accepted: 06/28/2018] [Indexed: 11/02/2022] Open
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Trevisan M, Palù G, Barzon L. Genome editing technologies to fight infectious diseases. Expert Rev Anti Infect Ther 2017; 15:1001-1013. [PMID: 29090592 DOI: 10.1080/14787210.2017.1400379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Genome editing by programmable nucleases represents a promising tool that could be exploited to develop new therapeutic strategies to fight infectious diseases. These nucleases, such as zinc-finger nucleases, transcription activator-like effector nucleases, clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR)-CRISPR-associated protein 9 (Cas9) and homing endonucleases, are molecular scissors that can be targeted at predetermined loci in order to modify the genome sequence of an organism. Areas covered: By perturbing genomic DNA at predetermined loci, programmable nucleases can be used as antiviral and antimicrobial treatment. This approach includes targeting of essential viral genes or viral sequences able, once mutated, to inhibit viral replication; repurposing of CRISPR-Cas9 system for lethal self-targeting of bacteria; targeting antibiotic-resistance and virulence genes in bacteria, fungi, and parasites; engineering arthropod vectors to prevent vector-borne infections. Expert commentary: While progress has been done in demonstrating the feasibility of using genome editing as antimicrobial strategy, there are still many hurdles to overcome, such as the risk of off-target mutations, the raising of escape mutants, and the inefficiency of delivery methods, before translating results from preclinical studies into clinical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Trevisan
- a Department of Molecular Medicine , University of Padova , Padova , Italy
| | - Giorgio Palù
- a Department of Molecular Medicine , University of Padova , Padova , Italy
| | - Luisa Barzon
- a Department of Molecular Medicine , University of Padova , Padova , Italy
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