1
|
Kastberg LLB, Petrov MS, Strucko T, Jensen MK, Workman CT. Codon-tRNA Coadaptation Bias for Identifying Strong Native Promoters in Komagataella phaffii. ACS Synth Biol 2024; 13:714-720. [PMID: 38381624 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.3c00567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/23/2024]
Abstract
Promoters are crucial elements for engineering microbial production strains used in bioprocesses. For the increasingly popular chassis Komagataella phaffii (formerly Pichia pastoris), a limited number of well-characterized promoters constrain the data-driven engineering of production strains. Here, we present an in silico approach for condition-independent de novo identification of strong native promoters. The method relies on tRNA-codon coadaptation of coding sequences in the K. phaffii genome and is based on two complementary scores: the number of effective codons and the tRNA adaptation index. Genes with high codon bias are expected to be translated efficiently and, thus, also be under control of strong promoters. Using this approach, we identified promising strong promoter candidates and experimentally assessed their activity using fluorescent reporter assays characterizing 50 promoters spanning a 76-fold difference in expression levels in a glucose medium. Overall, we report several promoters that should be added to the molecular toolbox for engineering of K. phaffii and present an approach for identifying promoters in microbial genomes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Louise La Barbera Kastberg
- Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical University of Denmark, Søltofts Plads Building 223, 2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Mykhaylo S Petrov
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Kemitorvet, Building 220, 2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Tomas Strucko
- Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical University of Denmark, Søltofts Plads Building 223, 2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Michael K Jensen
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Kemitorvet, Building 220, 2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Christopher T Workman
- Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical University of Denmark, Søltofts Plads Building 223, 2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Maini Rekdal V, van der Luijt CRB, Chen Y, Kakumanu R, Baidoo EEK, Petzold CJ, Cruz-Morales P, Keasling JD. Edible mycelium bioengineered for enhanced nutritional value and sensory appeal using a modular synthetic biology toolkit. Nat Commun 2024; 15:2099. [PMID: 38485948 PMCID: PMC10940619 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-46314-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2023] [Accepted: 02/21/2024] [Indexed: 03/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Filamentous fungi are critical in the transition to a more sustainable food system. While genetic modification of these organisms has promise for enhancing the nutritional value, sensory appeal, and scalability of fungal foods, genetic tools and demonstrated use cases for bioengineered food production by edible strains are lacking. Here, we develop a modular synthetic biology toolkit for Aspergillus oryzae, an edible fungus used in fermented foods, protein production, and meat alternatives. Our toolkit includes a CRISPR-Cas9 method for gene integration, neutral loci, and tunable promoters. We use these tools to elevate intracellular levels of the nutraceutical ergothioneine and the flavor-and color molecule heme in the edible biomass. The strain overproducing heme is red in color and is readily formulated into imitation meat patties with minimal processing. These findings highlight the promise of synthetic biology to enhance fungal foods and provide useful genetic tools for applications in food production and beyond.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Vayu Maini Rekdal
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
- Miller Institute for Basic Research in Science, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
- Joint BioEnergy Institute, Emeryville, CA, 94608, USA
| | - Casper R B van der Luijt
- Joint BioEnergy Institute, Emeryville, CA, 94608, USA
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, 2800, Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
- Department of Food Science, University of Copenhagen, 1958, Frederiksberg, Denmark
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Biological Systems and Engineering Division, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Yan Chen
- Joint BioEnergy Institute, Emeryville, CA, 94608, USA
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Biological Systems and Engineering Division, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Ramu Kakumanu
- Joint BioEnergy Institute, Emeryville, CA, 94608, USA
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Biological Systems and Engineering Division, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Edward E K Baidoo
- Joint BioEnergy Institute, Emeryville, CA, 94608, USA
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Biological Systems and Engineering Division, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Christopher J Petzold
- Joint BioEnergy Institute, Emeryville, CA, 94608, USA
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Biological Systems and Engineering Division, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Pablo Cruz-Morales
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, 2800, Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Jay D Keasling
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA.
- Joint BioEnergy Institute, Emeryville, CA, 94608, USA.
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, 2800, Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark.
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Biological Systems and Engineering Division, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA.
- California Institute of Quantitative Biosciences (QB3), University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA.
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Li X, Gadar-Lopez AE, Chen L, Jayachandran S, Cruz-Morales P, Keasling JD. Mining natural products for advanced biofuels and sustainable bioproducts. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2023; 84:103003. [PMID: 37769513 DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2023.103003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2023] [Revised: 09/03/2023] [Accepted: 09/03/2023] [Indexed: 10/03/2023]
Abstract
Recently, there has been growing interest in the sustainable production of biofuels and bioproducts derived from renewable sources. Natural products, the largest and more structurally diverse group of metabolites, hold significant promise as sources for such bio-based products. However, there are two primary challenges in harnessing natural products' potential: precise mining of biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) that can be used as scaffolds or bioparts and their functional expression for biofuel and bioproduct manufacture. In this review, we explore recent advances in the development of bioinformatic tools for BGC mining and the manipulation of various hosts for natural product-based biofuels and bioproducts manufacture. Moreover, we discuss potential strategies for expanding the chemical diversity of biofuels and bioproducts and enhancing their overall yield.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xiaowei Li
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Danmarks Tekniske Universitet, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Adrian E Gadar-Lopez
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Danmarks Tekniske Universitet, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Ling Chen
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Danmarks Tekniske Universitet, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Sidharth Jayachandran
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Danmarks Tekniske Universitet, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Pablo Cruz-Morales
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Danmarks Tekniske Universitet, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark.
| | - Jay D Keasling
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Danmarks Tekniske Universitet, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark; Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Biological Systems and Engineering Division, Berkeley, CA, USA; Joint BioEnergy Institute, Emeryville, CA, USA; Departments of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering and of Bioengineering, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; Center for Synthetic Biochemistry, Shenzhen Institutes for Advanced Technologies, Shenzhen, China.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Mund M, Weber W, Degreif D, Schiklenk C. A MAD7-based genome editing system for Escherichia coli. Microb Biotechnol 2023; 16:1000-1010. [PMID: 36929689 PMCID: PMC10128132 DOI: 10.1111/1751-7915.14234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2022] [Revised: 01/29/2023] [Accepted: 01/31/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023] Open
Abstract
A broad variety of biomolecules is industrially produced in bacteria and yeasts. These microbial expression hosts can be optimized through genetic engineering using CRISPR tools. Here, we designed and characterized such a modular genome editing system based on the Cas12a-like RNA-guided nuclease MAD7 in Escherichia coli. This system enables the efficient generation of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) or gene deletions and can directly be used with donor DNA from benchtop DNA assembly to increase throughput. We combined multiple edits to engineer an E. coli strain with reduced overflow metabolism and increased plasmid yield, highlighting the versatility and industrial applicability of this approach.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Markus Mund
- Sanofi-Aventis Deutschland GmbH, Global CMC Microbial Platform, USP Development - Molecular Biology, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Wadim Weber
- Sanofi-Aventis Deutschland GmbH, Global CMC Microbial Platform, USP Development - Molecular Biology, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Daniel Degreif
- Sanofi-Aventis Deutschland GmbH, Global CMC Microbial Platform, USP Development - Molecular Biology, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Christoph Schiklenk
- Sanofi-Aventis Deutschland GmbH, Global CMC Microbial Platform, USP Development - Molecular Biology, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Woodcraft C, Chooi YH, Roux I. The expanding CRISPR toolbox for natural product discovery and engineering in filamentous fungi. Nat Prod Rep 2023; 40:158-173. [PMID: 36205232 DOI: 10.1039/d2np00055e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Covering: up to May 2022Fungal genetics has transformed natural product research by enabling the elucidation of cryptic metabolites and biosynthetic steps. The enhanced capability to add, subtract, modulate, and rewrite genes via CRISPR/Cas technologies has opened up avenues for the manipulation of biosynthetic gene clusters across diverse filamentous fungi. This review discusses the innovative and diverse strategies for fungal natural product discovery and engineering made possible by CRISPR/Cas-based tools. We also provide a guide into multiple angles of CRISPR/Cas experiment design, and discuss current gaps in genetic tool development for filamentous fungi and the promising opportunities for natural product research.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Clara Woodcraft
- School of Molecular Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia.
| | - Yit-Heng Chooi
- School of Molecular Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia.
| | - Indra Roux
- School of Molecular Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Unlocking the magic in mycelium: Using synthetic biology to optimize filamentous fungi for biomanufacturing and sustainability. Mater Today Bio 2023; 19:100560. [PMID: 36756210 PMCID: PMC9900623 DOI: 10.1016/j.mtbio.2023.100560] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2022] [Revised: 01/19/2023] [Accepted: 01/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Filamentous fungi drive carbon and nutrient cycling across our global ecosystems, through its interactions with growing and decaying flora and their constituent microbiomes. The remarkable metabolic diversity, secretion ability, and fiber-like mycelial structure that have evolved in filamentous fungi have been increasingly exploited in commercial operations. The industrial potential of mycelial fermentation ranges from the discovery and bioproduction of enzymes and bioactive compounds, the decarbonization of food and material production, to environmental remediation and enhanced agricultural production. Despite its fundamental impact in ecology and biotechnology, molds and mushrooms have not, to-date, significantly intersected with synthetic biology in ways comparable to other industrial cell factories (e.g. Escherichia coli,Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and Komagataella phaffii). In this review, we summarize a suite of synthetic biology and computational tools for the mining, engineering and optimization of filamentous fungi as a bioproduction chassis. A combination of methods across genetic engineering, mutagenesis, experimental evolution, and computational modeling can be used to address strain development bottlenecks in established and emerging industries. These include slow mycelium growth rate, low production yields, non-optimal growth in alternative feedstocks, and difficulties in downstream purification. In the scope of biomanufacturing, we then detail previous efforts in improving key bottlenecks by targeting protein processing and secretion pathways, hyphae morphogenesis, and transcriptional control. Bringing synthetic biology practices into the hidden world of molds and mushrooms will serve to expand the limited panel of host organisms that allow for commercially-feasible and environmentally-sustainable bioproduction of enzymes, chemicals, therapeutics, foods, and materials of the future.
Collapse
|
7
|
Bennis NX, Anderson JP, Kok SMC, Daran JMG. Expanding the genome editing toolbox of Saccharomyces cerevisiae with the endonuclease ErCas12a. FEMS Yeast Res 2023; 23:foad043. [PMID: 37791490 PMCID: PMC10583194 DOI: 10.1093/femsyr/foad043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2023] [Revised: 09/26/2023] [Accepted: 09/28/2023] [Indexed: 10/05/2023] Open
Abstract
ErCas12a is a class 2 type V CRISPR-Cas nuclease isolated from Eubacterium rectale with attractive fundamental characteristics, such as RNA self-processing capability, and lacks reach-through royalties typical for Cas nucleases. This study aims to develop a ErCas12a-mediated genome editing tool applicable in the model yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The optimal design parameters for ErCas12a editing in S. cerevisiae were defined as a 21-nt spacer flanked by 19 nt direct repeats expressed from either RNApolII or III promoters, achieving near 100% editing efficiencies in commonly targeted genomic locations. To be able to transfer the ErCas12a genome editing tool to different strain lineages, a transportable platform plasmid was constructed and evaluated for its genome editing efficiency. Using an identical crRNA expression design, the transportable ErCas12a genome editing tool showed lower efficiency when targeting the ADE2 gene. In contrast to genomic Ercas12a expression, episomal expression of Ercas12a decreases maximum specific growth rate on glucose, indicating ErCas12a toxicity at high expression levels. Moreover, ErCas12a processed a multispacer crRNA array using the RNA self-processing capability, which allowed for simultaneous editing of multiple chromosomal locations. ErCas12a is established as a valuable addition to the genetic toolbox for S. cerevisiae.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nicole X Bennis
- Department of Biotechnology, Delft University of Technology, van der Maasweg 9, 2627 HZ Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Jonah P Anderson
- Department of Biotechnology, Delft University of Technology, van der Maasweg 9, 2627 HZ Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Siebe M C Kok
- Department of Biotechnology, Delft University of Technology, van der Maasweg 9, 2627 HZ Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Jean-Marc G Daran
- Department of Biotechnology, Delft University of Technology, van der Maasweg 9, 2627 HZ Delft, The Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Vanegas KG, Rendsvig JKH, Jarczynska ZD, Cortes MVDCB, van Esch AP, Morera-Gómez M, Contesini FJ, Mortensen UH. A Mad7 System for Genetic Engineering of Filamentous Fungi. J Fungi (Basel) 2022; 9:jof9010016. [PMID: 36675838 PMCID: PMC9865164 DOI: 10.3390/jof9010016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2022] [Revised: 12/19/2022] [Accepted: 12/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The introduction of CRISPR technologies has revolutionized strain engineering in filamentous fungi. However, its use in commercial applications has been hampered by concerns over intellectual property (IP) ownership, and there is a need for implementing Cas nucleases that are not limited by complex IP constraints. One promising candidate in this context is the Mad7 enzyme, and we here present a versatile Mad7-CRISPR vector-set that can be efficiently used for the genetic engineering of four different Aspergillus species: Aspergillus nidulans, A. niger, A. oryzae and A. campestris, the latter being a species that has never previously been genetically engineered. We successfully used Mad7 to introduce unspecific as well as specific template-directed mutations including gene disruptions, gene insertions and gene deletions. Moreover, we demonstrate that both single-stranded oligonucleotides and PCR fragments equipped with short and long targeting sequences can be used for efficient marker-free gene editing. Importantly, our CRISPR/Mad7 system was functional in both non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ) proficient and deficient strains. Therefore, the newly implemented CRISPR/Mad7 was efficient to promote gene deletions and integrations using different types of DNA repair in four different Aspergillus species, resulting in the expansion of CRISPR toolboxes in fungal cell factories.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Katherina Garcia Vanegas
- Eukaryotic Molecular Cell Biology, Section for Synthetic Biology, Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical University of Denmark, Søltofts Plads, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Jakob Kræmmer Haar Rendsvig
- Eukaryotic Molecular Cell Biology, Section for Synthetic Biology, Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical University of Denmark, Søltofts Plads, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Zofia Dorota Jarczynska
- Eukaryotic Molecular Cell Biology, Section for Synthetic Biology, Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical University of Denmark, Søltofts Plads, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | | | - Abel Peter van Esch
- Eukaryotic Molecular Cell Biology, Section for Synthetic Biology, Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical University of Denmark, Søltofts Plads, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Martí Morera-Gómez
- Eukaryotic Molecular Cell Biology, Section for Synthetic Biology, Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical University of Denmark, Søltofts Plads, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Fabiano Jares Contesini
- Eukaryotic Molecular Cell Biology, Section for Synthetic Biology, Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical University of Denmark, Søltofts Plads, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Uffe Hasbro Mortensen
- Eukaryotic Molecular Cell Biology, Section for Synthetic Biology, Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical University of Denmark, Søltofts Plads, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
- Correspondence:
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Jarczynska Z, Garcia Vanegas K, Deichmann M, Nørskov Jensen C, Scheeper MJ, Futyma ME, Strucko T, Jares Contesini F, Sparholt Jørgensen T, Blæsbjerg Hoof J, Hasbro Mortensen U. A Versatile in Vivo DNA Assembly Toolbox for Fungal Strain Engineering. ACS Synth Biol 2022; 11:3251-3263. [PMID: 36126183 PMCID: PMC9594312 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.2c00159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Efficient homologous recombination in baker's yeast allows accurate fusion of DNA fragments via short identical sequence tags in vivo. Eliminating the need for an Escherichia coli cloning step speeds up genetic engineering of this yeast and sets the stage for large high-throughput projects depending on DNA construction. With the aim of developing similar tools for filamentous fungi, we first set out to determine the genetic- and sequence-length requirements needed for efficient fusion reactions, and demonstrated that in nonhomologous end-joining deficient strains of Aspergillus nidulans, efficient fusions can be achieved by 25 bp sequence overlaps. Based on these results, we developed a novel fungal in vivo DNA assembly toolbox for simple and flexible genetic engineering of filamentous fungi. Specifically, we have used this method for construction of AMA1-based vectors, complex gene-targeting substrates for gene deletion and gene insertion, and for marker-free CRISPR based gene editing. All reactions were done via single-step transformations involving fusions of up to six different DNA fragments. Moreover, we show that it can be applied in four different species of Aspergilli. We therefore envision that in vivo DNA assembly can be advantageously used for many more purposes and will develop into a popular tool for fungal genetic engineering.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zofia
Dorota Jarczynska
- Eukaryotic
Molecular Cell Biology, Section for Synthetic Biology, Department
of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical
University of Denmark, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Katherina Garcia Vanegas
- Eukaryotic
Molecular Cell Biology, Section for Synthetic Biology, Department
of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical
University of Denmark, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Marcus Deichmann
- Eukaryotic
Molecular Cell Biology, Section for Synthetic Biology, Department
of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical
University of Denmark, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Christina Nørskov Jensen
- Eukaryotic
Molecular Cell Biology, Section for Synthetic Biology, Department
of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical
University of Denmark, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Marouschka Jasmijn Scheeper
- Eukaryotic
Molecular Cell Biology, Section for Synthetic Biology, Department
of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical
University of Denmark, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Malgorzata Ewa Futyma
- Eukaryotic
Molecular Cell Biology, Section for Synthetic Biology, Department
of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical
University of Denmark, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Tomas Strucko
- Eukaryotic
Molecular Cell Biology, Section for Synthetic Biology, Department
of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical
University of Denmark, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Fabiano Jares Contesini
- Eukaryotic
Molecular Cell Biology, Section for Synthetic Biology, Department
of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical
University of Denmark, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Tue Sparholt Jørgensen
- The
Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Jakob Blæsbjerg Hoof
- Eukaryotic
Molecular Cell Biology, Section for Synthetic Biology, Department
of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical
University of Denmark, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Uffe Hasbro Mortensen
- Eukaryotic
Molecular Cell Biology, Section for Synthetic Biology, Department
of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical
University of Denmark, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark,
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Controlling gene expression with deep generative design of regulatory DNA. Nat Commun 2022; 13:5099. [PMID: 36042233 PMCID: PMC9427793 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-32818-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2022] [Accepted: 08/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Design of de novo synthetic regulatory DNA is a promising avenue to control gene expression in biotechnology and medicine. Using mutagenesis typically requires screening sizable random DNA libraries, which limits the designs to span merely a short section of the promoter and restricts their control of gene expression. Here, we prototype a deep learning strategy based on generative adversarial networks (GAN) by learning directly from genomic and transcriptomic data. Our ExpressionGAN can traverse the entire regulatory sequence-expression landscape in a gene-specific manner, generating regulatory DNA with prespecified target mRNA levels spanning the whole gene regulatory structure including coding and adjacent non-coding regions. Despite high sequence divergence from natural DNA, in vivo measurements show that 57% of the highly-expressed synthetic sequences surpass the expression levels of highly-expressed natural controls. This demonstrates the applicability and relevance of deep generative design to expand our knowledge and control of gene expression regulation in any desired organism, condition or tissue. Design of de novo synthetic regulatory DNA is a promising avenue to control gene expression in biotechnology and medicine. Here the authors present EspressionGAN, a generative adversarial network that uses genomic and transcriptomic data to generate regulatory sequences.
Collapse
|
11
|
Mózsik L, Iacovelli R, Bovenberg RAL, Driessen AJM. Transcriptional Activation of Biosynthetic Gene Clusters in Filamentous Fungi. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2022; 10:901037. [PMID: 35910033 PMCID: PMC9335490 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2022.901037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2022] [Accepted: 06/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Filamentous fungi are highly productive cell factories, many of which are industrial producers of enzymes, organic acids, and secondary metabolites. The increasing number of sequenced fungal genomes revealed a vast and unexplored biosynthetic potential in the form of transcriptionally silent secondary metabolite biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs). Various strategies have been carried out to explore and mine this untapped source of bioactive molecules, and with the advent of synthetic biology, novel applications, and tools have been developed for filamentous fungi. Here we summarize approaches aiming for the expression of endogenous or exogenous natural product BGCs, including synthetic transcription factors, assembly of artificial transcription units, gene cluster refactoring, fungal shuttle vectors, and platform strains.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- László Mózsik
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Riccardo Iacovelli
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Roel A. L. Bovenberg
- DSM Biotechnology Center, Delft, Netherlands
- Department of Synthetic Biology and Cell Engineering, Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Arnold J. M. Driessen
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Fu R, Tang W, Zhang H, Zhang Y, Wang D, Chen W. Study on the mechanism of inhibiting patulin production by fengycin. Open Life Sci 2022; 17:372-379. [PMID: 35528279 PMCID: PMC9019426 DOI: 10.1515/biol-2022-0041] [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: 07/09/2021] [Revised: 12/02/2021] [Accepted: 01/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Penicillium expansum is the main cause of apple rot. Besides, it can also produce mycotoxin patulin (PAT). Therefore, the search for substances that can inhibit the activity and toxigenicity of P. expansum has become a hot research topic. This study investigates the inhibitory effects of fengycin on patulin production in P. expansum. P. expansum was cultured under different environments with different concentrations of fengycin. The patulin content produced per unit weight of P. expansum mycelium was detected and determined by high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC). Synergy brands (SYBR) GreenI Real-time PCR was used to detect the expression levels of 6-methylsalicylic acid synthase (6-MSAS) and isoepoxydon dehydrogenase (IDH), which were the key genes of producing patulin of P. expansum mycelium, in the conditions treated by fengycin and untreated. After fengycin treatments, not only the patulin content in every unit weight of P. expansum mycelium but also the expression level of 6-MSAS decreased significantly. The expression level of 6-MSAS of treatment was 0.11 folds of control. However, the expression level of IDH treated by fengycin decreased slightly. Fengycin could inhibit the P. expansum from producing patulin by downregulating the expression of key synthetic genes 6-MSAS.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ruimin Fu
- College of Health Management, Henan Finance University , Zhengzhou , Henan , China
- College of Life Science, Shaanxi Normal University , Xi’an , Shaanxi , China
| | - Wei Tang
- College of Health Management, Henan Finance University , Zhengzhou , Henan , China
| | - Hong Zhang
- College of Health Management, Henan Finance University , Zhengzhou , Henan , China
| | - Yulian Zhang
- College of Health Management, Henan Finance University , Zhengzhou , Henan , China
| | - Ding Wang
- College of Health Management, Henan Finance University , Zhengzhou , Henan , China
| | - Wuling Chen
- College of Life Science, Shaanxi Normal University , Xi’an , Shaanxi , China
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Lübeck M, Lübeck PS. Fungal Cell Factories for Efficient and Sustainable Production of Proteins and Peptides. Microorganisms 2022; 10:microorganisms10040753. [PMID: 35456803 PMCID: PMC9025306 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms10040753] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2022] [Revised: 03/24/2022] [Accepted: 03/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Filamentous fungi are a large and diverse taxonomically group of microorganisms found in all habitats worldwide. They grow as a network of cells called hyphae. Since filamentous fungi live in very diverse habitats, they produce different enzymes to degrade material for their living, for example hydrolytic enzymes to degrade various kinds of biomasses. Moreover, they produce defense proteins (antimicrobial peptides) and proteins for attaching surfaces (hydrophobins). Many of them are easy to cultivate in different known setups (submerged fermentation and solid-state fermentation) and their secretion of proteins and enzymes are often much larger than what is seen from yeast and bacteria. Therefore, filamentous fungi are in many industries the preferred production hosts of different proteins and enzymes. Edible fungi have traditionally been used as food, such as mushrooms or in fermented foods. New trends are to use edible fungi to produce myco-protein enriched foods. This review gives an overview of the different kinds of proteins, enzymes, and peptides produced by the most well-known fungi used as cell factories for different purposes and applications. Moreover, we describe some of the challenges that are important to consider when filamentous fungi are optimized as efficient cell factories.
Collapse
|
14
|
Roux I, Chooi YH. Cre/ lox-Mediated Chromosomal Integration of Biosynthetic Gene Clusters for Heterologous Expression in Aspergillus nidulans. ACS Synth Biol 2022; 11:1186-1195. [PMID: 35168324 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.1c00458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Building strains of filamentous fungi for stable long-term heterologous expression of large biosynthetic pathways is limited by the low transformation efficiency or genetic stability of current methods. Here, we developed a system for targeted chromosomal integration of large biosynthetic gene clusters in Aspergillus nidulans based on site-specific recombinase-mediated cassette exchange. We built A. nidulans strains harboring a chromosomal landing pad for Cre/lox-mediated recombination and demonstrated efficient targeted integration of a 21 kb DNA fragment in a single step. We further evaluated the integration at two loci by analyzing the expression of a fluorescent reporter and the production of a heterologous polyketide metabolite. We compared chromosomal expression at those landing loci to episomal AMA1-based expression, which also shed light on uncharacterized aspects of episomal expression in filamentous fungi. This is the first demonstration of site-specific recombinase-mediated integration in filamentous fungi, setting the foundations for the further development of this tool.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Indra Roux
- School of Molecular Sciences, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia 6009, Australia
| | - Yit-Heng Chooi
- School of Molecular Sciences, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia 6009, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Guo Y, Contesini FJ, Wang X, Ghidinelli S, Tornby DS, Andersen TE, Mortensen UH, Larsen TO. Biosynthesis of Calipyridone A Represents a Fungal 2-Pyridone Formation without Ring Expansion in Aspergillus californicus. Org Lett 2022; 24:804-808. [PMID: 35045257 DOI: 10.1021/acs.orglett.1c03792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
A chemical investigation of the filamentous fungus Aspergillus californicus led to the isolation of a polyketide-nonribosomal peptide hybrid, calipyridone A (1). A putative biosynthetic gene cluster cpd for production of 1 was next identified by genome mining. The role of the cpd cluster in the production of 1 was confirmed by multiple gene deletion experiments in the host strain as well as by heterologous expression of the hybrid gene cpdA inAspergillus oryzae. Moreover, chemical analyses of the mutant strains allowed the biosynthesis of 1 to be elucidated. The results indicate that the generation of the 2-pyridone moiety of 1 via nucleophilic attack of the iminol nitrogen to the carbonyl carbon is different from the biosynthesis of other fungal 2-pyridone products through P450-catalyzed tetramic acid ring expansions. In addition, two biogenetic intermediates, calipyridones B and C, showed modest inhibition effects on the plaque-forming ability of SARS-CoV-2.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yaojie Guo
- Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical University of Denmark, Søltofts Plads, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark.,Department of Microbiology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Yuhangtang Road 866, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Fabiano J Contesini
- Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical University of Denmark, Søltofts Plads, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Xinhui Wang
- Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical University of Denmark, Søltofts Plads, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Simone Ghidinelli
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, Viale Europa 11, 25123 Brescia, Italy
| | - Ditte S Tornby
- Department of Clinical Research, University of Southern Denmark, Winløwsparken 21, 2. sal, 5000 Odense, Denmark
| | - Thomas E Andersen
- Department of Clinical Research, University of Southern Denmark, Winløwsparken 21, 2. sal, 5000 Odense, Denmark
| | - Uffe H Mortensen
- Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical University of Denmark, Søltofts Plads, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Thomas O Larsen
- Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical University of Denmark, Søltofts Plads, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| |
Collapse
|