1
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Li X, Wang J, Li J, Zhou Y, Huang X, Guo L, Liu R, Luo Y, Tan X, Hu X, Gao Y, Yu B, Fu M, Wang P, Zhou S. Exploring genetic codon expansion for unnatural amino acid incorporation in filamentous fungus Aspergillus nidulans. J Biotechnol 2024; 393:91-99. [PMID: 39067577 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiotec.2024.07.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2024] [Revised: 07/19/2024] [Accepted: 07/24/2024] [Indexed: 07/30/2024]
Abstract
Genetic code expansion technology allows the incorporation of unnatural amino acids (UAAs) into proteins, which is useful in protein engineering, synthetic biology, and gene therapy. Despite its potential applications in various species, filamentous fungi remain unexplored. This study aims to address this gap by developing these techniques in Aspergillus nidulans. We introduced an amber stop codon into a specific sequence within the reporter gene expressed in A. nidulans and replaced the anticodon of the fungal tRNATyr with CUA. This resulted in the synthesis of the target protein, confirming the occurrence of amber suppression in the fungus. When exogenous E. coli tRNATyrCUA (Ec. tRNATyrCUA) and E. coli tyrosyl-tRNA (Ec.TyrRS) were introduced into A. nidulans, they successfully synthesized the target protein via amber suppression and were shown to be orthogonal to the fungal translation system. By replacing the wild-type Ec.TyrRS with a mutant with a higher affinity for the UAA O-methyl-L-tyrosine, the fungal system was able to initiate the synthesis of the UAA-labeled protein (UAA-protein). We further increased the expression level of the UAA-protein through several rational modifications. The successful development of a genetic code expansion technique for A. nidulans has introduced a potentially valuable approach to the study of fungal protein structure and function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xueying Li
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, School of Biotechnology, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Jing Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, School of Biotechnology, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Jingyi Li
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, School of Biotechnology, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Yao Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, School of Biotechnology, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Xiaofei Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, School of Biotechnology, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Lingyan Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, School of Biotechnology, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Renning Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, School of Biotechnology, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Yiqing Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, School of Biotechnology, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Xinyu Tan
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, School of Biotechnology, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Xiaotao Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, School of Biotechnology, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Yan Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, School of Biotechnology, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Bingzi Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, School of Biotechnology, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Mingxin Fu
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, School of Biotechnology, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Ping Wang
- Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering, University of Minnesota, Twin cities, Saint Paul, MN 55108, USA
| | - Shengmin Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, School of Biotechnology, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China.
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2
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Roux I, Woodcraft C, Sbaraini N, Pepper A, Wong E, Bracegirdle J, Chooi Y. Next-generation AMA1-based plasmids for enhanced heterologous expression in filamentous fungi. Microb Biotechnol 2024; 17:e70010. [PMID: 39276061 PMCID: PMC11401059 DOI: 10.1111/1751-7915.70010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2024] [Accepted: 08/25/2024] [Indexed: 09/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Episomal AMA1-based plasmids are increasingly used for expressing biosynthetic pathways and CRISPR/Cas systems in filamentous fungi cell factories due to their high transformation efficiency and multicopy nature. However, the gene expression from AMA1 plasmids has been observed to be highly heterogeneous in growing mycelia. To overcome this limitation, here we developed next-generation AMA1-based plasmids that ensure homogeneous and strong expression. We achieved this by evaluating various degradation tags fused to the auxotrophic marker gene on the AMA1 plasmid, which introduces a more stringent selection pressure throughout multicellular fungal growth. With these improved plasmids, we observed in Aspergillus nidulans a 5-fold increase in the expression of a fluorescent reporter, a doubling in the efficiency of a CRISPRa system for genome mining, and a up to a 10-fold increase in the production of heterologous natural product metabolites. This strategy has the potential to be applied to diverse filamentous fungi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Indra Roux
- School of Molecular SciencesUniversity of Western AustraliaPerthWestern AustraliaAustralia
- Present address:
Medical Research Council Toxicology UnitUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
| | - Clara Woodcraft
- School of Molecular SciencesUniversity of Western AustraliaPerthWestern AustraliaAustralia
| | - Nicolau Sbaraini
- School of Molecular SciencesUniversity of Western AustraliaPerthWestern AustraliaAustralia
| | - Amy Pepper
- School of Molecular SciencesUniversity of Western AustraliaPerthWestern AustraliaAustralia
| | - Emily Wong
- School of Molecular SciencesUniversity of Western AustraliaPerthWestern AustraliaAustralia
| | - Joe Bracegirdle
- School of Molecular SciencesUniversity of Western AustraliaPerthWestern AustraliaAustralia
| | - Yit‐Heng Chooi
- School of Molecular SciencesUniversity of Western AustraliaPerthWestern AustraliaAustralia
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3
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Singh A, Anwer M, Israr J, Kumar A. Advances in CRISPR-Cas systems for fungal infections. PROGRESS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE 2024; 208:83-107. [PMID: 39266189 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pmbts.2024.07.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/14/2024]
Abstract
Fungi contain a wide range of bioactive secondary metabolites (SMs) that have numerous applications in various fields, including agriculture, medicine, human health, and more. It is common for genes responsible for the production of secondary metabolites (SMs) to form biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs). The identification and analysis of numerous unexplored gene clusters (BGCs) and their corresponding substances (SMs) has been significantly facilitated by the recent advancements in genomic and genetic technologies. Nevertheless, the exploration of secondary metabolites with commercial value is impeded by a variety of challenges. The emergence of modern CRISPR/Cas technologies has brought about a paradigm shift in fungal genetic engineering, significantly streamlining the process of discovering new bioactive compounds. This study begins with an examination of fungal biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) and their interconnections with the secondary metabolites (SMs) they generate. Following that, a brief summary of the conventional methods employed in fungal genetic engineering is provided. This study explores various sophisticated CRISPR/Cas-based methodologies and their utilization in examining the synthesis of secondary metabolites (SMs) in fungi. The chapter provides an in-depth analysis of the limitations and obstacles encountered in CRISPR/Cas-based systems when applied to fungal genetic engineering. It also proposes promising avenues for future research to optimize the efficiency of these systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Avinash Singh
- Department of Biotechnology, Axis Institute of Higher Education, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Monisa Anwer
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Engineering and Technology Rama University, Mandhana, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Juveriya Israr
- Institute of Biosciences and Technology, Shri Ramswaroop Memorial University, Lucknow, Barabanki, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Ajay Kumar
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Engineering and Technology Rama University, Mandhana, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, India.
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4
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Zhou J, Chen X, Li SM. Construction of an expression platform for fungal secondary metabolite biosynthesis in Penicillium crustosum. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2024; 108:427. [PMID: 39046587 PMCID: PMC11269504 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-024-13259-3] [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: 05/17/2024] [Revised: 07/08/2024] [Accepted: 07/16/2024] [Indexed: 07/25/2024]
Abstract
Filamentous fungi are prolific producers of bioactive natural products and play a vital role in drug discovery. Yet, their potential cannot be fully exploited since many biosynthetic genes are silent or cryptic under laboratory culture conditions. Several strategies have been applied to activate these genes, with heterologous expression as one of the most promising approaches. However, successful expression and identification of new products are often hindered by host-dependent factors, such as low gene targeting efficiencies, a high metabolite background, or a lack of selection markers. To overcome these challenges, we have constructed a Penicillium crustosum expression host in a pyrG deficient strain by combining the split-marker strategy and CRISPR-Cas9 technology. Deletion of ligD and pcribo improved gene targeting efficiencies and enabled the use of an additional selection marker in P. crustosum. Furthermore, we reduced the secondary metabolite background by inactivation of two highly expressed gene clusters and abolished the formation of the reactive ortho-quinone methide. Finally, we replaced the P. crustosum pigment gene pcr4401 with the commonly used Aspergillus nidulans wA expression site for convenient use of constructs originally designed for A. nidulans in our P. crustosum host strain. As proof of concept, we successfully expressed a single polyketide synthase gene and an entire gene cluster at the P. crustosum wA locus. Resulting transformants were easily detected by their albino phenotype. With this study, we provide a highly efficient platform for heterologous expression of fungal genes. KEY POINTS: Construction of a highly efficient Penicillium crustosum heterologous expression host Reduction of secondary metabolite background by genetic dereplication strategy Integration of wA site to provide an alternative host besides Aspergillus nidulans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jenny Zhou
- Institut Für Pharmazeutische Biologie Und Biotechnologie, Fachbereich Pharmazie, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Robert-Koch-Straße 4, 35037, Marburg, Germany
| | - Xiaoling Chen
- Institut Für Pharmazeutische Biologie Und Biotechnologie, Fachbereich Pharmazie, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Robert-Koch-Straße 4, 35037, Marburg, Germany
| | - Shu-Ming Li
- Institut Für Pharmazeutische Biologie Und Biotechnologie, Fachbereich Pharmazie, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Robert-Koch-Straße 4, 35037, Marburg, Germany.
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5
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Lu Z, Chen Z, Liu Y, Hua X, Gao C, Liu J. Morphological Engineering of Filamentous Fungi: Research Progress and Perspectives. J Microbiol Biotechnol 2024; 34:1197-1205. [PMID: 38693049 PMCID: PMC11239417 DOI: 10.4014/jmb.2402.02007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2024] [Revised: 02/22/2024] [Accepted: 03/06/2024] [Indexed: 05/03/2024]
Abstract
Filamentous fungi are important cell factories for the production of high-value enzymes and chemicals for the food, chemical, and pharmaceutical industries. Under submerged fermentation, filamentous fungi exhibit diverse fungal morphologies that are influenced by environmental factors, which in turn affect the rheological properties and mass transfer of the fermentation system, and ultimately the synthesis of products. In this review, we first summarize the mechanisms of mycelial morphogenesis and then provide an overview of current developments in methods and strategies for morphological regulation, including physicochemical and metabolic engineering approaches. We also anticipate that rapid developments in synthetic biology and genetic manipulation tools will accelerate morphological engineering in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhengwu Lu
- College of Life Sciences, Linyi University, Linyi 276000, P. R. China
| | - Zhiqun Chen
- College of Life Sciences, Linyi University, Linyi 276000, P. R. China
| | - Yunguo Liu
- College of Life Sciences, Linyi University, Linyi 276000, P. R. China
| | - Xuexue Hua
- Shandong Fufeng Fermentation Co., Ltd., Linyi 276600, P. R. China
| | - Cuijuan Gao
- College of Life Sciences, Linyi University, Linyi 276000, P. R. China
| | - Jingjing Liu
- College of Life Sciences, Linyi University, Linyi 276000, P. R. China
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6
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Eisenhut P, Marx N, Borsi G, Papež M, Ruggeri C, Baumann M, Borth N. Manipulating gene expression levels in mammalian cell factories: An outline of synthetic molecular toolboxes to achieve multiplexed control. N Biotechnol 2024; 79:1-19. [PMID: 38040288 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbt.2023.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2023] [Revised: 11/06/2023] [Accepted: 11/26/2023] [Indexed: 12/03/2023]
Abstract
Mammalian cells have developed dedicated molecular mechanisms to tightly control expression levels of their genes where the specific transcriptomic signature across all genes eventually determines the cell's phenotype. Modulating cellular phenotypes is of major interest to study their role in disease or to reprogram cells for the manufacturing of recombinant products, such as biopharmaceuticals. Cells of mammalian origin, for example Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) and Human embryonic kidney 293 (HEK293) cells, are most commonly employed to produce therapeutic proteins. Early genetic engineering approaches to alter their phenotype have often been attempted by "uncontrolled" overexpression or knock-down/-out of specific genetic factors. Many studies in the past years, however, highlight that rationally regulating and fine-tuning the strength of overexpression or knock-down to an optimum level, can adjust phenotypic traits with much more precision than such "uncontrolled" approaches. To this end, synthetic biology tools have been generated that enable (fine-)tunable and/or inducible control of gene expression. In this review, we discuss various molecular tools used in mammalian cell lines and group them by their mode of action: transcriptional, post-transcriptional, translational and post-translational regulation. We discuss the advantages and disadvantages of using these tools for each cell regulatory layer and with respect to cell line engineering approaches. This review highlights the plethora of synthetic toolboxes that could be employed, alone or in combination, to optimize cellular systems and eventually gain enhanced control over the cellular phenotype to equip mammalian cell factories with the tools required for efficient production of emerging, more difficult-to-express biologics formats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Eisenhut
- Austrian Centre of Industrial Biotechnology (acib GmbH), Muthgasse 11, 1190 Vienna, Austria
| | - Nicolas Marx
- BOKU University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Institute of Animal Cell Technology and Systems Biology, Muthgasse 18, 1190 Vienna, Austria.
| | - Giulia Borsi
- BOKU University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Institute of Animal Cell Technology and Systems Biology, Muthgasse 18, 1190 Vienna, Austria
| | - Maja Papež
- Austrian Centre of Industrial Biotechnology (acib GmbH), Muthgasse 11, 1190 Vienna, Austria; BOKU University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Institute of Animal Cell Technology and Systems Biology, Muthgasse 18, 1190 Vienna, Austria
| | - Caterina Ruggeri
- BOKU University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Institute of Animal Cell Technology and Systems Biology, Muthgasse 18, 1190 Vienna, Austria
| | - Martina Baumann
- Austrian Centre of Industrial Biotechnology (acib GmbH), Muthgasse 11, 1190 Vienna, Austria
| | - Nicole Borth
- Austrian Centre of Industrial Biotechnology (acib GmbH), Muthgasse 11, 1190 Vienna, Austria; BOKU University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Institute of Animal Cell Technology and Systems Biology, Muthgasse 18, 1190 Vienna, Austria.
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7
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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.
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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.
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8
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Yang H, Song C, Liu C, Wang P. Synthetic Biology Tools for Engineering Aspergillus oryzae. J Fungi (Basel) 2024; 10:34. [PMID: 38248944 PMCID: PMC10817548 DOI: 10.3390/jof10010034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2023] [Revised: 12/23/2023] [Accepted: 12/26/2023] [Indexed: 01/23/2024] Open
Abstract
For more than a thousand years, Aspergillus oryzae has been used in traditional culinary industries, including for food fermentation, brewing, and flavoring. In recent years, A. oryzae has been extensively used in deciphering the pathways of natural product synthesis and value-added compound bioproduction. Moreover, it is increasingly being used in modern biotechnology industries, such as for the production of enzymes and recombinant proteins. The investigation of A. oryzae has been significantly accelerated through the successive application of a diverse array of synthetic biology techniques and methodologies. In this review, the advancements in biological tools for the synthesis of A. oryzae, including DNA assembly technologies, gene expression regulatory elements, and genome editing systems, are discussed. Additionally, the challenges associated with the heterologous expression of A. oryzae are addressed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Yang
- School of Life Science, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China
- Key Laboratory for Enzyme and Enzyme-Like Material Engineering of Heilongjiang, College of Life Science, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China
| | - Chaonan Song
- School of Life Science, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China
- Key Laboratory for Enzyme and Enzyme-Like Material Engineering of Heilongjiang, College of Life Science, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China
| | - Chengwei Liu
- School of Life Science, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China
- Key Laboratory for Enzyme and Enzyme-Like Material Engineering of Heilongjiang, College of Life Science, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China
| | - Pengchao Wang
- School of Life Science, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China
- Key Laboratory for Enzyme and Enzyme-Like Material Engineering of Heilongjiang, College of Life Science, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China
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9
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Peng B, Dai L, Iacovelli R, Driessen AJM, Haslinger K. Heterologous Naringenin Production in the Filamentous Fungus Penicillium rubens. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2023; 71:20782-20792. [PMID: 38103029 PMCID: PMC10755750 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.3c06755] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2023] [Revised: 12/01/2023] [Accepted: 12/06/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023]
Abstract
Naringenin is a natural product with several reported bioactivities and is the key intermediate for the entire class of plant flavonoids. The translation of flavonoids into modern medicine as pure compounds is often hampered by their low abundance in nature and their difficult chemical synthesis. Here, we investigated the possibility to use the filamentous fungus Penicillium rubens as a host for flavonoid production. P. rubens is a well-characterized, highly engineered, traditional "workhorse" for the production of β-lactam antibiotics. We integrated two plant genes encoding enzymes in the naringenin biosynthesis pathway into the genome of the secondary metabolite-deficient P. rubens 4xKO strain. After optimization of the fermentation conditions, we obtained an excellent molar yield of naringenin from fed p-coumaric acid (88%) with a titer of 0.88 mM. Along with product accumulation over 36 h, however, we also observed rapid degradation of naringenin. Based on high-resolution mass spectrometry analysis, we propose a naringenin degradation pathway in P. rubens 4xKO, which is distinct from other flavonoid-converting pathways reported in fungi. Our work demonstrates that P. rubens is a promising host for recombinant flavonoid production, and it represents an interesting starting point for further investigation into the utilization of plant biomass by filamentous fungi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Peng
- Chemical
and Pharmaceutical Biology, Groningen Research
Institute of Pharmacy, University of Groningen, Antonius Deusinglaan 1, 9713AV Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Lin Dai
- Molecular
Microbiology, Groningen Biomolecular Sciences
and Biotechnology Institute, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 7, 9747AG Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Riccardo Iacovelli
- Chemical
and Pharmaceutical Biology, Groningen Research
Institute of Pharmacy, University of Groningen, Antonius Deusinglaan 1, 9713AV Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Arnold J. M. Driessen
- Molecular
Microbiology, Groningen Biomolecular Sciences
and Biotechnology Institute, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 7, 9747AG Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Kristina Haslinger
- Chemical
and Pharmaceutical Biology, Groningen Research
Institute of Pharmacy, University of Groningen, Antonius Deusinglaan 1, 9713AV Groningen, The Netherlands
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10
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Arentshorst M, Kooloth Valappil P, Mózsik L, Regensburg-Tuïnk TJG, Seekles SJ, Tjallinks G, Fraaije MW, Visser J, Ram AFJ. A CRISPR/Cas9-based multicopy integration system for protein production in Aspergillus niger. FEBS J 2023; 290:5127-5140. [PMID: 37335926 DOI: 10.1111/febs.16891] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2023] [Revised: 04/25/2023] [Accepted: 06/16/2023] [Indexed: 06/21/2023]
Abstract
The filamentous fungus Aspergillus niger is well known for its high protein secretion capacity and a preferred host for homologous and heterologous protein production. To improve the protein production capacity of A. niger even further, a set of dedicated protein production strains was made containing up to 10 glucoamylase landing sites (GLSs) at predetermined sites in the genome. These GLSs replace genes encoding enzymes abundantly present or encoding unwanted functions. Each GLS contains the promotor and terminator region of the glucoamylase gene (glaA), one of the highest expressed genes in A. niger. Integrating multiple gene copies, often realized by random integration, is known to boost protein production yields. In our approach the GLSs allow for rapid targeted gene replacement using CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome editing. By introducing the same or different unique DNA sequences (dubbed KORE sequences) in each GLS and designing Cas9-compatible single guide RNAs, one is able to select at which GLS integration of a target gene occurs. In this way a set of identical strains with different copy numbers of the gene of interest can be easily and rapidly made to compare protein production levels. As an illustration of its potential, we successfully used the expression platform to generate multicopy A. niger strains producing the Penicillium expansum PatE::6xHis protein catalysing the final step in patulin biosynthesis. The A. niger strain expressing 10 copies of the patE::6xHis expression cassette produced about 70 μg·mL-1 PatE protein in the culture medium with a purity just under 90%.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark Arentshorst
- Microbial Sciences, Fungal Genetics and Biotechnology, Institute of Biology Leiden, Leiden University, The Netherlands
| | - Prajeesh Kooloth Valappil
- Microbial Sciences, Fungal Genetics and Biotechnology, Institute of Biology Leiden, Leiden University, The Netherlands
| | - László Mózsik
- Microbial Sciences, Fungal Genetics and Biotechnology, Institute of Biology Leiden, Leiden University, The Netherlands
| | - Tonny J G Regensburg-Tuïnk
- Microbial Sciences, Fungal Genetics and Biotechnology, Institute of Biology Leiden, Leiden University, The Netherlands
| | - Sjoerd J Seekles
- Microbial Sciences, Fungal Genetics and Biotechnology, Institute of Biology Leiden, Leiden University, The Netherlands
| | - Gwen Tjallinks
- Molecular Enzymology, University of Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Marco W Fraaije
- Molecular Enzymology, University of Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Jaap Visser
- Microbial Sciences, Fungal Genetics and Biotechnology, Institute of Biology Leiden, Leiden University, The Netherlands
| | - Arthur F J Ram
- Microbial Sciences, Fungal Genetics and Biotechnology, Institute of Biology Leiden, Leiden University, The Netherlands
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11
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Hong X, Guo T, Xu X, Lin J. Multiplex metabolic pathway engineering of Monascus pilosus enhances lovastatin production. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2023; 107:6541-6552. [PMID: 37672068 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-023-12747-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2023] [Revised: 07/30/2023] [Accepted: 08/11/2023] [Indexed: 09/07/2023]
Abstract
Monascus sp. is an important food microbial resource with the production of cholesterol-lowering agent lovastatin and other healthy metabolites. However, the mycotoxin citrinin naturally produced by Monascus sp. and the insufficient productivity of lovastatin limit its large-scale use in food industry. The aim of this paper is to modify a lovastatin-producing strain Monascus pilosus GN-01 through metabolic engineering to obtain a citrinin-free M. pilosus strain with higher yield of lovastatin. The citrinin synthesis regulator gene ctnR was firstly disrupted to obtain GN-02 without citrinin production. Based on that, the lovastatin biosynthesis genes (mokC, mokD, mokE, mokF, mokH, mokI, and LaeA) were, respectively, overexpressed, and pigment-regulatory gene (pigR) was knocked out to improve lovastatin production. The results indicated ctnR inactivation effectively disrupted the citrinin release by M. pilosus GN-01. The overexpression of lovastatin biosynthesis genes and pigR knockout could lead higher contents of lovastatin, of which pigR knockout strain achieved 76.60% increase in the yield of lovastatin compared to GN-02. These studies suggest that such multiplex metabolic pathway engineering in M. pilosus GN-01 is promising for high lovastatin production by a safe strain for application in Monascus-related food. KEY POINTS: • Disruption of the regulator gene ctnR inhibited citrinin production of M. pilosus. • Synchronous overexpression of biosynthesis gene enhanced lovastatin production. • pigR knockout enhanced lovastatin of ΔctnR strain of M. pilosus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaokun Hong
- College of Biological Science and Engineering, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou, 350116, Fujian, China
| | - Tianlong Guo
- College of Biological Science and Engineering, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou, 350116, Fujian, China
| | - Xinqi Xu
- College of Biological Science and Engineering, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou, 350116, Fujian, China.
| | - Juan Lin
- College of Biological Science and Engineering, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou, 350116, Fujian, China.
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12
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van Schaik J, Li Z, Cheadle J, Crook N. Engineering the Maize Root Microbiome: A Rapid MoClo Toolkit and Identification of Potential Bacterial Chassis for Studying Plant-Microbe Interactions. ACS Synth Biol 2023; 12:3030-3040. [PMID: 37712562 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.3c00371] [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: 09/16/2023]
Abstract
Sustainably enhancing crop production is a global necessity to meet the escalating demand for staple crops while sustainably managing their associated carbon/nitrogen inputs. Leveraging plant-associated microbiomes is a promising avenue for addressing this demand. However, studying these communities and engineering them for sustainable enhancement of crop production have remained a challenge due to limited genetic tools and methods. In this work, we detail the development of the Maize Root Microbiome ToolKit (MRMTK), a rapid Modular Cloning (MoClo) toolkit that only takes 2.5 h to generate desired constructs (5400 potential plasmids) that replicate and express heterologous genes in Enterobacter ludwigii strain AA4 (Elu), Pseudomonas putida strain AA7 (Ppu), Herbaspirillum robiniae strain AA6 (Hro), Stenotrophomonas maltophilia strain AA1 (Sma), and Brucella pituitosa strain AA2 (Bpi), which comprise a model maize root synthetic community (SynCom). In addition to these genetic tools, we describe a highly efficient transformation protocol (107-109 transformants/μg of DNA) 1 for each of these strains. Utilizing this highly efficient transformation protocol, we identified endogenous Expression Sequences (ES; promoter and ribosomal binding sites) for each strain via genomic promoter trapping. Overall, MRMTK is a scalable and adaptable platform that expands the genetic engineering toolbox while providing a standardized, high-efficiency transformation method across a diverse group of root commensals. These results unlock the ability to elucidate and engineer plant-microbe interactions promoting plant growth for each of the 5 bacterial strains in this study.
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Affiliation(s)
- John van Schaik
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, Room 2109, Partners II, 840 Main Campus Drive, Raleigh, North Carolina 27606, United States
| | - Zidan Li
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, Room 2109, Partners II, 840 Main Campus Drive, Raleigh, North Carolina 27606, United States
| | - John Cheadle
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, Room 2109, Partners II, 840 Main Campus Drive, Raleigh, North Carolina 27606, United States
| | - Nathan Crook
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, Room 2109, Partners II, 840 Main Campus Drive, Raleigh, North Carolina 27606, United States
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13
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Salazar-Cerezo S, de Vries RP, Garrigues S. Strategies for the Development of Industrial Fungal Producing Strains. J Fungi (Basel) 2023; 9:834. [PMID: 37623605 PMCID: PMC10455633 DOI: 10.3390/jof9080834] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2023] [Revised: 07/31/2023] [Accepted: 08/04/2023] [Indexed: 08/26/2023] Open
Abstract
The use of microorganisms in industry has enabled the (over)production of various compounds (e.g., primary and secondary metabolites, proteins and enzymes) that are relevant for the production of antibiotics, food, beverages, cosmetics, chemicals and biofuels, among others. Industrial strains are commonly obtained by conventional (non-GMO) strain improvement strategies and random screening and selection. However, recombinant DNA technology has made it possible to improve microbial strains by adding, deleting or modifying specific genes. Techniques such as genetic engineering and genome editing are contributing to the development of industrial production strains. Nevertheless, there is still significant room for further strain improvement. In this review, we will focus on classical and recent methods, tools and technologies used for the development of fungal production strains with the potential to be applied at an industrial scale. Additionally, the use of functional genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics and metabolomics together with the implementation of genetic manipulation techniques and expression tools will be discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonia Salazar-Cerezo
- Fungal Physiology, Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute & Fungal Molecular Physiology, Utrecht University, Uppsalalaan 8, 3584 CT Utrecht, The Netherlands (R.P.d.V.)
| | - Ronald P. de Vries
- Fungal Physiology, Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute & Fungal Molecular Physiology, Utrecht University, Uppsalalaan 8, 3584 CT Utrecht, The Netherlands (R.P.d.V.)
| | - Sandra Garrigues
- Food Biotechnology Department, Instituto de Agroquímica y Tecnología de Alimentos (IATA), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Catedrático Agustín Escardino Benlloch 7, 46980 Paterna, VLC, Spain
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14
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Moreno-Giménez E, Gandía M, Sáez Z, Manzanares P, Yenush L, Orzáez D, Marcos JF, Garrigues S. FungalBraid 2.0: expanding the synthetic biology toolbox for the biotechnological exploitation of filamentous fungi. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2023; 11:1222812. [PMID: 37609115 PMCID: PMC10441238 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2023.1222812] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2023] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 08/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Fungal synthetic biology is a rapidly expanding field that aims to optimize the biotechnological exploitation of fungi through the generation of standard, ready-to-use genetic elements, and universal syntax and rules for contributory use by the fungal research community. Recently, an increasing number of synthetic biology toolkits have been developed and applied to filamentous fungi, which highlights the relevance of these organisms in the biotechnology field. The FungalBraid (FB) modular cloning platform enables interchangeability of DNA parts with the GoldenBraid (GB) platform, which is designed for plants, and other systems that are compatible with the standard Golden Gate cloning and syntax, and uses binary pCAMBIA-derived vectors to allow Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation of a wide range of fungal species. In this study, we have expanded the original FB catalog by adding 27 new DNA parts that were functionally validated in vivo. Among these are the resistance selection markers for the antibiotics phleomycin and terbinafine, as well as the uridine-auxotrophic marker pyr4. We also used a normalized luciferase reporter system to validate several promoters, such as PpkiA, P7760, Pef1α, and PafpB constitutive promoters, and PglaA, PamyB, and PxlnA inducible promoters. Additionally, the recently developed dCas9-regulated GB_SynP synthetic promoter collection for orthogonal CRISPR activation (CRISPRa) in plants has been adapted in fungi through the FB system. In general, the expansion of the FB catalog is of great interest to the scientific community since it increases the number of possible modular and interchangeable DNA assemblies, exponentially increasing the possibilities of studying, developing, and exploiting filamentous fungi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Moreno-Giménez
- Food Biotechnology Department, Instituto de Agroquímica y Tecnología de Alimentos (IATA), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Valencia, Spain
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Plantas (IBMCP), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)-Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV), Valencia, Spain
| | - Mónica Gandía
- Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Food Science, Toxicology and Forensic Medicine Department. Faculty of Pharmacy. Universitat de València. Vicente Andrés Estellés s/n, Valencia, Spain
| | - Zara Sáez
- Food Biotechnology Department, Instituto de Agroquímica y Tecnología de Alimentos (IATA), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Valencia, Spain
| | - Paloma Manzanares
- Food Biotechnology Department, Instituto de Agroquímica y Tecnología de Alimentos (IATA), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Valencia, Spain
| | - Lynne Yenush
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Plantas (IBMCP), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)-Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV), Valencia, Spain
| | - Diego Orzáez
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Plantas (IBMCP), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)-Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV), Valencia, Spain
| | - Jose F. Marcos
- Food Biotechnology Department, Instituto de Agroquímica y Tecnología de Alimentos (IATA), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Valencia, Spain
| | - Sandra Garrigues
- Food Biotechnology Department, Instituto de Agroquímica y Tecnología de Alimentos (IATA), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Valencia, Spain
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15
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Koch SM, Freidank-Pohl C, Siontas O, Cortesao M, Mota A, Runzheimer K, Jung S, Rebrosova K, Siler M, Moeller R, Meyer V. Aspergillus niger as a cell factory for the production of pyomelanin, a molecule with UV-C radiation shielding activity. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1233740. [PMID: 37547691 PMCID: PMC10399693 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1233740] [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: 06/02/2023] [Accepted: 07/03/2023] [Indexed: 08/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Melanins are complex pigments with various biological functions and potential applications in space exploration and biomedicine due to their radioprotective properties. Aspergillus niger, a fungus known for its high radiation resistance, is widely used in biotechnology and a candidate for melanin production. In this study, we investigated the production of fungal pyomelanin (PyoFun) in A. niger by inducing overproduction of the pigment using L-tyrosine in a recombinant ΔhmgA mutant strain (OS4.3). The PyoFun pigment was characterized using three spectroscopic methods, and its antioxidant properties were assessed using a DPPH-assay. Additionally, we evaluated the protective effect of PyoFun against non-ionizing radiation (monochromatic UV-C) and compared its efficacy to a synthetically produced control pyomelanin (PyoSyn). The results confirmed successful production of PyoFun in A. niger through inducible overproduction. Characterization using spectroscopic methods confirmed the presence of PyoFun, and the DPPH-assay demonstrated its strong antioxidant properties. Moreover, PyoFun exhibited a highly protective effect against radiation-induced stress, surpassing the protection provided by PyoSyn. The findings of this study suggest that PyoFun has significant potential as a biological shield against harmful radiation. Notably, PyoFun is synthesized extracellularly, differing it from other fungal melanins (such as L-DOPA- or DHN-melanin) that require cell lysis for pigment purification. This characteristic makes PyoFun a valuable resource for biotechnology, biomedicine, and the space industry. However, further research is needed to evaluate its protective effect in a dried form and against ionizing radiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stella Marie Koch
- Radiation Biology Department, Aerospace Microbiology Research Group, German Aerospace Center, Institute of Aerospace Medicine, Cologne, Germany
| | - Carsten Freidank-Pohl
- Applied and Molecular Microbiology, Institute of Biotechnology, Technische Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Oliver Siontas
- Applied and Molecular Microbiology, Institute of Biotechnology, Technische Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Marta Cortesao
- Radiation Biology Department, Aerospace Microbiology Research Group, German Aerospace Center, Institute of Aerospace Medicine, Cologne, Germany
| | - Afonso Mota
- Radiation Biology Department, Aerospace Microbiology Research Group, German Aerospace Center, Institute of Aerospace Medicine, Cologne, Germany
| | - Katharina Runzheimer
- Radiation Biology Department, Aerospace Microbiology Research Group, German Aerospace Center, Institute of Aerospace Medicine, Cologne, Germany
| | - Sascha Jung
- Applied and Molecular Microbiology, Institute of Biotechnology, Technische Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Katarina Rebrosova
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University (MUNI) and St. Anne's Faculty Hospital, Brno, Czechia
| | - Martin Siler
- Institute of Scientific Instruments of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno, Czechia
| | - Ralf Moeller
- Radiation Biology Department, Aerospace Microbiology Research Group, German Aerospace Center, Institute of Aerospace Medicine, Cologne, Germany
| | - Vera Meyer
- Applied and Molecular Microbiology, Institute of Biotechnology, Technische Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
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16
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Toppo P, Kagatay LL, Gurung A, Singla P, Chakraborty R, Roy S, Mathur P. Endophytic fungi mediates production of bioactive secondary metabolites via modulation of genes involved in key metabolic pathways and their contribution in different biotechnological sector. 3 Biotech 2023; 13:191. [PMID: 37197561 PMCID: PMC10183385 DOI: 10.1007/s13205-023-03605-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2022] [Accepted: 05/03/2023] [Indexed: 05/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Endophytic fungi stimulate the production of an enormous number of bioactive metabolites in medicinal plants and affect the different steps of biosynthetic pathways of these secondary metabolites. Endophytic fungi possess a number of biosynthetic gene clusters that possess genes for various enzymes, transcription factors, etc., in their genome responsible for the production of secondary metabolites. Additionally, endophytic fungi also modulate the expression of various genes responsible for the synthesis of key enzymes involved in metabolic pathways of such as HMGR, DXR, etc. involved in the production of a large number of phenolic compounds as well as regulate the expression of genes involved in the production of alkaloids and terpenoids in different plants. This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of gene expression related to endophytes and their impact on metabolic pathways. Additionally, this review will emphasize the studies done to isolate these secondary metabolites from endophytic fungi in large quantities and assess their bioactivity. Due to ease in synthesis of secondary metabolites and their huge application in the medical industry, these bioactive metabolites are now being extracted from strains of these endophytic fungi commercially. Apart from their application in the pharmaceutical industry, most of these metabolites extracted from endophytic fungi also possess plant growth-promoting ability, bioremediation potential, novel bio control agents, sources of anti-oxidants, etc. The review will comprehensively shed a light on the biotechnological application of these fungal metabolites at the industrial level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prabha Toppo
- Microbiology Laboratory, Department of Botany, University of North Bengal, Rajarammohunpur, Dist. Darjeeling, Siliguri, West Bengal India
| | - Lahasang Lamu Kagatay
- Microbiology Laboratory, Department of Botany, University of North Bengal, Rajarammohunpur, Dist. Darjeeling, Siliguri, West Bengal India
| | - Ankita Gurung
- Microbiology Laboratory, Department of Botany, University of North Bengal, Rajarammohunpur, Dist. Darjeeling, Siliguri, West Bengal India
| | - Priyanka Singla
- Department of Botany, Mount Carmel College, Bengaluru, Karnataka India
| | - Rakhi Chakraborty
- Department of Botany, Acharya Prafulla Chandra Roy Government College, Dist. Darjeeling, Siliguri, West Bengal India
| | - Swarnendu Roy
- Plant Biochemistry Laboratory, Department of Botany, University of North Bengal, Rajarammohunpur, Dist. Darjeeling, Siliguri, West Bengal India
| | - Piyush Mathur
- Microbiology Laboratory, Department of Botany, University of North Bengal, Rajarammohunpur, Dist. Darjeeling, Siliguri, West Bengal India
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17
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Khakhar A. A roadmap for the creation of synthetic lichen. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2023; 654:87-93. [PMID: 36898228 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2023.02.079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2023] [Accepted: 02/27/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2023]
Abstract
Lichens represent a charismatic corner of biology that has a rich history of scientific exploration, but to which modern biological techniques have been sparsely applied. This has limited our understanding of phenomena unique to lichen, such as the emergent development of physically coupled microbial consortia or distributed metabolisms. The experimental intractability of natural lichens has prevented studies of the mechanistic underpinnings of their biology. Creating synthetic lichen from experimentally tractable, free-living microbes has the potential to overcome these challenges. They could also serve as powerful new chassis for sustainable biotechnology. In this review we will first briefly introduce what lichen are, what remains mysterious about their biology, and why. We will then articulate the scientific insights that creating a synthetic lichen will generate and lay out a roadmap for how this could be achieved using synthetic biology. Finally, we will explore the translational applications of synthetic lichen and detail what is needed to advance the pursuit of their creation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arjun Khakhar
- Biology Department, Colorado State University, 251 West Pitkin Drive, Fort Collins, CO, 80525, USA.
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18
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Jo C, Zhang J, Tam JM, Church GM, Khalil AS, Segrè D, Tang TC. 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: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [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.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles Jo
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
- Biological Design Center, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jing Zhang
- Biological Design Center, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
- Graduate Program in Bioinformatics, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jenny M. Tam
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - George M. Church
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Ahmad S. Khalil
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
- Biological Design Center, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Daniel Segrè
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
- Biological Design Center, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
- Graduate Program in Bioinformatics, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Physics, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Tzu-Chieh Tang
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA
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19
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Advances and Challenges in CRISPR/Cas-Based Fungal Genome Engineering for Secondary Metabolite Production: A Review. J Fungi (Basel) 2023; 9:jof9030362. [PMID: 36983530 PMCID: PMC10058990 DOI: 10.3390/jof9030362] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2023] [Revised: 03/10/2023] [Accepted: 03/14/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Fungi represent an important source of bioactive secondary metabolites (SMs), which have wide applications in many fields, including medicine, agriculture, human health, and many other industries. The genes involved in SM biosynthesis are usually clustered adjacent to each other into a region known as a biosynthetic gene cluster (BGC). The recent advent of a diversity of genetic and genomic technologies has facilitated the identification of many cryptic or uncharacterized BGCs and their associated SMs. However, there are still many challenges that hamper the broader exploration of industrially important secondary metabolites. The recent advanced CRISPR/Cas system has revolutionized fungal genetic engineering and enabled the discovery of novel bioactive compounds. In this review, we firstly introduce fungal BGCs and their relationships with associated SMs, followed by a brief summary of the conventional strategies for fungal genetic engineering. Next, we introduce a range of state-of-the-art CRISPR/Cas-based tools that have been developed and review recent applications of these methods in fungi for research on the biosynthesis of SMs. Finally, the challenges and limitations of these CRISPR/Cas-based systems are discussed and directions for future research are proposed in order to expand their applications and improve efficiency for fungal genetic engineering.
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20
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Hooker CA, Hanafy R, Hillman ET, Muñoz Briones J, Solomon KV. A Genetic Engineering Toolbox for the Lignocellulolytic Anaerobic Gut Fungus Neocallimastix frontalis. ACS Synth Biol 2023; 12:1034-1045. [PMID: 36920337 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.2c00502] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/16/2023]
Abstract
Anaerobic fungi are powerful platforms for biotechnology that remain unexploited due to a lack of genetic tools. These gut fungi encode the largest number of lignocellulolytic carbohydrate active enzymes (CAZymes) in the fungal kingdom, making them attractive for applications in renewable energy and sustainability. However, efforts to genetically modify anaerobic fungi have remained limited due to inefficient methods for DNA uptake and a lack of characterized genetic parts. We demonstrate that anaerobic fungi are naturally competent for DNA and leverage this to develop a nascent genetic toolbox informed by recently acquired genomes for transient transformation of anaerobic fungi. We validate multiple selectable markers (HygR and Neo), an anaerobic reporter protein (iRFP702), enolase and TEF1A promoters, TEF1A terminator, and a nuclear localization tag for protein compartmentalization. This work establishes novel methods to reliably transform the anaerobic fungus Neocallimastix frontalis, thereby paving the way for strain development and various synthetic biology applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Casey A Hooker
- Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States.,Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19716, United States
| | - Radwa Hanafy
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19716, United States
| | - Ethan T Hillman
- Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
| | - Javier Muñoz Briones
- Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
| | - Kevin V Solomon
- Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States.,Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19716, United States
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21
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Yu X, Jiang Q, Chen X, Shu H, Xu Y, Sheng H, Yu Y, Wang W, Keller NP, Xu J, Wang P. Unnatural tetradeoxy echinocandins produced by gene cluster design and heterologous expression. Org Biomol Chem 2023; 21:3552-3556. [PMID: 36807630 DOI: 10.1039/d3ob00075c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/18/2023]
Abstract
The hydroxyl groups in the amino acid residues of echinocandin B were related to the biological activity, the instability, and the drug resistance. The modification of hydroxyl groups was expected to obtain the new lead compounds for next generation of echinocandin drug development. In this work one method for heterologous production of the tetradeoxy echinocandin was achieved. A reconstructed biosynthetic gene cluster for tetradeoxy echinocandins composed of ecdA/I/K and htyE was designed and successfully hetero-expressed in Aspergillus nidulans. The target product of echinocandin E (1) together with one unexpected derivative echinocandin F (2), were isolated from the fermentation culture of engineered strain. Both of compounds were unreported echinocandin derivatives and the structures were identified on the basis of mass and NMR spectral data analysis. Compared with echinocandin B, echinocandin E demonstrated superior stability and comparable antifungal activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xionghui Yu
- Ocean College, Zhejiang University, Zhoushan 316021, China. .,Hainan Institute of Zhejiang University, Sanya 572025, China
| | - Qian Jiang
- Ocean College, Zhejiang University, Zhoushan 316021, China. .,Hainan Institute of Zhejiang University, Sanya 572025, China
| | - Xiaona Chen
- Ocean College, Zhejiang University, Zhoushan 316021, China. .,Hainan Institute of Zhejiang University, Sanya 572025, China
| | - Hongjun Shu
- Ocean College, Zhejiang University, Zhoushan 316021, China. .,Hainan Institute of Zhejiang University, Sanya 572025, China
| | - Yushan Xu
- Ocean College, Zhejiang University, Zhoushan 316021, China. .,Hainan Institute of Zhejiang University, Sanya 572025, China
| | - Huan Sheng
- Ocean College, Zhejiang University, Zhoushan 316021, China. .,Hainan Institute of Zhejiang University, Sanya 572025, China
| | - Yuchao Yu
- Ocean College, Zhejiang University, Zhoushan 316021, China. .,Hainan Institute of Zhejiang University, Sanya 572025, China
| | - Wenjie Wang
- Ocean College, Zhejiang University, Zhoushan 316021, China. .,Hainan Institute of Zhejiang University, Sanya 572025, China
| | - Nancy P Keller
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA.,Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Jinzhong Xu
- Ocean College, Zhejiang University, Zhoushan 316021, China. .,Hainan Institute of Zhejiang University, Sanya 572025, China
| | - Pinmei Wang
- Ocean College, Zhejiang University, Zhoushan 316021, China. .,Hainan Institute of Zhejiang University, Sanya 572025, China
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22
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Ploessl D, Zhao Y, Shao Z. Engineering of non-model eukaryotes for bioenergy and biochemical production. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2023; 79:102869. [PMID: 36584447 DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2022.102869] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2022] [Revised: 11/14/2022] [Accepted: 11/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
The prospect of leveraging naturally occurring phenotypes to overcome bottlenecks constraining the bioeconomy has marshalled increased exploration of nonconventional organisms. This review discusses the status of non-model eukaryotic species in bioproduction, the evaluation criteria for effectively matching a candidate host to a biosynthetic process, and the genetic engineering tools needed for host domestication. We present breakthroughs in genome editing and heterologous pathway design, delving into innovative spatiotemporal modulation strategies that potentiate more refined engineering capabilities. We cover current understanding of genetic instability and its ramifications for industrial scale-up, highlighting key factors and possible remedies. Finally, we propose future opportunities to expand the current collection of available hosts and provide guidance to benefit the broader bioeconomy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deon Ploessl
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA; NSF Engineering Research Center for Biorenewable Chemicals, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA
| | - Yuxin Zhao
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA; NSF Engineering Research Center for Biorenewable Chemicals, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA; DOE Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Zengyi Shao
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA; NSF Engineering Research Center for Biorenewable Chemicals, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA; DOE Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA; Interdepartmental Microbiology Program, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA; Bioeconomy Institute, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA; The Ames Laboratory, Ames, IA, USA.
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23
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Ding Q, Ye C. Microbial cell factories based on filamentous bacteria, yeasts, and fungi. Microb Cell Fact 2023; 22:20. [PMID: 36717860 PMCID: PMC9885587 DOI: 10.1186/s12934-023-02025-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2022] [Accepted: 01/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Advanced DNA synthesis, biosensor assembly, and genetic circuit development in synthetic biology and metabolic engineering have reinforced the application of filamentous bacteria, yeasts, and fungi as promising chassis cells for chemical production, but their industrial application remains a major challenge that needs to be solved. RESULTS As important chassis strains, filamentous microorganisms can synthesize important enzymes, chemicals, and niche pharmaceutical products through microbial fermentation. With the aid of metabolic engineering and synthetic biology, filamentous bacteria, yeasts, and fungi can be developed into efficient microbial cell factories through genome engineering, pathway engineering, tolerance engineering, and microbial engineering. Mutant screening and metabolic engineering can be used in filamentous bacteria, filamentous yeasts (Candida glabrata, Candida utilis), and filamentous fungi (Aspergillus sp., Rhizopus sp.) to greatly increase their capacity for chemical production. This review highlights the potential of using biotechnology to further develop filamentous bacteria, yeasts, and fungi as alternative chassis strains. CONCLUSIONS In this review, we recapitulate the recent progress in the application of filamentous bacteria, yeasts, and fungi as microbial cell factories. Furthermore, emphasis on metabolic engineering strategies involved in cellular tolerance, metabolic engineering, and screening are discussed. Finally, we offer an outlook on advanced techniques for the engineering of filamentous bacteria, yeasts, and fungi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiang Ding
- grid.252245.60000 0001 0085 4987School of Life Sciences, Anhui University, Hefei, 230601 China ,grid.252245.60000 0001 0085 4987Key Laboratory of Human Microenvironment and Precision Medicine of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, Anhui University, Hefei, 230601 Anhui China ,Anhui Key Laboratory of Modern Biomanufacturing, Hefei, 230601 Anhui China
| | - Chao Ye
- grid.260474.30000 0001 0089 5711School of Food Science and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, 210023 China
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24
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Woodcraft C, Chooi YH, Roux I. The expanding CRISPR toolbox for natural product discovery and engineering in filamentous fungi. Nat Prod Rep 2023; 40:158-173. [PMID: 36205232 DOI: 10.1039/d2np00055e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Covering: up to May 2022Fungal genetics has transformed natural product research by enabling the elucidation of cryptic metabolites and biosynthetic steps. The enhanced capability to add, subtract, modulate, and rewrite genes via CRISPR/Cas technologies has opened up avenues for the manipulation of biosynthetic gene clusters across diverse filamentous fungi. This review discusses the innovative and diverse strategies for fungal natural product discovery and engineering made possible by CRISPR/Cas-based tools. We also provide a guide into multiple angles of CRISPR/Cas experiment design, and discuss current gaps in genetic tool development for filamentous fungi and the promising opportunities for natural product research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clara Woodcraft
- School of Molecular Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia.
| | - Yit-Heng Chooi
- School of Molecular Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia.
| | - Indra Roux
- School of Molecular Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia.
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25
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Baldin C, Kühbacher A, Merschak P, Wagener J, Gsaller F. Modular Inducible Multigene Expression System for Filamentous Fungi. Microbiol Spectr 2022; 10:e0367022. [PMID: 36350143 PMCID: PMC9769661 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.03670-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2022] [Accepted: 10/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Inducible promoters are indispensable elements when considering the possibility to modulate gene expression on demand. Desirable traits of conditional expression systems include their capacity for tight downregulation, high overexpression, and in some instances for fine-tuning, to achieve a desired product's stoichiometry. Although the number of inducible systems is slowly increasing, suitable promoters comprising these features are rare. To date, the concomitant use of multiple regulatable promoter platforms for controlled multigene expression has been poorly explored. This work provides pioneer work in the human pathogenic fungus Aspergillus fumigatus, wherein we investigated different inducible systems, elucidated three candidate promoters, and proved for the first time that up to three systems can be used simultaneously without interfering with each other. Proof of concept was obtained by conditionally expressing three antifungal drug targets within the ergosterol biosynthetic pathway under the control of the xylose-inducible PxylP system, the tetracycline-dependent Tet-On system, and the thiamine-repressible PthiA system. IMPORTANCE In recent years, inducible promoters have gained increasing interest for industrial or laboratory use and have become key instruments for protein expression, synthetic biology, and metabolic engineering. Constitutive, high-expressing promoters can be used to achieve high expression yields; however, the continuous overexpression of specific proteins can lead to an unpredictable metabolic burden. To prevent undesirable effects on the expression host's metabolism, the utilization of tunable systems that allow expression of a gene product on demand is indispensable. Here, we elucidated several excellent tunable promoter systems and verified that each can be independently induced in a single strain to ultimately develop a unique conditional multigene expression system. This highly efficient, modular toolbox has the potential to significantly advance applications in fundamental as well as applied research in which regulatable expression of several genes is a key requirement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clara Baldin
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Biocenter Innsbruck, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Alexander Kühbacher
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Biocenter Innsbruck, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Petra Merschak
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Biocenter Innsbruck, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Johannes Wagener
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, School of Medicine, Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Fabio Gsaller
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Biocenter Innsbruck, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
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26
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Jarczynska Z, Garcia Vanegas K, Deichmann M, Nørskov Jensen C, Scheeper MJ, Futyma ME, Strucko T, Jares Contesini F, Sparholt Jørgensen T, Blæsbjerg Hoof J, Hasbro Mortensen U. A Versatile in Vivo DNA Assembly Toolbox for Fungal Strain Engineering. ACS Synth Biol 2022; 11:3251-3263. [PMID: 36126183 PMCID: PMC9594312 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.2c00159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Efficient homologous recombination in baker's yeast allows accurate fusion of DNA fragments via short identical sequence tags in vivo. Eliminating the need for an Escherichia coli cloning step speeds up genetic engineering of this yeast and sets the stage for large high-throughput projects depending on DNA construction. With the aim of developing similar tools for filamentous fungi, we first set out to determine the genetic- and sequence-length requirements needed for efficient fusion reactions, and demonstrated that in nonhomologous end-joining deficient strains of Aspergillus nidulans, efficient fusions can be achieved by 25 bp sequence overlaps. Based on these results, we developed a novel fungal in vivo DNA assembly toolbox for simple and flexible genetic engineering of filamentous fungi. Specifically, we have used this method for construction of AMA1-based vectors, complex gene-targeting substrates for gene deletion and gene insertion, and for marker-free CRISPR based gene editing. All reactions were done via single-step transformations involving fusions of up to six different DNA fragments. Moreover, we show that it can be applied in four different species of Aspergilli. We therefore envision that in vivo DNA assembly can be advantageously used for many more purposes and will develop into a popular tool for fungal genetic engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zofia
Dorota Jarczynska
- Eukaryotic
Molecular Cell Biology, Section for Synthetic Biology, Department
of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical
University of Denmark, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Katherina Garcia Vanegas
- Eukaryotic
Molecular Cell Biology, Section for Synthetic Biology, Department
of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical
University of Denmark, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Marcus Deichmann
- Eukaryotic
Molecular Cell Biology, Section for Synthetic Biology, Department
of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical
University of Denmark, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Christina Nørskov Jensen
- Eukaryotic
Molecular Cell Biology, Section for Synthetic Biology, Department
of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical
University of Denmark, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Marouschka Jasmijn Scheeper
- Eukaryotic
Molecular Cell Biology, Section for Synthetic Biology, Department
of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical
University of Denmark, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Malgorzata Ewa Futyma
- Eukaryotic
Molecular Cell Biology, Section for Synthetic Biology, Department
of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical
University of Denmark, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Tomas Strucko
- Eukaryotic
Molecular Cell Biology, Section for Synthetic Biology, Department
of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical
University of Denmark, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Fabiano Jares Contesini
- Eukaryotic
Molecular Cell Biology, Section for Synthetic Biology, Department
of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical
University of Denmark, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Tue Sparholt Jørgensen
- The
Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Jakob Blæsbjerg Hoof
- Eukaryotic
Molecular Cell Biology, Section for Synthetic Biology, Department
of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical
University of Denmark, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Uffe Hasbro Mortensen
- Eukaryotic
Molecular Cell Biology, Section for Synthetic Biology, Department
of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical
University of Denmark, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark,
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27
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Cephalosporin C biosynthesis and fermentation in Acremonium chrysogenum. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2022; 106:6413-6426. [DOI: 10.1007/s00253-022-12181-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2022] [Revised: 09/06/2022] [Accepted: 09/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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28
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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: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [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.
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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
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29
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Balagurunathan B, Ling H, Choi WJ, Chang MW. Potential use of microbial engineering in single-cell protein production. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2022; 76:102740. [PMID: 35660478 DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2022.102740] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2022] [Revised: 04/08/2022] [Accepted: 04/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Single-cell proteins (SCPs) have been widely used in human food and animal feed applications, still, there are challenges in their production and commercialization. Recently, advances in microbial synthetic biology, genomic engineering, and biofoundry technologies have offered capabilities to effectively and rapidly engineer microorganisms for improving the productivity, nutritional, and functional quality of SCPs. In this review, we discuss various synthetic biology, genomic engineering, and biofoundry tools that can be harnessed for SCP production and genetic modification. We also describe the current and potential applications of genetic modification in producing intermediate feedstocks, as well as biomass-based and multifunctional SCPs. Finally, we discuss the technological and policy-control related challenges encountered when deploying genetic modification in SCP production for animal feed and human food applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Balaji Balagurunathan
- Singapore Institute of Food and Biotechnology Innovation, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A⁎STAR) 1, Pesek Road, Jurong Island, 627833, Singapore.
| | - Hua Ling
- NUS Synthetic Biology for Clinical and Technological Innovation (SynCTI), National University of Singapore, 28 Medical Drive, Singapore 117456, Singapore; Synthetic Biology Translational Research Programme, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 28 Medical Drive, Singapore 117456, Singapore; Department of Biochemistry, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 8 Medical Drive, Singapore 117597, Singapore; Wilmar-NUS Corporate Laboratory (WIL@NUS), National University of Singapore, 14 Medical Drive, Singapore 117599, Singapore.
| | - Won Jae Choi
- Singapore Institute of Food and Biotechnology Innovation, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A⁎STAR) 1, Pesek Road, Jurong Island, 627833, Singapore; NUS Synthetic Biology for Clinical and Technological Innovation (SynCTI), National University of Singapore, 28 Medical Drive, Singapore 117456, Singapore; Synthetic Biology Translational Research Programme, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 28 Medical Drive, Singapore 117456, Singapore; Department of Biochemistry, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 8 Medical Drive, Singapore 117597, Singapore; Institute of Chemical and Engineering Sciences, Agency for Science, Technology and Research in Singapore (A⁎STAR), 1 Pesek Road, Jurong Island, Singapore 627833, Singapore; Singapore Institute of Technology, 10 Dover Dr, Singapore 138683, Singapore
| | - Matthew Wook Chang
- NUS Synthetic Biology for Clinical and Technological Innovation (SynCTI), National University of Singapore, 28 Medical Drive, Singapore 117456, Singapore; Synthetic Biology Translational Research Programme, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 28 Medical Drive, Singapore 117456, Singapore; Department of Biochemistry, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 8 Medical Drive, Singapore 117597, Singapore; Wilmar-NUS Corporate Laboratory (WIL@NUS), National University of Singapore, 14 Medical Drive, Singapore 117599, Singapore.
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30
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Strong PJ, Self R, Allikian K, Szewczyk E, Speight R, O'Hara I, Harrison MD. Filamentous fungi for future functional food and feed. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2022; 76:102729. [PMID: 35525176 DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2022.102729] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2021] [Revised: 03/16/2022] [Accepted: 03/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
In this review, we offer our opinion of current and expected trends regarding the use of mushrooms and mycelia in food and feed. Mushrooms have provided food for millennia and production methods and species diversity have recently expanded. Beyond mushrooms, cultured fungal mycelia are now harvested as a primary product for food. Mushrooms and mycelia provide dietary protein, lipids and fatty acids, vitamins, fibre, and flavour, and can improve the organoleptic properties of processed foods (including meat analogues). Further, they are often key ingredients in nutritional or therapeutic supplements because of diverse specialised metabolites. Mycelia can also improve feed conversion efficiency, gut health, and wellbeing in livestock. New molecular tools, coupled with quality genetic data, are improving production technologies, enabling the synthesis of specialised metabolites, and creating new processing and valorisation opportunities. Production systems for submerged culture are capital intensive, but investment is required considering the scale of the protein market.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter James Strong
- Centre for Agriculture and the Bioeconomy, Queensland University of Technology, 2 George Street, Brisbane, Queensland 4001, Australia; School of Biology and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science, Queensland University of Technology, 2 George Street, Brisbane, Queensland 4001, Australia; ARC Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland 4000, Australia.
| | - Rachel Self
- Centre for Agriculture and the Bioeconomy, Queensland University of Technology, 2 George Street, Brisbane, Queensland 4001, Australia; School of Biology and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science, Queensland University of Technology, 2 George Street, Brisbane, Queensland 4001, Australia
| | - Kathrine Allikian
- Nourish Ingredients, Unit 2, 6 Pelle Street, Mitchell, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 2911, Australia
| | - Edyta Szewczyk
- Bolt Threads, 5858 Horton St, Suite 400, Emeryville, CA 94608, United States
| | - Robert Speight
- Centre for Agriculture and the Bioeconomy, Queensland University of Technology, 2 George Street, Brisbane, Queensland 4001, Australia; School of Biology and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science, Queensland University of Technology, 2 George Street, Brisbane, Queensland 4001, Australia; ARC Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland 4000, Australia
| | - Ian O'Hara
- Centre for Agriculture and the Bioeconomy, Queensland University of Technology, 2 George Street, Brisbane, Queensland 4001, Australia; ARC Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland 4000, Australia; School of Mechanical, Medical and Process Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Queensland University of Technology, 2 George Street, Brisbane, Queensland 4001, Australia
| | - Mark D Harrison
- Centre for Agriculture and the Bioeconomy, Queensland University of Technology, 2 George Street, Brisbane, Queensland 4001, Australia; School of Biology and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science, Queensland University of Technology, 2 George Street, Brisbane, Queensland 4001, Australia
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31
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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.
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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
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32
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Kang DH, Ko SC, Heo YB, Lee HJ, Woo HM. RoboMoClo: A Robotics-Assisted Modular Cloning Framework for Multiple Gene Assembly in Biofoundry. ACS Synth Biol 2022; 11:1336-1348. [PMID: 35167276 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.1c00628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Efficient and versatile DNA assembly frameworks have had an impact on promoting synthetic biology to build complex biological systems. To accelerate system development, laboratory automation (or biofoundry) provides an opportunity to construct organisms and DNA assemblies via computer-aided design. However, a modular cloning (MoClo) system for multiple DNA assemblies limits the biofoundry workflow in terms of simplicity and feasibility by preparing the number of cloning materials such as destination vectors prior to the automation process. Herein, we propose robot-assisted MoClo (RoboMoClo) to accelerate a synthetic biology project with multiple gene expressions at the biofoundry. The architecture of the RoboMoClo framework provides a hybrid strategy of hierarchical gene assembly and iterative gene assembly, and fewer destination vectors compared with other MoClo systems. An industrial bacterium, Corynebacterium glutamicum, was used as a model host for RoboMoClo. After building a biopart library (promoter and terminator; level 0) and evaluating its features (level 1), various transcriptional directions in multiple gene assemblies (level 2) were studied using the RoboMoClo vectors. Among the constructs, the convergent construct exhibited potential transcriptional interference through the collision of RNA polymerases. To study design of experiment-guided lycopene biosynthesis in C. glutamicum (levels 1, 2, and 3), the biofoundry-assisted multiple gene assembly was demonstrated as a proof-of-concept by constructing various sub-pathway units (level 2) and pathway units (level 3) for C. glutamicum. The RoboMoClo framework provides an improved MoClo toolkit for laboratory automation in a synthetic biology application.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dong Hun Kang
- Department of Food Science and Biotechnology, Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU), 2066 Seobu-ro, Jangan-gu, Suwon 16419, Republic of Korea
- Biofoundry Research Center, Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU), 2066 Seobu-ro, Jangan-gu, Suwon 16419, Republic of Korea
| | - Sung Cheon Ko
- Department of Food Science and Biotechnology, Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU), 2066 Seobu-ro, Jangan-gu, Suwon 16419, Republic of Korea
- Biofoundry Research Center, Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU), 2066 Seobu-ro, Jangan-gu, Suwon 16419, Republic of Korea
| | - Yu Been Heo
- Department of Food Science and Biotechnology, Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU), 2066 Seobu-ro, Jangan-gu, Suwon 16419, Republic of Korea
- Biofoundry Research Center, Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU), 2066 Seobu-ro, Jangan-gu, Suwon 16419, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyun Jeong Lee
- Department of Food Science and Biotechnology, Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU), 2066 Seobu-ro, Jangan-gu, Suwon 16419, Republic of Korea
- Biofoundry Research Center, Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU), 2066 Seobu-ro, Jangan-gu, Suwon 16419, Republic of Korea
| | - Han Min Woo
- Department of Food Science and Biotechnology, Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU), 2066 Seobu-ro, Jangan-gu, Suwon 16419, Republic of Korea
- Biofoundry Research Center, Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU), 2066 Seobu-ro, Jangan-gu, Suwon 16419, Republic of Korea
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33
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Fierro F, Vaca I, Castillo NI, García-Rico RO, Chávez R. Penicillium chrysogenum, a Vintage Model with a Cutting-Edge Profile in Biotechnology. Microorganisms 2022; 10:573. [PMID: 35336148 PMCID: PMC8954384 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms10030573] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2021] [Revised: 02/15/2022] [Accepted: 02/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The discovery of penicillin entailed a decisive breakthrough in medicine. No other medical advance has ever had the same impact in the clinical practise. The fungus Penicillium chrysogenum (reclassified as P. rubens) has been used for industrial production of penicillin ever since the forties of the past century; industrial biotechnology developed hand in hand with it, and currently P. chrysogenum is a thoroughly studied model for secondary metabolite production and regulation. In addition to its role as penicillin producer, recent synthetic biology advances have put P. chrysogenum on the path to become a cell factory for the production of metabolites with biotechnological interest. In this review, we tell the history of P. chrysogenum, from the discovery of penicillin and the first isolation of strains with high production capacity to the most recent research advances with the fungus. We will describe how classical strain improvement programs achieved the goal of increasing production and how the development of different molecular tools allowed further improvements. The discovery of the penicillin gene cluster, the origin of the penicillin genes, the regulation of penicillin production, and a compilation of other P. chrysogenum secondary metabolites will also be covered and updated in this work.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisco Fierro
- Departamento de Biotecnología, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana-Unidad Iztapalapa, Ciudad de México 09340, Mexico
| | - Inmaculada Vaca
- Departamento de Química, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago 7800003, Chile;
| | - Nancy I. Castillo
- Grupo de Investigación en Ciencias Biológicas y Químicas, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Antonio Nariño, Bogotá 110231, Colombia;
| | - Ramón Ovidio García-Rico
- Grupo de Investigación GIMBIO, Departamento De Microbiología, Facultad de Ciencias Básicas, Universidad de Pamplona, Pamplona 543050, Colombia;
| | - Renato Chávez
- Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Química y Biología, Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Santiago 9170020, Chile;
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