Transcriptional response of the cellobiose dehydrogenase gene to cello- and xylooligosaccharides in the basidiomycete Phanerochaete chrysosporium

Oxidoreductases and Reactive Oxygen Species in Conversion of Lignocellulosic Biomass

Biomass constitutes an appealing alternative to fossil resources for the production of materials and energy. The abundance and attractiveness of vegetal biomass come along with challenges pertaining to the intricacy of its structure, evolved during billions of years to face and resist abiotic and biotic attacks. To achieve the daunting goal of plant cell wall decomposition, microorganisms have developed many (enzymatic) strategies, from which we seek inspiration to develop biotechnological processes. A major breakthrough in the field has been the discovery of enzymes today known as lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases (LPMOs), which, by catalyzing the oxidative cleavage of recalcitrant polysaccharides, allow canonical hydrolytic enzymes to depolymerize the biomass more efficiently. Very recently, it has been shown that LPMOs are not classical monooxygenases in that they can also use hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) as an oxidant. This discovery calls for a revision of our understanding of how lignocellulolytic enzymes are connected since H2O2 is produced and used by several of them. The first part of this review is dedicated to the LPMO paradigm, describing knowns, unknowns, and uncertainties. We then present different lignocellulolytic redox systems, enzymatic or not, that depend on fluxes of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Based on an assessment of these putatively interconnected systems, we suggest that fine-tuning of H2O2 levels and proximity between sites of H2O2 production and consumption are important for fungal biomass conversion. In the last part of this review, we discuss how our evolving understanding of redox processes involved in biomass depolymerization may translate into industrial applications.

Determination of the action modes of cellulases from hydrolytic profiles over a time course using fluorescence-assisted carbohydrate electrophoresis

Fluorescence-assisted carbohydrate electrophoresis (FACE) is a sensitive and simple method for the separation of oligosaccharides. It relies on labeling the reducing ends of oligosaccharides with a fluorophore, followed by PAGE. Concentration changes of oligosaccharides following hydrolysis of a carbohydrate polymer could be quantitatively measured continuously over time using the FACE method. Based on the quantitative analysis, we suggested that FACE was a relatively high-throughput, repeatable, and suitable method for the analysis of the action modes of cellulases. On account of the time courses of their hydrolytic profiles, the apparent processivity was used to show the different action modes of cellulases. Cellulases could be easily differentiated as exoglucanases, β-glucosidases, or endoglucanases. Moreover, endoglucanases from the same glycoside hydrolases family had a variety of apparent processivity, indicating the different modes of action. Endoglucanases with the same binding capacities and hydrolytic activities had similar oligosaccharide profiles, which aided in their classification. The hydrolytic profile of Trichoderma reesei Cel12A, an endoglucanases from T. reesei, contained glucose, cellobiose, and cellotriose, which revealed that it may have a new glucosidase activity, corresponding to that of EC 3.2.1.74. A hydrolysate study of a T. reesei Cel12A-N20A mutant demonstrated that the FACE method was sufficiently sensitive to detect the influence of a single-site mutation on enzymatic activity.

Transcriptional analysis of selected cellulose-acting enzymes encoding genes of the white-rot fungus Dichomitus squalens on spruce wood and microcrystalline cellulose

The recent discovery of oxidative cellulose degradation enhancing enzymes has considerably changed the traditional concept of hydrolytic cellulose degradation. The relative expression levels of ten cellulose-acting enzyme encoding genes of the white-rot fungus Dichomitus squalens were studied on solid-state spruce wood and in microcrystalline Avicel cellulose cultures. From the cellobiohydrolase encoding genes, cel7c was detected at the highest level and showed constitutive expression whereas variable transcript levels were detected for cel7a, cel7b and cel6 in the course of four-week spruce cultivation. The cellulolytic enzyme activities detected in the liquid cultures were consistent with the transcript levels. Interestingly, the selected lytic polysaccharide monooxygenase (LPMO) encoding genes were expressed in both cultures, but showed different transcription patterns on wood compared to those in submerged microcrystalline cellulose cultures. On spruce wood, higher transcript levels were detected for the lpmos carrying cellulose binding module (CBM) than for the lpmos without CBMs. In both cultures, the expression levels of the lpmo genes were generally higher than the levels of cellobiose dehydrogenase (CDH) encoding genes. Based on the results of this work, the oxidative cellulose cleaving enzymes of D. squalens have essential role in cellulose degrading machinery of the fungus.

Dynamic changes in xylanases and β-1,4-endoglucanases secreted by Aspergillus niger An-76 in response to hydrolysates of lignocellulose polysaccharide

Aspergillus niger is an effective secretor of glycoside hydrolases that facilitate the saprophytic lifestyle of the fungus by degrading plant cell wall polysaccharides. In the present study, a series of dynamic zymography assays were applied to quantify the secreted glycoside hydrolases of A. niger cultured in media containing different carbon sources. Differences in the diversity and concentrations of polysaccharide hydrolysates dynamically regulated the secretion of glycoside hydrolases. The secretion of β-1,4-endoglucanase isozymes was observed to lag at least 24 h behind, rather than coincide with, the secretion of xylanase isozymes. Low concentrations of xylose could induce many endoxylanases (such as Xyn1/XynA, Xyn2, and Xyn3/XynB). High concentrations of xylose could sustain the induction of Xyn2 and Xyn3/XynB but repress Xyn1/XynA (GH10 endoxylanase), which has a broad substrate specificity, and also triggers the low-level secretion of Egl3/EglA, which also has a broad substrate specificity. Mixed polysaccharide hydrolysates sustained the induction of Egl1, whereas the other β-1,4-endoglucanases were sustainably induced by the specific polysaccharide hydrolysates released during the hydrolysis process (such as Egl2 and Egl4). These results indicate that the secretion of glycoside hydrolases may be specifically regulated by the production of polysaccharide hydrolysates released during the process of biomass degradation.