Effects of hap2 deletion on mnp/vp transcription in Pleurotus ostreatus grown on lignocellulosic substrates

The regulatory mechanisms governing expression of genes encoding lignin-modifying enzymes (LME) in white-rot fungi remain largely unexplored. Although molecular cloning has identified CCAAT-boxes frequently located 5'-upstream of these genes, their role in transcriptional regulation is not well understood. This study examines the function of hap2, a gene encoding a hypothetical protein homologous to a component of the CCAAT-binding Hap complex, in the white-rot fungus Pleurotus ostreatus. Deletion of hap2 resulted in significantly reduced Mn2+-dependent peroxidase activity and lignin-degrading capacity compared to the parental strain 20b grown on beech wood sawdust (BWS) medium. Real-time PCR revealed that vp2 transcript levels were significantly lower in hap2 deletants than in 20b grown when cultured on the three solid media consisting of BWS, holocellulose, or Avicel, but not on yeast-malt-glucose (YMG) agar plates. Additionally, glutathione S-transferase (GST) pulldown and electrophoretic mobility shift assays demonstrated that recombinant P. ostreatus Hap2, Hap3, and Hap5 expressed in Escherichia coli form a complex capable of binding to the CCAAT sequence 5'-upstream of vp2 in vitro. These results suggest that Hap2, as part of the CCAAT-binding complex, is essential for transcriptional upregulation of vp2 in P. ostreatus growing on lignocellulosic substrates. KEY POINTS: • P. ostreatus hap2 deletants were generated. • Lignin-degrading capacity was significantly reduced in the hap2 deletants. • vp2 was significantly downregulated upon hap2 deletion.

Structural and Functional Analysis of Peptides Derived from KEX2-Processed Repeat Proteins in Agaricomycetes Using Reverse Genetics and Peptidomics

Bioactivities of fungal peptides are of interest for basic research and therapeutic drug development. Some of these peptides are derived from "KEX2-processed repeat proteins" (KEPs), a recently defined class of precursor proteins that contain multiple peptide cores flanked by KEX2 protease cleavage sites. Genome mining has revealed that KEPs are widespread in the fungal kingdom. Their functions are largely unknown. Here, we present the first in-depth structural and functional analysis of KEPs in a basidiomycete. We bioinformatically identified KEP-encoding genes in the genome of the model agaricomycete Coprinopsis cinerea and established a detection protocol for the derived peptides by overexpressing the C. cinerea KEPs in the yeast Pichia pastoris. Using this protocol, which includes peptide extraction and mass spectrometry with data analysis using the search engine Mascot, we confirmed the presence of several KEP-derived peptides in C. cinerea, as well as in the edible mushrooms Lentinula edodes, Pleurotus ostreatus, and Pleurotus eryngii. While CRISPR-mediated knockout of C. cinerea kep genes did not result in any detectable phenotype, knockout of kex genes caused defects in mycelial growth and fruiting body formation. These results suggest that KEP-derived peptides may play a role in the interaction of C. cinerea with the biotic environment and that the KEP-processing KEX proteases target a variety of substrates in agaricomycetes, including some important for mycelial growth and differentiation. IMPORTANCE Two recent bioinformatics studies have demonstrated that KEX2-processed repeat proteins are widespread in the fungal kingdom. However, despite the prevalence of KEPs in fungal genomes, only few KEP-derived peptides have been detected and studied so far. Here, we present a protocol for the extraction and structural characterization of KEP-derived peptides from fungal culture supernatants and tissues. The protocol was successfully used to detect several linear and minimally modified KEP-derived peptides in the agaricomycetes C. cinerea, L. edodes, P. ostreatus, and P. eryngii. Our study establishes a new protocol for the targeted search of KEP-derived peptides in fungi, which will hopefully lead to the discovery of more of these interesting fungal peptides and allow a further characterization of KEPs.

Coprinopsis cinerea dioxygenase is an oxygenase forming 10(S)-hydroperoxide of linoleic acid, essential for mushroom alcohol, 1-octen-3-ol synthesis

1-Octen-3-ol is a volatile oxylipin found ubiquitously in Basidiomycota and Ascomycota. The biosynthetic pathway forming 1-octen-3-ol from linoleic acid via the linoleic acid 10(S)-hydroperoxide was characterized 40 years ago in mushrooms, yet the enzymes involved are not identified. The dioxygenase 1 and 2 genes (Ccdox1 and Ccdox2) in the mushroom Coprinopsis cinerea contain an N-terminal cyclooxygenase-like heme peroxidase domain and a C-terminal cytochrome P450-related domain. Herein, we show that recombinant CcDOX1 is responsible for dioxygenation of linoleic acid to form the 10(S)-hydroperoxide, the first step in 1-octen-3-ol synthesis, whereas CcDOX2 conceivably forms linoleate 8-hydroperoxide. We demonstrate that knockout of the Ccdox1 gene suppressed 1-octen-3-ol synthesis, although added linoleic acid 10(S)-hydroperoxide was still efficiently converted. The P450-related domain of CcDOX1 lacks the characteristic Cys heme ligand and the evidence indicates that a second uncharacterized enzyme converts the 10(S)-hydroperoxide to 1-octen-3-ol. Additionally, we determined the gene knockout strain (ΔCcdox1) was less attractive to fruit fly larvae, while the feeding behavior of fungus gnats on ΔCcdox1 mycelia showed little difference from that on the mycelia of the wild-type strain. The proliferation of fungivorous nematodes on ΔCcdox1 mycelia was similar to or slightly worse than that on wild-type mycelia. Thus, 1-octen-3-ol seems to be an attractive compound involved in emitter-receiver ecological communication in mushrooms.

Overexpressing Pleurotus ostreatus rho1b results in transcriptional upregulation of the putative cellulolytic enzyme-encoding genes observed in ccl1 disruptants

The transcriptional expression pattern of lignocellulolytic enzyme-encoding genes in white-rot fungi differs depending on the culture conditions. Recently, it was shown that 13 putative cellulolytic enzyme-encoding genes were significantly upregulated in most Pleurotus ostreatus ligninolysis-deficient mutant strains on beech wood sawdust medium. However, the mechanisms by which this transcriptional shift is triggered remain unknown. In this study, we identified one mechanism. Our previous study implied that histone H3 N-dimethylation at lysine 4 level possibly affects the shift; therefore, we analysed the expression pattern in the disruptants of P. ostreatus ccl1, which encodes a putative component of the COMPASS complex mediating the methylation. The results showed upregulation of 5 of the 13 cellulolytic enzyme-encoding genes. We also found that rho1b, encoding a putative GTPase regulating signal transduction pathways, was upregulated in the ccl1 disruptants and ligninolysis-deficient strains. Upregulation of at least three of the five cellulolytic enzyme-encoding genes was observed in rho1b-overexpressing strains but not in ccl1/rho1b double-gene disruptants, during the 20-day culture period. These results suggest that Rho1b may be involved in the upregulation of cellulolytic enzyme-encoding genes observed in the ccl1 disruptants. Furthermore, we suggest that Mpk1b, a putative Agaricomycetes-specific mitogen-activated protein kinase, functions downstream of Rho1b.

Functional analyses of Pleurotus ostreatus pcc1 and clp1 using CRISPR/Cas9

Understanding the molecular mechanisms controlling dikaryon formation in Agaricomycetes, which is basically controlled by A and B mating-type loci, contributes to improving mushroom cultivation and breeding. In Coprinopsis cinerea, various mutations in the SRY-type high mobility group protein-encoding gene, pcc1, were shown to activate the A-regulated pathway to induce pseudoclamp (clamp cells without clamp connection) and fruiting body formation in monokaryons. The formation of clamp cells was blocked in AmutBmut strain 326 with clp1-1 mutation in C. cinerea. However, considering the diverse mechanisms of sexual development among Agaricomycetes, it remains unclear whether similar phenotypes are also observed in clp1 or pcc1 mutants in cultivated mushrooms. Therefore, phenotypic analyses of Pleurotus ostreatus pcc1 or clp1 (Popcc1 or Poclp1) mutants generated using CRISPR/Cas9 were performed in this study. Plasmids with Cas9 expression cassette and different single guide RNAs targeting Popcc1 or Poclp1 were individually introduced into a monokaryotic P. ostreatus strain PC9 to obtain the mutants. Unlike in C. cinerea, the pseudoclamp cell was not observed in monokaryotic Popcc1 mutants, but it was observed after crossing two compatible strains with Popcc1 mutations. In Poclp1 mutants, dikaryosis was impaired as clamp cells were not observed after crossing, suggesting that Poclp1 functions may be essential for clamp cell formation, like in C. cinerea. These results provided a clue with respect to conserved and diverse mechanisms underlying sexual development in Agaricomycetes (at least between C. cinerea and P. ostreatus).

Targeted disruption of hir1 alters the transcriptional expression pattern of putative lignocellulolytic genes in the white-rot fungus Pleurotus ostreatus

Pleurotus ostreatus is frequently used in molecular genetics and genomic studies on white-rot fungi because various molecular genetic tools and relatively well-annotated genome databases are available. To explore the molecular mechanisms underlying wood lignin degradation by P. ostreatus, we performed mutational analysis of a newly isolated mutant UVRM28 that exhibits decreased lignin-degrading ability on the beech wood sawdust medium. We identified that a mutation in the hir1 gene encoding a putative histone chaperone, which probably plays an important role in DNA replication-independent nucleosome assembly, is responsible for the mutant phenotype. The expression pattern of ligninolytic genes was altered in hir1 disruptants. The most highly expressed gene vp2 was significantly inactivated, whereas the expression of vp1 was remarkably upregulated (300-400 fold) at the transcription level. Conversely, many cellulolytic and xylanolytic genes were upregulated in hir1 disruptants. Chromatin immunoprecipitation analysis suggested that the histone modification status was altered in the 5'-upstream regions of some of the up- and down-regulated lignocellulolytic genes in hir1 disruptants compared with that in the 20b strain. Hence, our data provide new insights into the regulatory mechanisms of lignocellulolytic genes in P. ostreatus.

Genomics-directed activation of cryptic natural product pathways deciphers codes for biosynthesis and molecular function

Natural products, which can be isolated from living organisms worldwide, have played a pivotal role in drug discovery since ancient times. However, it has become more challenging to identify a structurally novel molecule with promising biological activity for pharmaceutical development, mainly due to the limited methodologies for their acquisition. In this review, we summarize our recent studies that activate the biosynthetic potential of filamentous fungi by genetic engineering to harness the metabolic flow for the efficient production of unprecedented natural products. The recent revolution in genome sequencing technology enables the accumulation of vast amounts of information on biosynthetic genes, the blueprint of the molecular construction. Utilizing the established heterologous expression system, activation of the pathway-specific transcription factor coupled with a knockout strategy, and manipulating the global regulatory gene, the biosynthetic genes were exploited to activate biosynthetic pathways and decipher the encoded enzyme functions. We show that this methodology was beneficial for acquiring fungal treasures for drug discovery. These studies also enabled the investigation of the molecular function of natural products in fungal development.

A promoter assay system using gene targeting in agaricomycetes Pleurotus ostreatus and Coprinopsis cinerea

A novel promoter assay was developed for Agaricomycetes, using a gene-targeting approach, with or without the CRISPR/Cas9 technique. It enables precise evaluation of promoter activity at the original site of the chromosome without random and multiple integrations in conventional transformation experiments.

Feasibility study of on-site solid-state enzyme production by Aspergillus oryzae

BACKGROUND

The development of biorefinery systems that use lignocellulosic biomass as a renewable carbon source to produce fuels and chemicals is attracting increasing attention. The process cost of enzymatic saccharification of biomass is a major challenge for commercialization. To decrease this cost, researchers have proposed on-site solid-state fermentation (SSF). This study investigated the feasibility of using Aspergillus oryzae as a host microorganism for SSF recombinant enzyme production with ammonia-treated rice straw as model biomass. Eight A. oryzae strains were tested, all of which are used in the food industry. We evaluated the effects of acetic acid, a fermentation inhibitor. We also developed a platform strain for targeted recombinant enzyme production by gene engineering technologies.

RESULTS

The SSF validation test showed variation in the visibility of mycelium growth and secreted protein in all eight A. oryzae strains. The strains used to produce shoyu and miso grew better under test conditions. The ammonia-treated rice straw contained noticeable amounts of acetic acid. This acetic acid enhanced the protein production by A. oryzae in a liquid-state fermentation test. The newly developed platform strain successfully secreted three foreign saccharifying enzymes.

CONCLUSIONS

A. oryzae is a promising candidate as a host microorganism for on-site SSF recombinant enzyme production, which bodes well for the future development of a more cost-efficient saccharifying enzyme production system.

Genome sequencing of evolved aspergilli populations reveals robust genomes, transversions in A. flavus, and sexual aberrancy in non-homologous end-joining mutants

Background

Aspergillus spp. comprises a very diverse group of lower eukaryotes with a high relevance for industrial applications and clinical implications. These multinucleate species are often cultured for many generations in the laboratory, which can unknowingly propagate hidden genetic mutations. To assess the likelihood of such events, we studied the genome stability of aspergilli by using a combination of mutation accumulation (MA) lines and whole genome sequencing.

Results

We sequenced the whole genomes of 30 asexual and 10 sexual MA lines of three Aspergillus species (A. flavus, A. fumigatus and A. nidulans) and estimated that each MA line accumulated mutations for over 4000 mitoses during asexual cycles. We estimated mutation rates of 4.2 × 10⁻¹¹ (A. flavus), 1.1 × 10⁻¹¹ (A. fumigatus) and 4.1 × 10⁻¹¹ (A. nidulans) per site per mitosis, suggesting that the genomes are very robust. Unexpectedly, we found a very high rate of GC → TA transversions only in A. flavus. In parallel, 30 asexual lines of the non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ) mutants of the three species were also allowed to accumulate mutations for the same number of mitoses. Sequencing of these NHEJ MA lines gave an estimated mutation rate of 5.1 × 10⁻¹¹ (A. flavus), 2.2 × 10⁻¹¹ (A. fumigatus) and 4.5 × 10⁻¹¹ (A. nidulans) per base per mitosis, which is slightly higher than in the wild-type strains and some ~ 5–6 times lower than in the yeasts. Additionally, in A. nidulans, we found a NHEJ-dependent interference of the sexual cycle that is independent of the accumulation of mutations.

Conclusions

We present for the first time direct counts of the mutation rate of filamentous fungal species and find that Aspergillus genomes are very robust. Deletion of the NHEJ machinery results in a slight increase in the mutation rate, but at a rate we suggest is still safe to use for biotechnology purposes. Unexpectedly, we found GC→TA transversions predominated only in the species A. flavus, which could be generated by the hepatocarcinogen secondary metabolite aflatoxin. Lastly, a strong effect of the NHEJ mutation in self-crossing was observed and an increase in the mutations of the asexual lines was quantified.

Genomic Mushroom Hunting Decrypts Coprinoferrin, A Siderophore Secondary Metabolite Vital to Fungal Cell Development

LaeA is a positive global regulator of secondary metabolism in Ascomycetes, but its role in Basidiomycetes, including medicinal mushrooms, remains uncharacterized. Here, knockout of laeA in the model mushroom Coprinopsis cinerea unexpectedly upregulated the biosynthesis of a novel siderophore, coprinoferrin. Furthermore, knockout of the nonribosomal peptide synthetase-encoding cpf1 responsible for coprinoferrin biosynthesis resulted in growth defect and loss of fruiting body formation, indicating the complex role that this natural product plays in fungal cell development.

Biosynthesis of lagopodins in mushroom involves a complex network of oxidation reactions

Targeted gene knockout in Coprinopsis cinerea, yeast in vivo bioconversion and in vitro assays elucidated the lagopodin biosynthetic pathway, including a complexity-generating network of oxidation steps.

Dominant effects of gat1 mutations on the ligninolytic activity of the white-rot fungus Pleurotus ostreatus

In nature, white-rot fungi efficiently degrade lignin present in wood biomass. Elucidation of molecular mechanisms underlying wood lignin biodegradation by white-rot fungi would contribute to the development of efficient and ecofriendly methods of producing valuable chemical products from wood biomass. Here, using forward genetics approach, we demonstrate that the mutant of a putative transcription factor gene, gat1-1, significantly decreases the ligninolytic activity of the white-rot fungus Pleurotus ostreatus, when grown on beech wood sawdust medium. We also show that this phenotype is dominant. In Schizophyllum commune, Gat1 was previously shown to be involved in fruiting body development. In this study, we reveal that the mutations in gat1 gene cause defects in fruiting body development in P. ostreatus. Unlike the previously reported recessive gene mutations that decrease the ligninolytic activity of P. ostreatus, the gat1-1 mutation and Δgat1 are dominant and would thus be useful for future studies on the functional role of the orthologs in other white-rot fungi.

Effects of pex1 disruption on wood lignin biodegradation, fruiting development and the utilization of carbon sources in the white-rot Agaricomycete Pleurotus ostreatus and non-wood decaying Coprinopsis cinerea

Peroxisomes are well-known organelles that are present in most eukaryotic organisms. Mutant phenotypes caused by the malfunction of peroxisomes have been shown in many fungi. However, these have never been investigated in Agaricomycetes, which include white-rot fungi that degrade wood lignin in nature almost exclusively and play an important role in the global carbon cycle. Based on the results of a forward genetics study to identify mutations causing defects in the ligninolytic activity of the white-rot Agaricomycete Pleurotus ostreatus, we report phenotypes of pex1 disruptants in P. ostreatus, which are defective in two major features of white-rot Agaricomycetes: lignin biodegradation and mushroom formation. Pex1 disruption was also shown to cause defects in the hyphal growth of P. ostreatus on certain sawdust and minimum media. We also demonstrated that pex1 is essential for fruiting initiation in the non-wood decaying Agaricomycete Coprinopsis cinerea. However, unlike P. ostreatus, significant defects in hyphal growth on the aforementioned agar medium were not observed in C. cinerea. This result, together with previous C. cinerea genetic studies, suggests that the regulation mechanisms for the utilization of carbon sources are altered during the evolution of Agaricomycetes or Agaricales.

Coprinopsis cinerea intracellular lactonases hydrolyze quorum sensing molecules of Gram-negative bacteria

Biofilm formation on fungal hyphae and production of antifungal molecules are strategies of bacteria in their competition with fungi for nutrients. Since these strategies are often coordinated and under control of quorum sensing by the bacteria, interference with this bacterial communication system can be used as a counter-strategy by the fungi in this competition. Hydrolysis of N-acyl-homoserine lactones (HSL), a quorum sensing molecule used by Gram-negative bacteria, by fungal cultures has been demonstrated. However, the enzymes that are responsible for this activity, have not been identified. In this study, we identified and characterized two paralogous HSL hydrolyzing enzymes from the coprophilous fungus Coprinopsis cinerea. The C. cinerea HSL lactonases belong to the metallo-β-lactamase family and show sequence homology to and a similar biochemical activity as the well characterized lactonase AiiA from Bacillus thuringiensis. We show that the fungal lactonases, similar to the bacterial enzymes, are kept intracellularly and act as a sink for the bacterial quorum sensing signals both in C. cinerea and in Saccharomyces cerevisiae expressing C. cinerea lactonases, due to the ability of these signal molecules to diffuse over the fungal cell wall and plasma membrane. The two isogenes coding for the C. cinerea HSL lactonases are arranged in the genome as a tandem repeat and expressed preferentially in vegetative mycelium. The occurrence of orthologous genes in genomes of other basidiomycetes appears to correlate with a saprotrophic lifestyle.

Marker recycling via 5-fluoroorotic acid and 5-fluorocytosine counter-selection in the white-rot agaricomycete Pleurotus ostreatus

Of all of the natural polymers, lignin, an aromatic heteropolymer in plant secondary cell walls, is the most resistant to biological degradation. White-rot fungi are the only known organisms that can depolymerize or modify wood lignin. Investigating the mechanisms underlying lignin biodegradation by white-rot fungi would contribute to the ecofriendly utilization of woody biomass as renewable resources in the future. Efficient gene disruption, which is generally very challenging in the white-rot fungi, was established in Pleurotus ostreatus (the oyster mushroom). Some of the genes encoding manganese peroxidases, enzymes that are considered to be involved in lignin biodegradation, were disrupted separately, and the phenotype of each single-gene disruptant was analysed. However, it remains difficult to generate multi-gene disruptants in this fungus. Here we developed a new genetic transformation marker in P. ostreatus and demonstrated two marker recycling methods that use counter-selection to generate a multigene disruptant. This study will enable future genetic studies of white-rot fungi, and it will increase our understanding of the complicated mechanisms, which involve various enzymes, including lignin-degrading enzymes, underlying lignin biodegradation by these fungi.