1
|
Zhu Z, Zou G, Chai S, Xiao M, Wang Y, Wang P, Zhou Z. The protein methyltransferase TrSAM inhibits cellulase gene expression by interacting with the negative regulator ACE1 in Trichoderma reesei. Commun Biol 2024; 7:375. [PMID: 38548869 PMCID: PMC10978942 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-024-06072-1] [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: 09/14/2023] [Accepted: 03/19/2024] [Indexed: 04/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Protein methylation is a commonly posttranslational modification of transcriptional regulators to fine-tune protein function, however, whether this regulation strategy participates in the regulation of lignocellulase synthesis and secretion in Trichoderma reesei remains unexplored. Here, a putative protein methyltransferase (TrSAM) is screened from a T. reesei mutant with the ability to express heterologous β-glucosidase efficiently even under glucose repression. The deletion of its encoding gene trsam causes a significant increase of cellulase activities in all tested T. reesei strains, including transformants of expressing heterologous genes using cbh1 promotor. Further investigation confirms that TrSAM interacts with the cellulase negative regulator ACE1 via its amino acid residue Arg383, which causes a decrease in the ACE1-DNA binding affinity. The enzyme activity of a T. reesei strain harboring ACE1R383Q increases by 85.8%, whereas that of the strains with trsam or ace1 deletion increases by more than 100%. By contrast, the strain with ACE1R383K shows no difference to the parent strain. Taken together, our results demonstrate that TrSAM plays an important role in regulating the expression of cellulase and heterologous proteins initiated by cbh1 promotor through interacting with ACE1R383. Elimination and mutation of TrSAM and its downstream ACE1 alleviate the carbon catabolite repression (CCR) in expressing cellulase and heterologous protein in varying degrees. This provides a new solution for the exquisite modification of T. reesei chassis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zhihua Zhu
- CAS-Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 300 FengLin Rd, Shanghai, 200032, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Gen Zou
- CAS-Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 300 FengLin Rd, Shanghai, 200032, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Agricultural Genetics and Breeding, Institute of Edible Fungi, Shanghai Academy of Agricultural Science, 1000 Jinqi Rd, Shanghai, 201403, China
| | - Shunxing Chai
- CAS-Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 300 FengLin Rd, Shanghai, 200032, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Meili Xiao
- CAS-Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 300 FengLin Rd, Shanghai, 200032, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Yinmei Wang
- CAS-Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 300 FengLin Rd, Shanghai, 200032, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Pingping Wang
- CAS-Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 300 FengLin Rd, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Zhihua Zhou
- CAS-Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 300 FengLin Rd, Shanghai, 200032, China.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Chen M, Liu Y, Liu Z, Su L, Yan L, Huang Y, Huang Y, Zhang W, Xu X, Zheng F. Histone acetyltransferase Gcn5-mediated histone H3 acetylation facilitates cryptococcal morphogenesis and sexual reproduction. mSphere 2023; 8:e0029923. [PMID: 37850793 PMCID: PMC10732044 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.00299-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2023] [Accepted: 09/08/2023] [Indexed: 10/19/2023] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Eukaryotic gene transcription is typically regulated by a series of histone modifications, which play a crucial role in adapting to complex environmental stresses. In the ubiquitous human fungal pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans, sexual life cycle is a continuous intracellular differentiation process that strictly occurs in response to mating stimulation. Despite the comprehensive identification of the regulatory factors and genetic pathways involved in its sexual cycle, understanding of the epigenetic modifications involved in this process remains quite limited. In this research, we found that histone acetyltransferase Gcn5-mediated histone H3 acetylation plays a crucial role in completing the cryptococcal sexual cycle, including yeast-hyphae morphogenesis and the subsequent sexual reproduction. Furthermore, we demonstrated that Gcn5 participates in this process primarily through regulating the key morphogenesis regulator Znf2 and its targets. This study thus provided a comprehensive understanding of how histone acetylation modification impacts sexual life cycle in a high-risk human pathogenic fungus.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Man Chen
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Jiangxi Institute of Respiratory Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
| | - Yuanli Liu
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Gannan Medical College, Ganzhou, Jiangxi, China
| | - Zhuozhuo Liu
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Jiangxi Institute of Respiratory Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
| | - Lin Su
- Department of Geriatric Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
| | - Lili Yan
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Jiangxi Institute of Respiratory Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
- Jiangxi Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Diseases, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
- Jiangxi Hospital of China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
| | - Yuan Huang
- Department of Geriatric Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
| | - Ye Huang
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Jiangxi Institute of Respiratory Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
- Jiangxi Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Diseases, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
- Jiangxi Hospital of China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
| | - Wei Zhang
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Jiangxi Institute of Respiratory Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
- Jiangxi Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Diseases, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
| | - Xinping Xu
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Jiangxi Institute of Respiratory Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
- Jiangxi Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Diseases, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
- Jiangxi Hospital of China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
| | - Fanglin Zheng
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Jiangxi Institute of Respiratory Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
- Jiangxi Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Diseases, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
- Jiangxi Hospital of China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Zhao Q, Yang Z, Xiao Z, Zhang Z, Xing J, Liang H, Gao L, Zhao J, Qu Y, Liu G. Structure-guided engineering of transcriptional activator XYR1 for inducer-free production of lignocellulolytic enzymes in Trichoderma reesei. Synth Syst Biotechnol 2023; 8:732-740. [PMID: 38187093 PMCID: PMC10770280 DOI: 10.1016/j.synbio.2023.11.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2023] [Revised: 10/29/2023] [Accepted: 11/15/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2024] Open
Abstract
The filamentous fungus Trichoderma reesei is widely used for the production of lignocellulolytic enzymes in industry. XYR1 is the major transcriptional activator of cellulases and hemicellulases in T. reesei. However, rational engineering of XYR1 for improved lignocellulolytic enzymes production has been limited by the lack of structure information. Here, alanine 873 was identified as a new potential target for the engineering of XYR1 based on its structure predicted by AlphaFold2. The mutation of this residue to tyrosine enabled significantly enhanced production of xylanolytic enzymes in the medium with cellulose as the carbon source. Moreover, xylanase and cellulase production increased by 56.7- and 3.3-fold, respectively, when glucose was used as the sole carbon source. Under both conditions, the improvements of lignocellulolytic enzyme production were higher than those in the previously reported V821F mutant. With the enriched hemicellulases and cellulases, the crude enzymes secreted by the A873Y mutant strain produced 51 % more glucose and 52 % more xylose from pretreated corn stover than those of the parent strain. The results provide a novel strategy for engineering the lignocellulolytic enzyme-producing capacity of T. reesei, and would be helpful for understanding the molecular mechanisms of XYR1 regulation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Qinqin Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, 266237, China
| | - Zezheng Yang
- Taishan College, Shandong University, Qingdao, 266237, China
| | - Ziyang Xiao
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, 266237, China
| | - Zheng Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, 266237, China
| | - Jing Xing
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, 266237, China
| | - Huiqi Liang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, 266237, China
| | - Liwei Gao
- Tobacco Research Institute of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Qingdao, 266101, China
| | - Jian Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, 266237, China
| | - Yinbo Qu
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, 266237, China
| | - Guodong Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, 266237, China
- Taishan College, Shandong University, Qingdao, 266237, China
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Zhao S, Zhang T, Hasunuma T, Kondo A, Zhao XQ, Feng JX. Every road leads to Rome: diverse biosynthetic regulation of plant cell wall-degrading enzymes in filamentous fungi Penicillium oxalicum and Trichoderma reesei. Crit Rev Biotechnol 2023:1-21. [PMID: 38035670 DOI: 10.1080/07388551.2023.2280810] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2022] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023]
Abstract
Cellulases and xylanases are plant cell wall-degrading enzymes (CWDEs) that are critical to sustainable bioproduction based on renewable lignocellulosic biomass to reduce carbon dioxide emission. Currently, these enzymes are mainly produced from filamentous fungi, especially Trichoderma reesei and Penicillium oxalicum. However, an in-depth comparison of these two producers has not been performed. Although both P. oxalicum and T. reesei harbor CWDE systems, they exhibit distinct features regulating the production of these enzymes, mainly through different transcriptional regulatory networks. This review presents the strikingly different modes of genome-wide regulation of cellulase and xylanase biosynthesis in P. oxalicum and T. reesei, including sugar transporters, signal transduction cascades, transcription factors, chromatin remodeling, and three-dimensional organization of chromosomes. In addition, different molecular breeding approaches employed, based on the understanding of the regulatory networks, are summarized. This review highlights the existence of very different regulatory modes leading to the efficient regulation of CWDE production in filamentous fungi, akin to the adage that "every road leads to Rome." An understanding of this divergence may help further improvements in fungal enzyme production through the metabolic engineering and synthetic biology of certain fungal species.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shuai Zhao
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-bioresources, Guangxi Research Center for Microbial and Enzyme Engineering Technology, College of Life Science and Technology, Guangxi University, Nanning, China
| | - Ting Zhang
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-bioresources, Guangxi Research Center for Microbial and Enzyme Engineering Technology, College of Life Science and Technology, Guangxi University, Nanning, China
| | - Tomohisa Hasunuma
- Graduate School of Science, Technology and Innovation, Engineering Biology Research Center, Kobe University, Kobe, Japan
| | - Akihiko Kondo
- Graduate School of Science, Technology and Innovation, Engineering Biology Research Center, Kobe University, Kobe, Japan
| | - Xin-Qing Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jia-Xun Feng
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-bioresources, Guangxi Research Center for Microbial and Enzyme Engineering Technology, College of Life Science and Technology, Guangxi University, Nanning, China
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Ning YN, Tian D, Tan ML, Luo XM, Zhao S, Feng JX. Regulation of fungal raw-starch-degrading enzyme production depends on transcription factor phosphorylation and recruitment of the Mediator complex. Commun Biol 2023; 6:1032. [PMID: 37828083 PMCID: PMC10570388 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-05404-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2022] [Accepted: 10/02/2023] [Indexed: 10/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Filamentous fungus can produce raw-starch-degrading enzyme (RSDE) that efficiently degrades raw starch below starch gelatinization temperature. Employment of RSDE in starch processing can save energy. A key putative transcription factor PoxRsrA (production of raw-starch-degrading enzyme regulation in Penicillium oxalicum) was identified to regulate RSDE production in P. oxalicum; however, its regulatory mechanism remains unclear. Here we show that PoxRsrA1434-1730 was the transcriptional activation domain, with essential residues, D1508, W1509 and M1510. SANT (SWI3, ADA2, N-CoR and TFIIIB)-like domain 1 (SANT1) bound to DNA at the sequence 5'-RHCDDGGD-3' in the promoter regions of genes encoding major amylases, with an essential residue, R866. SANT2 interacted with a putative 3-hydroxyisobutyryl-CoA hydrolase, which suppressed phosphorylation at tyrosines Y1127 and Y1170 of PoxRsrA901-1360, thereby inhibiting RSDE biosynthesis. PoxRsrA1135-1439 regulated mycelial sporulation by interacting with Mediator subunit Med6, whereas PoxRsrA1440-1794 regulated RSDE biosynthesis by binding to Med31. Overexpression of PoxRsrA increased sporulation and RSDE production. These findings provide insights into the regulatory mechanisms of fungal RSDE biosynthesis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yuan-Ni Ning
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-bioresources, Guangxi University, 100 Daxue Road, Nanning, Guangxi, 530004, PR China
- Guangxi Research Center for Microbial and Enzyme Engineering Technology, Guangxi University, 100 Daxue Road, Nanning, Guangxi, 530004, PR China
- College of Life Science and Technology, Guangxi University, 100 Daxue Road, Nanning, Guangxi, 530004, PR China
| | - Di Tian
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-bioresources, Guangxi University, 100 Daxue Road, Nanning, Guangxi, 530004, PR China
- Guangxi Research Center for Microbial and Enzyme Engineering Technology, Guangxi University, 100 Daxue Road, Nanning, Guangxi, 530004, PR China
- College of Life Science and Technology, Guangxi University, 100 Daxue Road, Nanning, Guangxi, 530004, PR China
| | - Man-Li Tan
- College of Life Science and Technology, Guangxi University, 100 Daxue Road, Nanning, Guangxi, 530004, PR China
| | - Xue-Mei Luo
- College of Life Science and Technology, Guangxi University, 100 Daxue Road, Nanning, Guangxi, 530004, PR China
| | - Shuai Zhao
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-bioresources, Guangxi University, 100 Daxue Road, Nanning, Guangxi, 530004, PR China.
- Guangxi Research Center for Microbial and Enzyme Engineering Technology, Guangxi University, 100 Daxue Road, Nanning, Guangxi, 530004, PR China.
- College of Life Science and Technology, Guangxi University, 100 Daxue Road, Nanning, Guangxi, 530004, PR China.
| | - Jia-Xun Feng
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-bioresources, Guangxi University, 100 Daxue Road, Nanning, Guangxi, 530004, PR China.
- Guangxi Research Center for Microbial and Enzyme Engineering Technology, Guangxi University, 100 Daxue Road, Nanning, Guangxi, 530004, PR China.
- College of Life Science and Technology, Guangxi University, 100 Daxue Road, Nanning, Guangxi, 530004, PR China.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Kerkaert JD, Huberman LB. Regulation of nutrient utilization in filamentous fungi. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2023; 107:5873-5898. [PMID: 37540250 PMCID: PMC10983054 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-023-12680-4] [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: 04/19/2023] [Revised: 06/29/2023] [Accepted: 07/04/2023] [Indexed: 08/05/2023]
Abstract
Organisms must accurately sense and respond to nutrients to survive. In filamentous fungi, accurate nutrient sensing is important in the establishment of fungal colonies and in continued, rapid growth for the exploitation of environmental resources. To ensure efficient nutrient utilization, fungi have evolved a combination of activating and repressing genetic networks to tightly regulate metabolic pathways and distinguish between preferred nutrients, which require minimal energy and resources to utilize, and nonpreferred nutrients, which have more energy-intensive catabolic requirements. Genes necessary for the utilization of nonpreferred carbon sources are activated by transcription factors that respond to the presence of the specific nutrient and repressed by transcription factors that respond to the presence of preferred carbohydrates. Utilization of nonpreferred nitrogen sources generally requires two transcription factors. Pathway-specific transcription factors respond to the presence of a specific nonpreferred nitrogen source, while another transcription factor activates genes in the absence of preferred nitrogen sources. In this review, we discuss the roles of transcription factors and upstream regulatory genes that respond to preferred and nonpreferred carbon and nitrogen sources and their roles in regulating carbon and nitrogen catabolism. KEY POINTS: • Interplay of activating and repressing transcriptional networks regulates catabolism. • Nutrient-specific activating transcriptional pathways provide metabolic specificity. • Repressing regulatory systems differentiate nutrients in mixed nutrient environments.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Joshua D Kerkaert
- Plant Pathology and Plant-Microbe Biology Section, School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Lori B Huberman
- Plant Pathology and Plant-Microbe Biology Section, School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Ma C, Liu J, Tang J, Sun Y, Jiang X, Zhang T, Feng Y, Liu Q, Wang L. Current genetic strategies to investigate gene functions in Trichoderma reesei. Microb Cell Fact 2023; 22:97. [PMID: 37161391 PMCID: PMC10170752 DOI: 10.1186/s12934-023-02104-3] [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: 11/20/2022] [Accepted: 04/21/2023] [Indexed: 05/11/2023] Open
Abstract
The filamentous fungus Trichoderma reesei (teleomorph Hypocrea jecorina, Ascomycota) is a well-known lignocellulolytic enzymes-producing strain in industry. To increase the fermentation titer of lignocellulolytic enzymes, random mutagenesis and rational genetic engineering in T. reesei were carried out since it was initially found in the Solomon Islands during the Second World War. Especially the continuous exploration of the underlying regulatory network during (hemi)cellulase gene expression in the post-genome era provided various strategies to develop an efficient fungal cell factory for these enzymes' production. Meanwhile, T. reesei emerges competitiveness potential as a filamentous fungal chassis to produce proteins from other species (e.g., human albumin and interferon α-2b, SARS-CoV-2 N antigen) in virtue of the excellent expression and secretion system acquired during the studies about (hemi)cellulase production. However, all the achievements in high yield of (hemi)cellulases are impossible to finish without high-efficiency genetic strategies to analyze the proper functions of those genes involved in (hemi)cellulase gene expression or secretion. Here, we in detail summarize the current strategies employed to investigate gene functions in T. reesei. These strategies are supposed to be beneficial for extending the potential of T. reesei in prospective strain engineering.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chixiang Ma
- China Medical University-The Queen's University of Belfast Joint College, Shenyang, Liaoning, 110122, China
| | - Jialong Liu
- College of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, 030001, Shanxi, China
| | - Jiaxin Tang
- College of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, 030001, Shanxi, China
| | - Yuanlu Sun
- China Medical University-The Queen's University of Belfast Joint College, Shenyang, Liaoning, 110122, China
| | - Xiaojie Jiang
- China Medical University-The Queen's University of Belfast Joint College, Shenyang, Liaoning, 110122, China
| | - Tongtong Zhang
- China Medical University-The Queen's University of Belfast Joint College, Shenyang, Liaoning, 110122, China
| | - Yan Feng
- College of Life Sciences, Shanxi Agricultural University, Jinzhong, 030801, Shanxi, China
| | - Qinghua Liu
- College of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, 030001, Shanxi, China
| | - Lei Wang
- College of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, 030001, Shanxi, China.
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Yan S, Xu Y, Tao XM, Yu XW. Alleviating vacuolar transport improves cellulase production in Trichoderma reesei. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2023; 107:2483-2499. [PMID: 36917273 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-023-12478-4] [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: 10/17/2022] [Revised: 01/18/2023] [Accepted: 03/06/2023] [Indexed: 03/16/2023]
Abstract
Increasing cellulase production in cellulolytic fungus Trichoderma reesei is of interest for biofuels and biorefineries. Previous studies indicated that secreted protein was occasionally accumulated in vacuoles; this phenomenon has also been reported in T. reesei. Therefore, alleviating vacuolar transport seems to be a promising strategy for improving cellulase production in T. reesei. Herein, we found that knockout of vps10, vps13, and vps21, among 11 vacuolar protein sorting factors, improved cellulase production in T. reesei. The filter paper activity in Δvps10, Δvps13, and Δvps21 increased by 1.28-, 2.45-, and 2.11-fold than that of the parent strain. Moreover, the β-glucosidase activity in Δvps13 and Δvps21 increased by 3.22- and 3.56-fold after 6 days of fermentation. Furthermore, we also found that the vacuolar trafficking towards vacuoles was partially impaired in three knockout mutants, and disruption of vps13 alleviated the autophagy process. These results indicated that alleviated transport and degradation towards vacuole in Δvps10, Δvps13, and Δvps21 might improve cellulase production. Of note, the expression of cellulase genes in Δvps13 and Δvps21 was dramatically increased in the late induction phase compared to the parent. These results suggested that Vps13 and Vps21 might influence the cellulase production at transcription level. And further transcriptome analysis indicated that increased cellulase gene expression might be attributed to the differential expression of sugar transporters. Our study unravels the effect of alleviating vacuolar transport through knockout vps10, vps13, and vps21 for efficient cellulase secretion, providing new clues for higher cellulase production in T. reesei. KEY POINTS: • Disruption of vps10, vps13 or vps21 improves cellulase production • Vacuolar transport is impaired in three vps KO mutants • Deletion of vps13 or vps21 increases the transcript of cellulase genes in late stage.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Su Yan
- Lab of Brewing Microbiology and Applied Enzymology, School of Biotechnology and Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology of Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China
| | - Yan Xu
- Lab of Brewing Microbiology and Applied Enzymology, School of Biotechnology and Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology of Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China
| | - Xiu-Mei Tao
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Avenue, Wuxi, 214122, China
| | - Xiao-Wei Yu
- Lab of Brewing Microbiology and Applied Enzymology, School of Biotechnology and Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology of Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China.
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Wu Y, Li Z, Zhao J, Chen Z, Xiang X. Significant differences in intestinal fungal community of hooded cranes along the wintering periods. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:991998. [PMID: 36160219 PMCID: PMC9491237 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.991998] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2022] [Accepted: 08/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The intestinal microbiota play vital roles for health of wild birds in many ways. Migratory birds with unique life history might increase the risk of pathogenic transmission across the regions. However, few studies have clarified the fungal community structure and inferred the potential pathogens in guts of migratory birds. The high-throughput sequencing method was applied to analyze the fungal community structure and detect the potential fungal pathogens in guts of hooded cranes among different wintering stages. Significant differences were found in gut fungal community composition of hooded cranes among three wintering stages, with the lowest fungal diversity in the late wintering stage. In the late stage, hooded cranes harbored higher relative abundance of plant saprotroph, contributing to food digestion for hosts. Hooded cranes were associated with the lowest diversity and relative abundance of animal pathogens in the late wintering stage. There was an increasing trend of deterministic process for gut fungal community assembly, suggesting that hosts interaction with their fungal communities changed by enhanced gut selection/filtering along wintering periods. Hooded crane was associated with the strongest gut selection/filtering to obtain defined gut fungal community with retaining probiotics (i.e., plant saprotroph) and exclusion of certain pathogens in the late wintering stage. Overall, these results demonstrated that hooded cranes might regulate their gut microbiota to enhance digestion and decrease gut pathogens in preparation for long-term migration.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yuannuo Wu
- School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Anhui University, Hefei, China
- International Collaborative Research Center for Huangshan Biodiversity and Tibetan Macaque Behavioral Ecology, Hefei, China
| | - Zihan Li
- School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Anhui University, Hefei, China
| | - Jingru Zhao
- School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Anhui University, Hefei, China
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Wetland Ecosystem Protection and Restoration, Hefei, China
| | - Zhong Chen
- School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Anhui University, Hefei, China
- International Collaborative Research Center for Huangshan Biodiversity and Tibetan Macaque Behavioral Ecology, Hefei, China
- *Correspondence: Zhong Chen,
| | - Xingjia Xiang
- School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Anhui University, Hefei, China
- International Collaborative Research Center for Huangshan Biodiversity and Tibetan Macaque Behavioral Ecology, Hefei, China
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Wetland Ecosystem Protection and Restoration, Hefei, China
- Xingjia Xiang,
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Wang Z, Yang R, Lv W, Zhang W, Meng X, Liu W. Functional Characterization of Sugar Transporter CRT1 Reveals Differential Roles of Its C-Terminal Region in Sugar Transport and Cellulase Induction in Trichoderma reesei. Microbiol Spectr 2022; 10:e0087222. [PMID: 35852347 PMCID: PMC9431493 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.00872-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2022] [Accepted: 07/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The expression of cellulase genes in lignocellulose-degrading fungus Trichoderma reesei is induced by insoluble cellulose and its soluble derivatives. Membrane-localized transporter/transceptor proteins have been thought to be involved in nutrient uptake and/or sensing to initiate the subsequent signal transduction during cellulase gene induction. Crt1 is a sugar transporter proven to be essential for cellulase gene induction although the detailed mechanism of Crt1-triggered cellulase induction remains elusive. In this study, we focused on the C-terminus region of Crt1 which is predicted to exist as an unstructured cytoplasmic tail in T. reesei. Serial C-terminal truncation of Crt1 revealed that deleting the last half of the C-terminal region of Crt1 hardly affected its transporting activity or ability to mediate the induction of cellulase gene expression. In contrast, removal of the entire C-terminus region eliminated both activities. Of note, Crt1-C5, retaining only the first five amino acids of C-terminus, was found to be capable of transporting lactose but failed to restore cellulase gene induction in the Δcrt1 strain. Analysis of the cellular localization of Crt1 showed that Crt1 existed both at the plasma membrane and at the periphery of the nucleus although the functional relevance is not clear at present. Finally, we showed that the cellulase production defect of Δcrt1 was corrected by overexpressing Xyr1, indicating that Xyr1 is a potential regulatory target of the signaling cascade initiated from Crt1. IMPORTANCE The lignocellulose-degrading fungus T. reesei has been widely used in industrial cellulases production. Understanding the precise cellulase gene regulatory network is critical for its genetic engineering to enhance the mass production of cellulases. As the key membrane protein involved in cellulase expression in T. reesei, the detailed mechanism of Crt1 in mediating cellulase induction remains to be investigated. In this study, the C-terminal region of Crt1 was found to be vital for its transport and signaling receptor functions. These two functions are, however, separable because a C-terminal truncation mutant is capable of sugar transporting but loses the ability to mediate cellulase gene expression. Furthermore, the key transcriptional activator Xyr1 represents a downstream target of the Crt1-initiated signaling cascade. Together, our research provides new insights into the function of Crt1 and further contributes to the unveiling of the intricate signal transduction process leading to efficient cellulase gene expression in T. reesei.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zhixing Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Microbiology Technology Institute, Shandong University, Qingdao, People’s Republic of China
| | - Renfei Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Microbiology Technology Institute, Shandong University, Qingdao, People’s Republic of China
| | - Wenhao Lv
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Microbiology Technology Institute, Shandong University, Qingdao, People’s Republic of China
| | - Weixin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Microbiology Technology Institute, Shandong University, Qingdao, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xiangfeng Meng
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Microbiology Technology Institute, Shandong University, Qingdao, People’s Republic of China
| | - Weifeng Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Microbiology Technology Institute, Shandong University, Qingdao, People’s Republic of China
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Mattam AJ, Chaudhari YB, Velankar HR. Factors regulating cellulolytic gene expression in filamentous fungi: an overview. Microb Cell Fact 2022; 21:44. [PMID: 35317826 PMCID: PMC8939176 DOI: 10.1186/s12934-022-01764-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2021] [Accepted: 02/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The growing demand for biofuels such as bioethanol has led to the need for identifying alternative feedstock instead of conventional substrates like molasses, etc. Lignocellulosic biomass is a relatively inexpensive feedstock that is available in abundance, however, its conversion to bioethanol involves a multistep process with different unit operations such as size reduction, pretreatment, saccharification, fermentation, distillation, etc. The saccharification or enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose to glucose involves a complex family of enzymes called cellulases that are usually fungal in origin. Cellulose hydrolysis requires the synergistic action of several classes of enzymes, and achieving the optimum secretion of these simultaneously remains a challenge. The expression of fungal cellulases is controlled by an intricate network of transcription factors and sugar transporters. Several genetic engineering efforts have been undertaken to modulate the expression of cellulolytic genes, as well as their regulators. This review, therefore, focuses on the molecular mechanism of action of these transcription factors and their effect on the expression of cellulases and hemicellulases.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anu Jose Mattam
- Hindustan Petroleum Green R and D Centre (HPGRDC), KIADB Industrial Area, Tarabanahalli, Devanagundi, Hoskote, Bangalore, 560067, India
| | - Yogesh Babasaheb Chaudhari
- Hindustan Petroleum Green R and D Centre (HPGRDC), KIADB Industrial Area, Tarabanahalli, Devanagundi, Hoskote, Bangalore, 560067, India
| | - Harshad Ravindra Velankar
- Hindustan Petroleum Green R and D Centre (HPGRDC), KIADB Industrial Area, Tarabanahalli, Devanagundi, Hoskote, Bangalore, 560067, India.
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Lian LD, Shi LY, Zhu J, Liu R, Shi L, Ren A, Yu HS, Zhao MW. GlSwi6 Positively Regulates Cellulase and Xylanase Activities through Intracellular Ca2+ Signaling in Ganoderma lucidum. J Fungi (Basel) 2022; 8:jof8020187. [PMID: 35205940 PMCID: PMC8877461 DOI: 10.3390/jof8020187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2022] [Revised: 02/10/2022] [Accepted: 02/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Ganoderma lucidum is a white-rot fungus that produces a range of lignocellulolytic enzymes to decompose lignin and cellulose. The mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway has been implicated in xylanases and cellulases production. As the downstream transcription factor of Slt2-MAPK, the function of Swi6 in G. lucidum has not been fully studied. In this study, the transcription factor GlSwi6 in G. lucidum was characterized and shown to significantly positively regulate cellulases and xylanases production. Knockdown of the GlSwi6 gene decreased the activities of cellulases and xylanases by approximately 31%~38% and 54%~60% compared with those of the wild-type (WT) strain, respectively. Besides, GlSwi6 can be alternatively spliced into two isoforms, GlSwi6A and GlSwi6B, and overexpression of GlSwi6B increased the activities of cellulase and xylanase by approximately 50% and 60%, respectively. Further study indicates that the existence of GlSwi6B significantly increased the concentration of cytosolic Ca2+. Our study indicated that GlSwi6 promotes the activities of cellulase and xylanase by regulating the Ca2+ signaling. These results connected the GlSwi6 and Ca2+ signaling in the regulation of cellulose degradation, and provide an insight for further improvement of cellulase or xylanase activities in G. lucidum as well as other fungi.
Collapse
|
13
|
Yan S, Xu Y, Yu XW. From induction to secretion: a complicated route for cellulase production in Trichoderma reesei. BIORESOUR BIOPROCESS 2021; 8:107. [PMID: 38650205 PMCID: PMC10991602 DOI: 10.1186/s40643-021-00461-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2021] [Accepted: 10/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
The filamentous fungus Trichoderma reesei has been widely used for cellulase production that has extensive applications in green and sustainable development. Increasing costs and depletion of fossil fuels provoke the demand for hyper-cellulase production in this cellulolytic fungus. To better manipulate T. reesei for enhanced cellulase production and to lower the cost for large-scale fermentation, it is wise to have a comprehensive understanding of the crucial factors and complicated biological network of cellulase production that could provide new perspectives for further exploration and modification. In this review, we summarize recent progress and give an overview of the cellular process of cellulase production in T. reesei, including the carbon source-dependent cellulase induction, complicated transcriptional regulation network, and efficient protein assembly and trafficking. Among that, the key factors involved in cellulase production were emphasized, shedding light on potential perspectives for further engineering.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Su Yan
- Lab of Brewing Microbiology and Applied Enzymology, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, People's Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, People's Republic of China
| | - Yan Xu
- Lab of Brewing Microbiology and Applied Enzymology, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, People's Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiao-Wei Yu
- Lab of Brewing Microbiology and Applied Enzymology, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, People's Republic of China.
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, People's Republic of China.
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Trichoderma reesei ACE4, a Novel Transcriptional Activator Involved in the Regulation of Cellulase Genes during Growth on Cellulose. Appl Environ Microbiol 2021; 87:e0059321. [PMID: 34047636 DOI: 10.1128/aem.00593-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The filamentous fungus Trichoderma reesei is a model strain for cellulase production. Cellulase gene expression in T. reesei is controlled by multiple transcription factors. Here, we identified by comparative genomic screening a novel transcriptional activator, ACE4 (activator of cellulase expression 4), that positively regulates cellulase gene expression on cellulose in T. reesei. Disruption of the ace4 gene significantly decreased expression of four main cellulase genes and the essential cellulase transcription factor-encoding gene ace3. Overexpression of ace4 increased cellulase production by approximately 22% compared to that in the parental strain. Further investigations using electrophoretic mobility shift assays, DNase I footprinting assays, and chromatin immunoprecipitation assays indicated that ACE4 directly binds to the promoter of cellulase genes by recognizing the two adjacent 5'-GGCC-3' sequences. Additionally, ACE4 directly binds to the promoter of ace3 and, in turn, regulates the expression of ACE3 to facilitate cellulase production. Collectively, these results demonstrate an important role for ACE4 in regulating cellulase gene expression, which will contribute to understanding the mechanism underlying cellulase expression in T. reesei. IMPORTANCE T. reesei is commonly utilized in industry to produce cellulases, enzymes that degrade lignocellulosic biomass for the production of bioethanol and bio-based products. T. reesei is capable of rapidly initiating the biosynthesis of cellulases in the presence of cellulose, which has made it useful as a model fungus for studying gene expression in eukaryotes. Cellulase gene expression is controlled through multiple transcription factors at the transcriptional level. However, the molecular mechanisms by which transcription is controlled remain unclear. In the present study, we identified a novel transcription factor, ACE4, which regulates cellulase expression on cellulose by binding to the promoters of cellulase genes and the cellulase activator gene ace3. Our study not only expands the general functional understanding of the novel transcription factor ACE4 but also provides evidence for the regulatory mechanism mediating gene expression in T. reesei.
Collapse
|
15
|
Sukumaran RK, Christopher M, Kooloth-Valappil P, Sreeja-Raju A, Mathew RM, Sankar M, Puthiyamadam A, Adarsh VP, Aswathi A, Rebinro V, Abraham A, Pandey A. Addressing challenges in production of cellulases for biomass hydrolysis: Targeted interventions into the genetics of cellulase producing fungi. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2021; 329:124746. [PMID: 33610429 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2021.124746] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2020] [Revised: 01/12/2021] [Accepted: 01/15/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Lignocellulosic materials are the favoured feedstock for biorefineries due to their abundant availability and non-completion with food. Biobased technologies for refining these materials are limited mainly by the cost of biomass hydrolyzing enzymes, typically sourced from filamentous fungi. Therefore, considerable efforts have been directed at improving the quantity and quality of secreted lignocellulose degrading enzymes from fungi in order to attain overall economic viability. Process improvements and media engineering probably have reached their thresholds and further production enhancements require modifying the fungal metabolism to improve production and secretion of these enzymes. This review focusses on the types and mechanisms of action of known fungal biomass degrading enzymes, our current understanding of the genetic control exerted on their expression, and possible routes for intervention, especially on modulating catabolite repression, transcriptional regulators, signal transduction, secretion pathways etc., in order to improve enzyme productivity, activity and stability.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rajeev K Sukumaran
- Centre for Biofuels, Microbial Processes and Technology Division, CSIR-National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology, Thiruvananthapuram 695019, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh 201002, India.
| | - Meera Christopher
- Centre for Biofuels, Microbial Processes and Technology Division, CSIR-National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology, Thiruvananthapuram 695019, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh 201002, India
| | - Prajeesh Kooloth-Valappil
- Centre for Biofuels, Microbial Processes and Technology Division, CSIR-National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology, Thiruvananthapuram 695019, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh 201002, India
| | - AthiraRaj Sreeja-Raju
- Centre for Biofuels, Microbial Processes and Technology Division, CSIR-National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology, Thiruvananthapuram 695019, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh 201002, India
| | - Reshma M Mathew
- Centre for Biofuels, Microbial Processes and Technology Division, CSIR-National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology, Thiruvananthapuram 695019, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh 201002, India
| | - Meena Sankar
- Centre for Biofuels, Microbial Processes and Technology Division, CSIR-National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology, Thiruvananthapuram 695019, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh 201002, India
| | - Anoop Puthiyamadam
- Centre for Biofuels, Microbial Processes and Technology Division, CSIR-National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology, Thiruvananthapuram 695019, India
| | - Velayudhanpillai-Prasannakumari Adarsh
- Centre for Biofuels, Microbial Processes and Technology Division, CSIR-National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology, Thiruvananthapuram 695019, India
| | - Aswathi Aswathi
- Centre for Biofuels, Microbial Processes and Technology Division, CSIR-National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology, Thiruvananthapuram 695019, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh 201002, India
| | - Valan Rebinro
- Centre for Biofuels, Microbial Processes and Technology Division, CSIR-National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology, Thiruvananthapuram 695019, India
| | - Amith Abraham
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Hanyang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Ashok Pandey
- Centre for Innovation and Translational Research, CSIR-Indian Institute of Toxicology Research, Lucknow, India
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Pang AP, Wang H, Zhang F, Hu X, Wu FG, Zhou Z, Wang W, Lu Z, Lin F. High-dose rapamycin exerts a temporary impact on T. reesei RUT-C30 through gene trFKBP12. BIOTECHNOLOGY FOR BIOFUELS 2021; 14:77. [PMID: 33771193 PMCID: PMC8004424 DOI: 10.1186/s13068-021-01926-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2020] [Accepted: 03/11/2021] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Knowledge with respect to regulatory systems for cellulase production is prerequisite for exploitation of such regulatory networks to increase cellulase production, improve fermentation efficiency and reduce the relevant production cost. The target of rapamycin (TOR) signaling pathway is considered as a central signaling hub coordinating eukaryotic cell growth and metabolism with environmental inputs. However, how and to what extent the TOR signaling pathway and rapamycin are involved in cellulase production remain elusive. RESULT At the early fermentation stage, high-dose rapamycin (100 μM) caused a temporary inhibition effect on cellulase production, cell growth and sporulation of Trichoderma reesei RUT-C30 independently of the carbon sources, and specifically caused a tentative morphology defect in RUT-C30 grown on cellulose. On the contrary, the lipid content of T. reesei RUT-C30 was not affected by rapamycin. Accordingly, the transcriptional levels of genes involved in the cellulase production were downregulated notably with the addition of rapamycin. Although the mRNA levels of the putative rapamycin receptor trFKBP12 was upregulated significantly by rapamycin, gene trTOR (the downstream effector of the rapamycin-FKBP12 complex) and genes associated with the TOR signaling pathways were not changed markedly. With the deletion of gene trFKBP12, there is no impact of rapamycin on cellulase production, indicating that trFKBP12 mediates the observed temporary inhibition effect of rapamycin. CONCLUSION Our study shows for the first time that only high-concentration rapamycin induced a transient impact on T. reesei RUT-C30 at its early cultivation stage, demonstrating T. reesei RUT-C30 is highly resistant to rapamycin, probably due to that trTOR and its related signaling pathways were not that sensitive to rapamycin. This temporary influence of rapamycin was facilitated by gene trFKBP12. These findings add to our knowledge on the roles of rapamycin and the TOR signaling pathways play in T. reesei.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ai-Ping Pang
- State Key Laboratory of Bioelectronics, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
| | - Haiyan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Bioelectronics, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
| | - Funing Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Bioelectronics, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
| | - Xin Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Bioelectronics, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
| | - Fu-Gen Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Bioelectronics, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
| | - Zhihua Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Wei Wang
- State Key Lab of Bioreactor Engineering, New World Institute of Biotechnology, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
| | - Zuhong Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Bioelectronics, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
| | - Fengming Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Bioelectronics, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Wang L, Zhang W, Cao Y, Zheng F, Zhao G, Lv X, Meng X, Liu W. Interdependent recruitment of CYC8/TUP1 and the transcriptional activator XYR1 at target promoters is required for induced cellulase gene expression in Trichoderma reesei. PLoS Genet 2021; 17:e1009351. [PMID: 33606681 PMCID: PMC7894907 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1009351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2020] [Accepted: 01/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Cellulase production in filamentous fungus Trichoderma reesei is highly responsive to various environmental cues involving multiple positive and negative regulators. XYR1 (Xylanase regulator 1) has been identified as the key transcriptional activator of cellulase gene expression in T. reesei. However, the precise mechanism by which XYR1 achieves transcriptional activation of cellulase genes is still not fully understood. Here, we identified the TrCYC8/TUP1 complex as a novel coactivator for XYR1 in T. reesei. CYC8/TUP1 is the first identified transcriptional corepressor complex mediating repression of diverse genes in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Knockdown of Trcyc8 or Trtup1 resulted in markedly impaired cellulase gene expression in T. reesei. We found that TrCYC8/TUP1 was recruited to cellulase gene promoters upon cellulose induction and this recruitment is dependent on XYR1. We further observed that repressed Trtup1 or Trcyc8 expression caused a strong defect in XYR1 occupancy and loss of histone H4 at cellulase gene promoters. The defects in XYR1 binding and transcriptional activation of target genes in Trtup1 or Trcyc8 repressed cells could not be overcome by XYR1 overexpression. Our results reveal a novel coactivator function for TrCYC8/TUP1 at the level of activator binding, and suggest a mechanism in which interdependent recruitment of XYR1 and TrCYC8/TUP1 to cellulase gene promoters represents an important regulatory circuit in ensuring the induced cellulase gene expression. These findings thus contribute to unveiling the intricate regulatory mechanism underlying XYR1-mediated cellulase gene activation and also provide an important clue that will help further improve cellulase production by T. reesei.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lei Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Microbial Technology Institute, Shandong University, Qingdao, Shandong, People’s Republic of China
| | - Weixin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Microbial Technology Institute, Shandong University, Qingdao, Shandong, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yanli Cao
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Microbial Technology Institute, Shandong University, Qingdao, Shandong, People’s Republic of China
| | - Fanglin Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Microbial Technology Institute, Shandong University, Qingdao, Shandong, People’s Republic of China
| | - Guolei Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Microbial Technology Institute, Shandong University, Qingdao, Shandong, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xinxing Lv
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Microbial Technology Institute, Shandong University, Qingdao, Shandong, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xiangfeng Meng
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Microbial Technology Institute, Shandong University, Qingdao, Shandong, People’s Republic of China
| | - Weifeng Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Microbial Technology Institute, Shandong University, Qingdao, Shandong, People’s Republic of China
| |
Collapse
|