Production of cellulase by Trichoderma.

The cellulase complex in T. viride is inducible. For large-scale enzyme production the fungus should be cultured on media containing cellulose. The cellulase enzymes are respressible. To produce and maintain best cellulase yields cultural conditions which lead to carbohydrate consumption in excess of cellular needs should be avoided. With the present mutant (QM9414) extracellular enzyme preparations having 1.6 FP units/ml and 1.6 mg protein/ml have been obtained within four to five days in submerged fermentation. Such preparations are capable of producing a 5% sugar solution when mixed with 10% ball milled cellulose and incubated 24 hr at 50 degrees C. Further improvements of cellulase yields are being sought by continued mutagenesis and increased nutrient levels in the growth medium.     

Cellobiohydrolase II is the main conidial-bound cellulase in Trichoderma reesei and other Trichoderma strains

Monoclonal antibodies have been used to determine the presence of cellobiohydrolases I and II (CBH I and II), and endoglucanase I (EG I) on the surface of conidia from Trichoderma reesei QM 9414 and RUT C-30, and 8 other Trichoderma species. For this purpose, proteins were released from the conidial surface by treatment with a non-ionic detergent (Triton X-100 and -octylglucoside), followed by SDS-PAGE/Western blotting and immunostaining. Both CBH I and II were clearly present, but — unlike in extracellular culture fluids from Trichoderma — CBH II was the predominant cellulase. In T. reesei EG I could not be detected. The higher producer strain T. reesei RUT C-30 exhibited a higher conidial level of CBH II than T. reesei QM 9414. In order to assess the importance of the conidial CBH II level for cellulase induction by cellulose, multiple copies of the chb2 gene were introduced into the T. reesei genome by cotransformation using PyrG as a marker. Stable multicopy transformants secreted the 2- to 4-fold level of CBH II into the culture medium when grown on lactose as a carbon source, but their CBH I secretion was unaltered. Upon growth on cellulose, both CBH I and CBH II secretion was enhanced. Those strain showing highest cellulase activity on cellulose also appeared to contain the highest level of conidial bound CBH II. CBH II was also the predominant conidial cellulase in various other Trichoderma sp. However, roughly the same amount of conidial bound CBH II was detected in all strains, although their cellulase production differed considerably.     

Construction of cellulase hyperproducing strains derived from polyploids of Trichoderma reesei

The mycelial mat of Trichoderma reesei strain QM 6a was treated with 0.1% (w/v) colchicine solution for 14 days and designated M14. The cellulase productivity of strain M14 was not much higher than that of the original strain. When conidia of M14 were treated with ethylmethane sulphonate (EMS) solution, the cellulase hyperproducers, M14-1 and M14-2, were isolated using a selection medium containing Avicel. The DNA content of M14-1 and M14-2 was higher than that of the original strain. Cellulase productivity per mycelium of these strains increased and was higher than that of the original strain. The cellulase productivity did not change through ten generations when these strains were cultivated successively on a medium containing Avicel. It was concluded that cellulase hyperproducers, whose cellulase productivity per mycelium increased, could be obtained when the conidia of strain M14 were treated with EMS.     

Reaction engineering analysis of cellulase production with Trichoderma reesei RUT-C30 with intermittent substrate supply

The effects of varying initial concentrations of microcrystalline cellulose on cellulase production with Trichoderma reesei RUT-C30 as well as the effects of varying lactose and ammonium sulfate concentrations in the feed medium were studied simultaneously in parallel-operated shake flasks and, alternatively, in parallel-operated stirred-tank bioreactors on a 10-mL scale. Fifteen experiments were performed as triplicates in shake flasks as well as in stirred-tank bioreactors in parallel to identify the parameters of second-order polynomials for the estimation of the final filter paper activity of T. reesei RUT-C30 after a process time of 96 h. Even though parameter estimation was not possible based on the results of the shake flasks due to final enzyme activities at or below the detection limit (with the exception of one shake flask), the identification of the second-order polynomial was successful with the results of the parallel-operated stirred-tank bioreactors on a 10-mL scale. Reaction conditions with 53.3 g L^?1 microcrystalline cellulose in the initial medium, no lactose feeding and 3.3 g L^?1 day^?1 intermittent ammonium sulfate addition were estimated to be optimal. The final experimental validation of the optimum substrate supply on a L-scale resulted in the production of 4.88 filter paper units (FPU) mL^?1 with T. reesei RUT-C30 after 96 h. This is an improvement by a factor of 3.6 compared to the reference batch process (1.35 FPU mL^?1).     

Preparation of mutants of Trichoderma reesei with enhanced cellulase production.

The development of an agar plate screening technique has allowed the isolation of a range of mutants of Trichoderma reesei capable of synthesizing cellulase under conditions of high catabolite repression. The properties of one of these mutants (NG-14) is described to illustrate the use of this technique. NG-14 produced five times the filter paper-degrading activity per ml of culture medium and twice the specific activity per mg of excreted protein in submerged culture when compared with the best existing mutant, QM9414. NG-14 also showed enhanced endo-beta-glucanase and beta-glucosidase production. Although these mutants were isolated as cellulase producers in the presence of 5% glycerol on agar plates, in similar liquid medium, NG-14 exhibits only partial derepression of the cellulase complex. Since the proportions of filter paper activity, endo-beta-glucanase, and cellobiase were not the same in mutants NG-14 and QM9414, and the yields of each enzyme under conditions repressive for cellulase synthesis were different, differential control of each enzyme of the cellulase complex is implied. These initial results suggest that the selective technique for isolating hyper-cellulase-producing mutants of Trichoderma will be of considerable use in the development of commercially useful cellulolytic strains.     

Variability among strains of Trichoderma harzianum in their ability to reduce take-all and to produce pyrones

Antagonism tests on agar-plates and glasshouse screening indicated that three isolates of Trichoderma harzianum varied in their ability to antagonize the take-all fungus (Gaeumannomyces graminis var. tritici). Isolate 71 which was the most effective in suppressing take-all of wheat, produced two pyrones and other undetermined analogues. Isolates of T. koningii and T. hamatum shown to suppress take-all, produced a simple pyrone compound. Although T. harzianum isolates 70 and 73 did not produce any pyrones, they reduced the disease albeit to a much lesser extent than isolate 71; with isolate 73 showing distinct host growth promotion effects. It is proposed that the success of isolate 71 of T. harzianum was related to the pyrones it produces and that the ability of isolates 70 and 73 to reduce take-all may be related to mechanisms other than those involving antibiotics.     

Preparation of mutants of Trichoderma reesei with enhanced cellulase production.

The development of an agar plate screening technique has allowed the isolation of a range of mutants of Trichoderma reesei capable of synthesizing cellulase under conditions of high catabolite repression. The properties of one of these mutants (NG-14) is described to illustrate the use of this technique. NG-14 produced five times the filter paper-degrading activity per ml of culture medium and twice the specific activity per mg of excreted protein in submerged culture when compared with the best existing mutant, QM9414. NG-14 also showed enhanced endo-beta-glucanase and beta-glucosidase production. Although these mutants were isolated as cellulase producers in the presence of 5% glycerol on agar plates, in similar liquid medium, NG-14 exhibits only partial derepression of the cellulase complex. Since the proportions of filter paper activity, endo-beta-glucanase, and cellobiase were not the same in mutants NG-14 and QM9414, and the yields of each enzyme under conditions repressive for cellulase synthesis were different, differential control of each enzyme of the cellulase complex is implied. These initial results suggest that the selective technique for isolating hyper-cellulase-producing mutants of Trichoderma will be of considerable use in the development of commercially useful cellulolytic strains.     

Conversion of cellulose to glucose with cellulase of Trichoderma viride ITCC-1433

Trichoderma viride ITCC-1433 secretes a cellulase complex that is rich in β-glucosidase and therefore well suited for the saccharification of cellulosic materials. The cellulase was investigated with respect to optimum conditions of reaction and enzyme stability. Avicelase, CMCase, and β-glucosidase differed considerably in their physicochemical properties. At temperatures above 50°C, β-glucosidase is not very stable. Therefore, as a compromise the conditions of hydrolysis were chosen to be 50°C and pH 4.5. With the crude culture filtrate of T. viride ITCC-1433 a nearly pure glucose solution of 4% is reached from a 10% cellulose suspension. Wood pulp and newsprint are hydrolyzed to a much smaller extent. With an enzyme concentrate up to 8% glucose accumulated in the reaction fluid within 48 hr. At this time the glucose-cellobiose ratio was 75:1. Glucose was demonstrated to be the most potent inhibitor of total hydrolysis. The addition of glucose to the enzyme-substrate solution at zero time completely stopped its own formation and cellobiose and reducing groups (oligosaccharides) accumulated. By removing glucose through an ultrafilter device about 90% saccharification of cellulose to glucose was achieved in 48 hr without any accumulation of cellobiose.     

Biocontrol mechanisms of Trichoderma strains.

The genus Trichoderma comprises a great number of fungal strains that act as biological control agents, the antagonistic properties of which are based on the activation of multiple mechanisms. Trichoderma strains exert biocontrol against fungal phytopathogens either indirectly, by competing for nutrients and space, modifying the environmental conditions, or promoting plant growth and plant defensive mechanisms and antibiosis, or directly, by mechanisms such as mycoparasitism. These indirect and direct mechanisms may act coordinately and their importance in the biocontrol process depends on the Trichoderma strain, the antagonized fungus, the crop plant, and the environmental conditions, including nutrient availability, pH, temperature, and iron concentration. Activation of each mechanism implies the production of specific compounds and metabolites, such as plant growth factors, hydrolytic enzymes, siderophores, antibiotics, and carbon and nitrogen permeases. These metabolites can be either overproduced or combined with appropriate biocontrol strains in order to obtain new formulations for use in more efficient control of plant diseases and postharvest applications.     

Affinity chromatography of the cellulase system of Trichoderma koningii.

A procedure involving affinity chromatography on cellulose was developed for separating enzymic components of the cellulase complex. Cellobiase, carboxymethylcellulase, component C2 and cellobiohydrolase are adsorbed with increasing tenacity, and released, as highly purified components, as the ionic strength of the eluent is decreased.     

Transglycosylation of cellobiose by partially purified Trichoderma viride cellulase.

A commercial cellulase from Trichoderma viride was fractionated into three fractions, F1, F2, and F3, in order to investigate transglycosylation activities. Among these fractions, F3, which demonstrated highly hydrolytic activity toward p-nitrophenyl beta-D-glucopyranoside and Avicel, most effectively catalyzed the transglycosylation of cellobiose and converted cellobiose into beta-Glc-(1-->6)-beta-glc-(1-->4)-Glc and beta-Glc-(1-->6)-beta-Glc-(1-->6)-beta-Glc(1-->4)-Glc. The F3 fraction contained the enzyme to catalyze beta-glucosyl transfer toward only the C-6 position of the sugar acceptor, and thus it is expected to be of use for syntheses of functional oligosaccharides.     

Genetic engineering as a powerful tool to improve probiotic strains

Over the last decade, there has been increasing interest in the use of probiotic microorganisms. However, certain doubts have arisen around probiotics, because of the beneficial effects of these microorganisms are not clear yet, and in many occasions those beneficial effects have not been proven. Therefore, it would be of interest if these probiotic strains were able to acquire new attributes to allow them improve and increase their beneficial characteristics. Genetic engineering can be used for human applications; for instance, the resistance to antibiotics is removed and the probiotic bacteria are modified in its own DNA. This process can be achieved by: (1) the use of food-grade vectors derived from lactic acid bacteria and/or bifidobacteria cryptic plasmids, (2) the genes integration or deletion in the chromosome of the probiotic strain, by site-specific recombination using the attP/integrase system, or by homologous recombination, using either suicide vectors, (3) using the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) and the CRISPR-associated (Cas) nuclease. Through genetic engineering, the knowledge of probiotic strains as well as its use could be improved, and the doubts about probiotics could be crumped.     

Shear inactivation of cellulase of Trichoderma reesei

Inactivation of the cellulase of Trichoderma reesei (EC 3.2.1.4) by shear, is of sufficient magnitude to merit consideration in the design of equipment for the enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose. The inac inactivation constant, k_d, is a function of the flow rate of the enzyme solution through a fine capillary tube. k_d increased slowly at low shear stress, and much more rapidly when the shear stress was greater than 15 dynes cm^?2.     

Pathway and protein engineering approaches to produce novel and commodity small molecules

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Highlights► Production of novel pharmaceutical and commodity chemicals. ► Protein and pathway engineering pave the way for product diversifications. ► ‘Omics’ data have helped assembly of pathways from different species. ► Recombination of enzymatic domains and site-directed mutagenesis. ► Tunable control of pathways for better production.     

Enzymatic treatment of primary municipal sludge with Trichoderma viride cellulase

Enzymatic hydrolysis of the cellulose in raw primary settled municipal sludge by Trichoderma viride cellulase achieved conversions of up to 75% of the cellulose, primarily to cellobiose, in 24 hr. Simultaneously the gel-like characteristic of raw primary sludge was changed to that of a slurry of fine particles in less than 2 hr, causing a radical change in the ability to ultrafilter the sludge. The use of raw primary sludge as a growth medium for T. viride cellulase production was also investigated. It was possible, with nitrogen supplements, to obtain an enzyme with a filter paper activity (FPA) of two compared to over four which is attainable on defined medium of similar strength. The potential use of cellulase treatment as a pretreatment or integral part of waste treatment processes is discussed and the alternatives evaluated.     

Novel cellulase profile of Trichoderma reesei strains constructed by cbh1 gene replacement with eg3 gene expression cassette

To construct strains of the filamentous fungus Trichoderma reesei with low cellobiohydrolases while high endoglucanase activity, the Pcbh1-eg3-Tcbh1 cassette was constructed and the coding sequence of the cellobiohydrolase I (CBHI) gene was replaced with the coding sequence of the eg3 gene by homologous recombination. Disruption of the cbhl gene was confirmed by PCR, Southern dot blot and Western hybridization analysis in two transforments denoted as L 13 and L29. The filter paper-hydrolyzing activity of strain L29 was 60% of the parent strain Rut C30, and the CMCase activity was increased by 33%. This relatively modest increase suggested that the eg3 cDNA under the control of the cbhl promoter was not efficiently transcribed as the wild type cbhl gene. However our results confirmed that homologous recombination could be used to construct strains of the filamentous fungus Trichoderma reesei with novel cellulase profile. Such strains are of interest from the basic science perspective and also have potential industrial applications.     

Sugar production from agricultural woody wastes by saccharification with Trichoderma viride cellulase.

The saccharification of agricultural woody wastes was studied using a commercial enzyme preparation, Cellulase onozuka, derived from Trichoderma viride or the solid culture extracts of the fungus. With the intention of producing sugar at low cost, a simple procedure of enzymatic saccharification of rice straw, bagasse, and sawdust was studied. Delignifying methods of these wastes were investigated using dilute sodium hydroxide solution and dilute peracetic acid. Rice straw and bagasse were effectively delignified by boiling in a 1% sodium hydroxide solution for 3 hr or by autoclaving at 120 degrees C in a 1% sodium hydroxide solution for 1 hr. The sawdust from a broad leaved tree (Machilus thunbergii) was delignified by autoclaving at 120 degrees C in a 1% sodium hydroxide solution for 1 hr and by subsequent boiling in diluted 1/5 peracetic acid for 1 hr. This type of sawdust was also delignified by boiling in 1/5 peracetic acid for 1 hr and by subsequent autoclaving at 120 degrees C in a 1% sodium hydroxide solution for 1 hr. The sawdust from a coniferous tree (Cryptomeria japonica) was delignified by boiling in 1/5 peracetic acid for 1 hr and by subsequent autoclaving at 120 degrees C in a 1% sodium hydroxide solution for 1 hr; however, the successive treatment by autoclaving with alkali solution and subsequent boiling with diluted peracetic acid failed to bring about the desired effect. The saccharification of delignified rice straw, bagasse, and sawdust was examined using Cellulase onozuka, wheat bran or rice straw solid culture at various substrate concentrations, resulting in the formation of 5 to 10% sugar solutions after incubation at pH 5.0, 45 degrees C for 48 hr. The optimum substrate concentration existed at around 10%. Reuse of cellulase solution and resaccharification of residual sawdust were considered to be inadequate.