Proteomic analysis of rutin-induced secreted proteins from Aspergillus flavus

Few studies have been conducted to identify the extracellular proteins and enzymes secreted by filamentous fungi, particularly with respect to dispensable metabolic pathways. Proteomic analysis has proven to be the most powerful method for identification of proteins in complex mixtures and is suitable for the study of the alteration of protein expression under different environmental conditions. The filamentous fungus Aspergillus flavus can degrade the flavonoid rutin as the only source of carbon via an extracellular enzyme system. In this study, a proteomic analysis was used to differentiate and identify the extracellular rutin-induced and non-induced proteins secreted by A. flavus. The secreted proteins were analyzed by two-dimensional electrophoresis and MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry. While 15 rutin-induced proteins and 7 non-induced proteins were identified, more than 90 protein spots remain unidentified, indicating that these proteins are either novel proteins or proteins that have not yet been sequenced.     

Proteomic analysis of a filamentous fungal endophyte using EST datasets

Proteomic analysis of many species of fungi, particularly filamentous fungi, is difficult due to the lack of publicly available genome sequence data and the problems associated with cross‐species comparisons. Furthermore, the detection of fungal proteins in biological systems where there are a greater number of proteins present from other eukaryote species provides additional challenges. We present an EST‐based approach for identifying proteins from a fungal endophyte of temperate grasses and demonstrate that this method is well suited for fungi with minimal sequence data.     

Decoding the mannitol enigma in filamentous fungi

Mannitol is a 6-carbon polyol that is among the most abundant biochemical compounds in the biosphere. Mannitol has been ascribed a multitude of roles in filamentous fungi including carbohydrate storage, reservoir of reducing power, stress tolerance and spore dislodgement and/or dispersal. The advancement of genetic manipulation techniques in filamentous fungi has rapidly accelerated our understanding of the roles and metabolism of mannitol. The targeted deletion of genes encoding proteins of mannitol metabolism in several fungi, including phytopathogens, has proven that the metabolism of mannitol does not exist as a cycle and that many of the postulated roles are unsupported. These recent studies have provided a much needed focus on this mysterious metabolite and make this a fitting time to review the roles and metabolism of mannitol in filamentous fungi.     

Approaches for refining heterologous protein production in filamentous fungi

Fungi combine the advantages of a microbial system such as a simple fermentability with the capability of secreting proteins that are modified according to a general eukaryotic scheme. Filamentous fungi such as Aspergillus niger efficiently secrete genuine proteins but the secretion of recombinant proteins turned out be a difficult task. Aspergillus niger is an attractive organism because of its high secretion capacity and is frequently used as a model organism. Whereas high production yields can be obtained when homologous proteins are expressed, much lower amounts are obtained with the production of heterologous proteins. To fully exploit the potential of filamentous fungi, understanding of the molecular genetics, their physiology, and the glycosylation metabolism has to be investigated and clarified in more detail. This review summarizes recent developments in heterologous protein production by filamentous fungi and also generalizes the possibilities of improving the protein production by various genetic and bioprocessing approaches, thereby easing recognition of filamentous fungi as a relevant and reliable expression platform.     

丝状真菌的细胞凋亡

凋亡是一种程序性细胞死亡类型,为多细胞生物发育和维持生命所必需的,也普遍存在于细菌等原核生物和酵母、丝状真菌等真核生物中。丝状真菌既具有酵母和哺乳动物共有的凋亡同源蛋白,也具有酵母所不具备的哺乳动物凋亡同源蛋白,所以其凋亡机制较酵母更为复杂,而又较哺乳动物简单。凋亡在丝状真菌的发育、繁殖、衰老等过程中具有重要的作用。近年,丝状真菌作为新的凋亡研究的模式生物被广泛研究,而且进展迅速。综述丝状真菌的凋亡现象和检测方法,丝状真菌中凋亡的生物学功能,丝状真菌凋亡的诱导条件,以及丝状真菌凋亡相关基因的功能研究进展。     

Protein glycosylation pathways in filamentous fungi

Glycosylation of proteins is important for protein stability, secretion, and localization. In this study, we have investigated the glycan synthesis pathways of 12 filamentous fungi including those of medical/agricultural/industrial importance for which genomes have been recently sequenced. We have adopted a systems biology approach to combine the results from comparative genomics techniques with high confidence information on the enzymes and fungal glycan structures, reported in the literature. From this, we have developed a composite representation of the glycan synthesis pathways in filamentous fungi (both N- and O-linked). The N-glycosylation pathway in the cytoplasm and endoplasmic reticulum was found to be highly conserved evolutionarily across all the filamentous fungi considered in the study. In the final stages of N-glycan synthesis in the Golgi, filamentous fungi follow the high mannose pathway as in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, but the level of glycan mannosylation is reduced. Highly specialized N-glycan structures with galactofuranose residues, phosphodiesters, and other insufficiently trimmed structures have also been identified in the filamentous fungi. O-Linked glycosylation in filamentous fungi was seen to be highly conserved with many mannosyltransferases that are similar to those in S. cerevisiae. However, highly variable and diverse O-linked glycans also exist. We have developed a web resource for presenting the compiled data with user-friendly query options, which can be accessed at www.fungalglycans.org. This resource can assist attempts to remodel glycosylation of recombinant proteins expressed in filamentous fungal hosts.     

Production of recombinant proteins by filamentous fungi

The initial focus of recombinant protein production by filamentous fungi related to exploiting the extraordinary extracellular enzyme synthesis and secretion machinery of industrial strains, including Aspergillus, Trichoderma, Penicillium and Rhizopus species, was to produce single recombinant protein products. An early recognized disadvantage of filamentous fungi as hosts of recombinant proteins was their common ability to produce homologous proteases which could degrade the heterologous protein product and strategies to prevent proteolysis have met with some limited success. It was also recognized that the protein glycosylation patterns in filamentous fungi and in mammals were quite different, such that filamentous fungi are likely not to be the most suitable microbial hosts for production of recombinant human glycoproteins for therapeutic use. By combining the experience gained from production of single recombinant proteins with new scientific information being generated through genomics and proteomics research, biotechnologists are now poised to extend the biomanufacturing capabilities of recombinant filamentous fungi by enabling them to express genes encoding multiple proteins, including, for example, new biosynthetic pathways for production of new primary or secondary metabolites. It is recognized that filamentous fungi, most species of which have not yet been isolated, represent an enormously diverse source of novel biosynthetic pathways, and that the natural fungal host harboring a valuable biosynthesis pathway may often not be the most suitable organism for biomanufacture purposes. Hence it is expected that substantial effort will be directed to transforming other fungal hosts, non-fungal microbial hosts and indeed non microbial hosts to express some of these novel biosynthetic pathways. But future applications of recombinant expression of proteins will not be confined to biomanufacturing. Opportunities to exploit recombinant technology to unravel the causes of the deleterious impacts of fungi, for example as human, mammalian and plant pathogens, and then to bring forward solutions, is expected to represent a very important future focus of fungal recombinant protein technology.     

Secretomes of medically important fungi reflect morphological and phylogenetic diversity

Secretome represents a main target for understanding the mechanisms of fungal adaptation. In the present study, we focus on the secretomes of fungi associated with infections in humans and other mammals in order to explore relationships between the diverse morphological and phylogenetic groups. Almost all the mammalian pathogenic fungi analyzed have secretome sizes smaller than 1000 proteins and, secreted proteins comprise between 5% and 10% of the total proteome. As expected, the correlation pattern between the secretome size and the total proteome was similar to that described in previous secretome studies of fungi. With regard to the morphological groups, minimum secretome sizes of less than 250 secreted proteins and low values for the fraction of secreted proteins are shown in mammalian pathogenic fungi with reduced proteomes such as microsporidia, atypical fungi and some species of yeasts and yeast-like fungi (Malassezia). On the other hand, filamentous fungi have significantly more secreted proteins and the highest numbers are present in species of filamentous fungi that also are plant or insect pathogens (Fusarium verticilloides, Fusarium oxysporum and Basidiobolus meristosporus). With respect to phylogeny, there are also variations in secretome size across fungal subphyla: Microsporidia, Taphrinomycotina, Ustilagomycotina and Saccharomycotina contain small secretomes; whereas larger secretomes are found in Agaricomycotina, Pezizomycotina, Mucoromycotina and Entomophthoromycotina. Finally, principal component analysis (PCA) was conducted on the complete secretomes. The PCA results revealed that, in general, secretomes of fungi belonging to the same morphological group or subphyla cluster together. In conclusion, our results point out that in medically important fungi there is a relationship between the secretome and the morphological group or phylogenetic classification.     

丝状真菌蛋白质组学研究进展

丝状真菌不仅是致病菌,而且在异源表达工业酶、化学制品以及药物活性物质中发挥着越来越重要的作用。随着人类基因组计划的实施和推进,生命科学研究已进入了功能基因组时代,特别是蛋白质组学,在蛋白质水平对丝状真菌细胞生命过程中蛋白质功能和蛋白质之间的相互作用以及特殊条件下的变化机制进行研究,对生命的复杂活动进行深入而又全面的认识也为丝状真菌工业酶制剂和重组药物的开发提供广阔的创新空间。本文综述了蛋白质组学的研究内容和方法,总结了其在丝状真菌致病菌、抗生素产生菌和纤维素酶产生菌中的应用现状。不同层次的功能基因组学分析可以从各个角度掌握生物体的代谢网络和调控机制,本文还对蛋白质组学以及功能基因组学各部分内容的整合运用进行了展望。     

丝状真菌表面展示技术研究进展

丝状真菌表面展示技术是将表达的目的蛋白固定在丝状真菌细胞表面的一项新兴基因工程技术。丝状真菌具有极强的蛋白质分泌能力和良好的蛋白质翻译后加工能力,因而越来越多的丝状真菌表面展示技术得到开发和应用。本文就丝状真菌表面展示系统的研发和应用进展进行综述,并介绍与该系统构建密切相关的丝状真菌的细胞壁组成、锚定蛋白和遗传转化方法等技术。     

丝状真菌代谢工程研究进展

丝状真菌(Filamentous fungi)作为重要的工业发酵微生物,在有机酸、蛋白质及次级代谢产物等关键生物基产品生产方面发挥着重要作用.自20世纪90年代代谢工程理念提出以来,尤其是代谢工程使能技术的创新及发展,极大地促进了丝状真菌细胞工厂的构建及其在工业发酵领域的应用.文中将系统介绍近年来丝状真菌代谢工程技术的...     

Hyphal tip growth and nuclear migration

Recent molecular and cytological studies have greatly advanced our understanding of hyphal tip growth and nuclear migration in filamentous fungi. Mutants involved in various aspects of hyphal tip growth have been isolated. Genes involved in nuclear migration continue to be identified, including putative regulators. The role of microtubules and microtubule motor proteins in hyphal tip growth has also been studied.     

Dissecting cellular components of the secretory pathway in filamentous fungi: insights into their application for protein production

Studies on protein production using filamentous fungi have mostly focused on improvement of the protein yields by genetic modifications such as overexpression. Recent genome sequencing in several filamentous fungal species now enables more systematic approaches based on reverse genetics and molecular biology of the secretion pathway. In this review, we summarize recent molecular-based advances in our understanding of vesicular trafficking in filamentous fungi, and discuss insights into their high secretion ability and application for protein production.     

Characterization of the α-mannosidase gene family in filamentous fungi: N-glycan remodelling for the development of eukaryotic expression systems

Although filamentous fungi are used extensively for protein expression, their use for the production of heterologous glycoproteins is constrained by the types of N-glycan structures produced by filamentous fungi as compared to those naturally found on the glycoproteins. Attempts are underway to engineer the N-glycan synthetic pathways in filamentous fungi in order to produce fungal expression strains which can produce heterologous glycoproteins carrying specific N-glycan structures. To fully realize this goal, a detailed understanding of the genetic components of this pathway in filamentous fungi is required. In this review, we discuss the characterization of the α-mannosidase gene family in filamentous fungi and its implications for the elucidation of the N-glycan synthetic pathway.     

后基因组时代的丝状真菌基因组学与代谢工程

丝状真菌不仅是传统发酵工业中抗生素、酶制剂和有机酸的主要生产者,而且也是代谢工程育种中异源蛋白表达的重要细胞工厂。丝状真菌的遗传修饰和代谢工程研究是现代工业生物技术领域最具活力的研究方向之一。特别是与细菌和酵母相比,丝状真菌在细胞生长、营养需求、环境适应性、翻译后修饰、蛋白分泌能力和生物安全性等方面具有显著的优势。文章综述了丝状真菌作为异源蛋白表达系统在基因组学技术研究和代谢工程研究方面的最新进展。作者在分析丝状真菌基因组结构、特点的基础上,阐述了比较基因组学、蛋白质组学、转录组学和代谢组学等对丝状真菌的代谢途径重构、新型蛋白挖掘和代谢工程育种中的作用和意义。另一方面,作者分析了丝状真菌在表达外源蛋白时遇到的瓶颈问题,总结了丝状真菌代谢工程育种中的常用策略包括异源基因的融合表达、反义核酸技术、蛋白分泌途径改造、密码子优化和蛋白酶缺陷宿主的选育等技术和手段。最后,对该领域的发展趋势进行了展望。     

Fungal apoptosis: function, genes and gene function

Cells of all living organisms are programmed to self-destruct under certain conditions. The most well known form of programmed cell death is apoptosis, which is essential for proper development in higher eukaryotes. In fungi, apoptotic-like cell death occurs naturally during aging and reproduction, and can be induced by environmental stresses and exposure to toxic metabolites. The core apoptotic machinery in fungi is similar to that in mammals, but the apoptotic network is less complex and of more ancient origin. Only some of the mammalian apoptosis-regulating proteins have fungal homologs, and the number of protein families is drastically reduced. Expression in fungi of animal proteins that do not have fungal homologs often affects apoptosis, suggesting functional conservation of these components despite the absence of protein-sequence similarity. Functional analysis of Saccharomyces cerevisiae apoptotic genes, and more recently of those in some filamentous species, has revealed partial conservation, along with substantial differences in function and mode of action between fungal and human proteins. It has been suggested that apoptotic proteins might be suitable targets for novel antifungal treatments. However, implementation of this approach requires a better understanding of fungal apoptotic networks and identification of the key proteins regulating apoptotic-like cell death in fungi.     

丝状真菌胞外蛋白高效分泌机制的研究进展

丝状真菌由于其胞外蛋白分泌的高效性,成为生产酶制剂的高效细胞工厂.近年来针对真核生物胞外蛋白分泌途径的研究发现,丝状真菌蛋白的分泌途径相比其他真核生物具有高效分泌的特性.为了研究丝状真菌高效分泌的机制,本文总结了近年来丝状真菌分泌途径的最新研究进展,并且选取了分泌途径中关键环节的数种蛋白进行分析,通过与其他真核生物相关蛋白进行结构与序列比对,推测了丝状真菌胞外蛋白高效分泌的可能机制.     

Strategies for improving heterologous protein production from filamentous fungi

Despite the naturally high capacity for protein secretion by many species of filamentous fungi, secteted yields of many heterologous proteins have been comparatively low. The strategies for yield improvement have included the use of strong homologous promoters, increased gene copy number, gene fusions with a gene encoding a naturally well-secreted protein, protease-deficient host strains and screening for high yields following random mutagenesis. Such approaches have been effective with some target heterologous proteins but not others.Approaches used in heterologous protein production from filamentous fungi are discussed and a perspective on emerging strategies is presented.