ABSTRACT: Overexpression of GaaR, a D-galacturonic acid responsive transcription factor, enables inducer-independent production of pectinases in Aspergillus niger
Project description:Aspergillus niger is a filamentous fungus well known for its ability to produce a wide variety of pectinolytic enzymes, which have many applications in the industry. The transcriptional activator GaaR is induced by 2-keto-3-deoxy-L-galactonate, a compound derived from D-galacturonic acid, and plays a major role in the regulation of pectinolytic genes. The requirement for inducer molecules can be a limiting factor for the production of enzymes. Therefore, the generation of chimeric transcription factors able to activate the expression of pectinolytic genes by using underutilized agricultural residues would be highly valuable for industrial applications. In this study, we used the CRISPR/Cas9 system to generate three chimeric GaaR::XlnR transcription factors by swapping the N-terminal region of the xylanolytic regulator XlnR to that of the GaaR in A. niger. As a test case, we constructed a PpgaX:hph reporter strain to evaluate the alteration of transcription factor specificity in the chimeric mutants. Additionally, we generated a constitutively active GaaR::XlnR V756F version of the most efficient chimeric transcription factor to better assess its activity. Our results showed that the chimeric GaaR::XlnR transcription factor was no longer induced in the presence of D-galacturonic acid, but in the presence of D-xylose instead. Moreover, proteomics analysis and saccharification assays confirmed the production of enzymes involved in the release of L-arabinose from pectin, while the constitutive version of this chimeric transcription factor showed consistently improved D-galacturonic acid release from pectin in a gaaR deletion background.
Project description:We identified the D-galacturonic acid (GA) responsive transcriptional activator GaaR of the saprotrophic fungus Aspergillus niger, which was found to be essential for growth on GA and polygalacturonic acid (PGA). Growth of the ΔgaaR strain was reduced on complex pectins. Genome-wide expression analysis showed that GaaR is required for the expression of genes necessary to release GA from PGA and more complex pectins, to transport GA into the cell and to induce the GA-catabolic pathway. Residual growth of ΔgaaR on complex pectins is likely due to expression of pectinases acting on rhamnogalacturonan and subsequent metabolism of the monosaccharides other than GA.
Project description:In Aspergillus niger, the enzymes encoded by gaaA, gaaB, gaaC and gaaD catabolize D-galacturonic acid (GA) consecutively into L-galactonate, 2-keto-3-deoxy-L-galactonate, pyruvate and L-glyceraldehyde, and glycerol. We show here that deletion of gaaB or gaaC results in severely impaired growth on GA and accumulation of pathway intermediates L-galactonate and 2-keto-3-deoxy-L-galactonate, respectively. Expression levels of several GA-induced genes were specifically elevated in the ∆gaaC mutant on GA as compared to the reference strain or other GA catabolic pathway deletion mutants. The hyper-induction of GA-induced genes in ∆gaaC indicates that 2-keto-3-deoxy-L-galactonate is the inducer of genes required for GA utilization.
Project description:To study the induction of the genes encoding known and putative enzymes from the pectinolytic system of A. niger, the transcriptional profiles of 58 selected known or putative pectinolytic genes were monitored by microarray experiments. For this purpose, A. niger was cultivated on the complex substrates, sugar beet pectin and polygalacturonic acid as primary carbon sources. Galacturonic acid, rhamnose and xylose were used to assess the effects on gene expression caused by simple well-defined carbon sources, representing the most abundant sugar residues present in the backbone of pectin. Fructose, as a strong repressor of the expression of genes that are under carbon catabolite regulation, and sorbitol, as a non-inducing sugar-like alcohol, which does not affect the carbon catabolite regulation mechanisms were selected as control substrates. Mycelia of A. niger were pregrown for 18 h on 2% fructose, transferred to medium containing the different pectic and control substrates, and sampled at four time points during 24 h of incubation.
Project description:Aim: Analyse inhibitory effects of galacturonic acid, an important constituent of plant biomass hydrolysates, on growing and starving cultures of Saccharomyces cerevisiae CEN.PK113-7D. Method & Results: Biomass yields in aerobic and anaerobic glucose-limited chemostat cultures (pH 3.5) were reduced by 25 and 10%, respectively, upon addition of 10 g∙l-1 galacturonic acid. Genes previously reported to show a transcriptional response to other organic acids were overrepresented in a set of galacturonic-acid responsive genes identified by microarray analysis. These results suggested that galacturonic acid causes weak-acid uncoupling of the yeast plasma membrane pH gradient. Consistent with this hypothesis, galacturonate-accelerated loss of viability in starving cell suspensions was strongly pH dependent. Loss of viability was much slower in a strain in which all HXT (hexose transporter) genes were deleted. Moreover, deletion of HXT genes alleviated growth inhibition on ethanol observed at galacturonic acid concentrations of 10 g∙l-1 and above. Conclusions: At low pH, galacturonic acid negatively affects the physiology of S. cerevisiae. Reduced sensitivity of hexose-transporter mutants indicated that one or more HXT transporters are involved in transport of galacturonic acid. Significance and Impact: This study shows that galacturonic acid toxicity should be taken into account in process development for yeast-based fermentative conversion of pectin-rich feedstocks such as sugar beet pulp and citrus peel. Involvement of hexose transporters in galacturonic acid toxicity provides leads for improving tolerance. To investigate the impact of galacturonic acid on S. cerevisiae, a DNA microarray-based transcriptome analysis was performed on aerobic, glucose-limited chemostat cultures grown in the presence and absence of 10 g∙l-1 galacturonic acid at pH3.5.
Project description:The genes of the non-phosphorylative L-rhamnose catabolic pathway have been identified for several yeast species. In Pichia stipitis, all L-rhamnose pathway genes are organized in a cluster, which is conserved in Aspergillus niger, except for the lra-4 ortholog (lraD). The A. niger cluster also contains the gene encoding the L-rhamnose responsive transcription factor (RhaR) that has been shown to control the expression of genes involved in L-rhamnose release and catabolism. In this paper, we confirmed the function of the first three putative L-rhamnose utilisation genes from A. niger through gene deletion. We explored the identity of the inducer of the pathway regulator (RhaR) through expression analysis of the deletion mutants grown in transfer experiments to L-rhamnose and L-rhamnonate. Reduced expression of L-rhamnose-induced genes on L-rhamnose in lraA and lraB deletion strains, but not on L-rhamnonate (the product of LraB), demonstrate that the inducer of the pathway is of L-rhamnonate or a compound downstream of it. Reduced expression of these genes in the lraC deletion strain on L-rhamnonate show that it is in fact a downstream product of L-rhamnonate. This work showed that the inducer of RhaR is beyond L-rhamnonate dehydratase (LraC) and is likely to be the 2-keto-3-L-deoxyrhamnonate.
Project description:The aim of this study was to find candidate genes in A. niger involved in the increase tolerance against ferulic acid in A. niger Fa6
Project description:Aim: Analyse inhibitory effects of galacturonic acid, an important constituent of plant biomass hydrolysates, on growing and starving cultures of Saccharomyces cerevisiae CEN.PK113-7D. Method & Results: Biomass yields in aerobic and anaerobic glucose-limited chemostat cultures (pH 3.5) were reduced by 25 and 10%, respectively, upon addition of 10 g∙l-1 galacturonic acid. Genes previously reported to show a transcriptional response to other organic acids were overrepresented in a set of galacturonic-acid responsive genes identified by microarray analysis. These results suggested that galacturonic acid causes weak-acid uncoupling of the yeast plasma membrane pH gradient. Consistent with this hypothesis, galacturonate-accelerated loss of viability in starving cell suspensions was strongly pH dependent. Loss of viability was much slower in a strain in which all HXT (hexose transporter) genes were deleted. Moreover, deletion of HXT genes alleviated growth inhibition on ethanol observed at galacturonic acid concentrations of 10 g∙l-1 and above. Conclusions: At low pH, galacturonic acid negatively affects the physiology of S. cerevisiae. Reduced sensitivity of hexose-transporter mutants indicated that one or more HXT transporters are involved in transport of galacturonic acid. Significance and Impact: This study shows that galacturonic acid toxicity should be taken into account in process development for yeast-based fermentative conversion of pectin-rich feedstocks such as sugar beet pulp and citrus peel. Involvement of hexose transporters in galacturonic acid toxicity provides leads for improving tolerance.
Project description:Oxygen limitation is regarded as a useful strategy to improve enzyme production by mycelial fungus like Aspergillus niger. However, the intracellular metabolic response of A. niger to oxygen limitation is still obscure. To address this, the metabolism of A. niger was studied using multi-omics integrated analysis based on the latest GEMs (genome-scale metabolic model), including metabolomics, fluxomics and transcriptomics. Upon sharp reduction of the oxygen supply, A. niger metabolism shifted to higher redox level status, as well as lower energy supply, characterized by the accumulation of intermediates from the TCA cycle, down-regulation of genes for fatty acid synthesis and a rapid decrease of the specific growth rate. The gene expression of the glyoxylate bypass was activated, consistent with the increasing flux, which was assumed to reduce the NADH formation from TCA cycle and benefit maintenance of the cellular redox balance under hypoxic conditions. In addition, the relative fluxes of the EMP pathway were increased, which possibly relieved the energy demand for cell metabolism.