Analysis of wide-domain transcriptional regulation in solid-state cultures of Aspergillus oryzae

Many filamentous fungi secrete considerable quantities of enzymes including protease, cellulase and xylanase, which are of major industrial importance. Over the past few decades, many of these fungal enzymes have been isolated and their relevant genes characterised. Solid-state fermentation (SSF), an ancient technique described as a fermentation process performed on non-soluble material whereby the material acts as a physical support and as a source of nutrients, is widely employed in the production of industrially important enzymes. Control mechanisms governing gene expression in SSF however, have been rarely studied. The influence of carbon and nitrogen sources on the production and transcriptional regulation of hydrolase enzymes secreted by an Aspergillus strain was investigated with the hope of expanding on the relatively small amount of knowledge regarding cellular control of gene expression. This study involved screening a collection of fungal strains for protease, cellulase and xylanase production under SSF conditions. From this, one fungal strain was then chosen for further analysis. Factors affecting the secretion of the hydrolase enzymes were optimised, and following this, the influence of nutritional supplementation on the production and transcriptional regulation of the enzymes was investigated. Real-time PCR techniques were used to assess the relative expression levels of genes encoding hydrolase activities and of the genes encoding regulatory elements such as AreA, PacC and CreA in an effort to identify possible transcriptional regulation mechanisms. The complexity of gene regulation under SSF conditions became apparent during the study, as other factors such as post-transcriptional regulation appeared to play a far greater role than previously imagined.