Transcriptome analysis of Rhizopus oryzae in response to xylose during fumaric acid production

Xylose is one of the most abundant lignocellulosic components, but it cannot be used by R. oryzae for fumaric acid production. Here, we applied high-throughput RNA sequencing to generate two transcriptional maps of R. oryzae following fermentation in glucose or xylose. The differential expression analysis showed that, genes involved in amino acid metabolism, fatty acid metabolism, and gluconeogenesis, were up-regulated in response to xylose. Moreover, we discovered the potential presence of oxidative stress in R. oryzae during xylose fermentation. To adapt to this unfavorable condition, R. oryzae displayed reduced growth and induce of a number of antioxidant enzymes, including genes involved in glutathione, trehalose synthesis, and the proteasomal pathway. These responses might divert the flow of carbon required for the accumulation of fumaric acid. Furthermore, using high-throughput RNA sequencing, we identified a large number of novel transcripts and a substantial number of genes that underwent alternative splicing. Our analysis provides remarkable insight into the mechanisms underlying xylose fermentation by R. oryzae. These results may reveal potential target genes or strategies to improve xylose fermentation.