Combinatorial engineering strategies to reconstruct Aspergillus niger for improving its cellulase production...

Area of Science:

• Biotechnology
• Microbial Engineering
• Enzyme Technology

Background:

• Aspergillus niger is a key microorganism for industrial enzyme production.
• Improving cellulase production efficiency is crucial for biofuel and biochemical applications.
• Current methods require optimization for higher yields and cost-effectiveness.

Purpose of the Study:

• To enhance cellulase production efficiencies in Aspergillus niger using combinatorial engineering.
• To investigate the impact of specific gene modifications on cellulase activity.
• To optimize glucose release from lignocellulosic biomass.

Main Methods:

• Employing combinatorial engineering strategies in Aspergillus niger.
• Knocking out single functional cellulases and deleting non-cellulase enzymes (phytase, β-mannanase, pectinase).
• Expressing exogenous multifunctional cellulases and protein disulfide isomerase.

Main Results:

• Cellulase activities in the engineered Aspergillus niger increased from 0.62 U/mL to 7.96 U/mL.
• Glucose released from corn stover increased significantly, from 12.5 g/L to 27.8 g/L.
• Demonstrated a substantial improvement in enzyme production and biomass conversion.

Conclusions:

• Combinatorial engineering is effective for enhancing cellulase production in Aspergillus niger.
• Deletion of non-cellulase enzymes and expression of specific proteins are key strategies.
• The engineered strain shows great potential for industrial applications in biomass degradation.