Elucidating the crosstalk of light response, sexual development and cellulose signal transduction to cellulase gene expression in Hypocrea jecorina

01.01.2007 - 31.12.2009
Forschungsförderungsprojekt
Species of fungal genus Trichoderma are saprophytes, and their respective teleomorphs lignicolous and necrotrophic ascomycetes of the genus Hypocrea. Hypocrea jecorina (the teleomorph of Trichoderma reesei), is probably the most prominent cellulose degrader within the genus Trichoderma. Apart from studies on the enzymology of cellulose degradation, there has also been a continuing interest in understanding how the synthesis of these enzymes is regulated. It is generally believed that oligosaccharides, which are released from cellulose, serve as the actual compounds triggering the high level of induction of cellulase expression. However, only little is known about how these environmental stimuli launch the signal transduction cascade finally leading to enhanced transcription of the cellulase genes and which components are involved in this cascade. Recently, the involvement of the light regulatory protein Envoy in cellulase regulation was reported thus establishing a link between cellulose signalling and light response. Also the finding that the G-alpha protein GNA3 enhances cellulase gene transcription in dependence of light points into this direction. Studies on genes putatively involved in cellulase signalling further showed that H. jecorina possesses an unusual a-factor pheromone, which is involved in light-dependent cellulase gene transcription. Since signal transduction via heterotrimeric G-proteins is involved in pheromone signalling and also from the links between cellulose- and pheromone signalling as well as light response as suggested by our own studies we intend to elucidate the interconnections of these pathways and to amend our first sketch of this signal transduction network in H. jecorina by analysing the role of the two pheromone precursors, the respective pheromone-G-protein coupled receptors and the blue light regulators BLR1 and BLR2 in light- and pheromone response as well as carbon source signalling and their influences on each other.

Personen

Projektleiter_in

Institut

Grant funds

  • Österr. Akademie der Wissenschaften (National) Austrian Academy of Sciences

Forschungsschwerpunkte

  • Beyond TUW-research focus: 100%

Schlagwörter

DeutschEnglisch
Trichoderma reeseiTrichoderma reesei
Hypocrea jecorinaHypocrea jecorina
Peptid Pheromonepeptide pheromones
Lichtregulationlight response
Cellulase Expressioncellulase expression

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