Pyr4 blaster cassettes: an essential tool for functional genomics in Hypocrea jecorina (Trichoderma reesei)

01.12.2005 - 01.02.2007
Research funding project
The ascomycete Hypocrea jecorina (Trichoderma reesei) is a filamentous fungi which degrades plant biomass. This fungus secretes a lagre number of extracellular enzymes including cellulases, hemicellulases and pectinases. These enzymes are produced industrially on a technical scale for textile or food industry. In addition a number of recombinant proteins are produced. H. jecorina belongs to the organisms which have GRAS (generally regarded as safe) status and is therefore also a good candidate for the production of fine chemicals. In the light of all these industrial applications, the US Department of Energy is funding research into developing T. reesei as a host to produce low cost enzymes for the conversion of plant biomass materials into industrially useful bioproducts such as sugars and bioethanol. Based on an intitiative of the US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute (www.jgi.doe.gov) the sequencing of the genome was completed. The Research Area Gene Technology and Applied Biochemistry (Institute for Chemical Engineering) is one of the international parntners who was invited for the genome annotation of H. jecorina. This shows the importance of this research group in general and of Vienna as a center of Hypocrea/Trichoderma reserach worldwide. The annotation is only the first step towards a functional characterization of the individual genes. For functional genomics efficient tools will be therefore developed to be able to conduct targeted mutagenesis of the Hypocrea genome. Functional genetic or genomic is based on a transformation system and appropriate genetic marker. Transformation of H. jecorina is nowadays a genetechnological standard method, but the number of useful markers is limited. This limits also the number of genes to be manipulated. To solve this problem, we will construct appropirate reusable markers: the so called blaster cassettes. These blaster cassettes have the advantage, that a high number of genes or complete gene families can be manipulated with a single marker. These cassettes can be removed after a successful round of gene manipulation. As a result the genetic modified fungus is isogenic with the exception of the marker introduced.

People

Project leader

Institute

Grant funds

  • Hochschuljubiläumsfonds der Stadt Wien (National) Anniversary Fund for Higher Education of the City of Vienna

Keywords

GermanEnglish
Hypocrea jecorinaHypocrea jecorina
Weiße Biotechnologiewhite biotechnology
Trichoderma reeseiTrichoderma reesei
Funktionelle Genomikfunctional genomics
Blaster Kassettenblaster cassettes

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