Nuclear traffic and cellulase production in Trichoderma

01.04.2011 - 30.11.2014
Research funding project
Trichoderma reesei (teleomorph Hypocrea jecorina) is the main industrial source of cellulases and hemicellulases used for the hydrolysis of biomass to simple sugars, which can then be converted to biofuels, such as ethanol, and other chemicals. The strains in use today have been obtained by classical mutagenesis. In order to learn how cellulase production was improved by these techniques, we previously used Illumina next generation sequencing technologies to identify mutations in the genomes of two hyperproducing mutants (NG14, and its direct improved descendant, RUT C30). Thereby, we detected several mutated genes that were mainly in nuclear transport, thus making nuclear traffic a potential pacemaker in cellulase production. In this project, we plan a systematic study on the importins and exportins responsible for nuclear traffic of the main cellulase regulator XYR1, and propose a strategy aimed at testing which of these components is actually rate limiting to cellulase gene expression.

People

Project leader

Project personnel

Institute

Grant funds

  • FWF - Österr. Wissenschaftsfonds (National) Austrian Science Fund (FWF)

Research focus

  • Beyond TUW-research focus: 100%

Keywords

GermanEnglish
TrichodermaTrichoderma
Kerntransportnuclear transport
Cellulasecellulase
BiotreibstoffeBiofuels
Gentechnikgene technology

Publications