Comparative Transcriptome Analysis of Genes Involved in Sesquiterpene Alkaloid Biosynthesis in Trichoderma longibrachiatum MD33 and UN32

Abstract

Trichoderma longibrachiatum MD33, a sesquiterpene alkaloid-producing endophyte isolated from Dendrobium nobile, shows potential medical and industrial applications. To understand the molecular mechanisms of sesquiterpene alkaloids production, a comparative transcriptome analysis was performed on strain MD33 and its positive mutant UN32, which was created using Ultraviolet (UV) mutagenesis and nitrogen ion (N+) implantation. The alkaloid production of UN32 was 2.62 times more than that of MD33. One thousand twenty-four differentially expressed genes (DEGs), including 519 up-regulated and 505 down-regulated genes, were identified. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis revealed 139 GO terms and 87 biosynthesis pathways. Dendrobine, arguably the main sesquiterpene alkaloid the strain MD33 produced, might start synthesis through the mevalonate (MVA) pathway. Several MVA pathway enzyme-coding genes (hydroxy-methylglutaryl-CoA synthase, mevalonate kinase, and farnesyl diphosphate synthase) were found to be differentially expressed, suggesting that physical mutagenesis can disrupt genome integrity and gene expression. Some backbone post-modification enzymes and transcript factors were either discovered, suggesting the sesquiterpene alkaloid metabolism in T. longibrachiatum is a complex genetic network. Our findings help to shed light on the underlying molecular regulatory mechanism of sesquiterpene alkaloids production in T. longibrachiatum.

Exogenous and Endophytic Fungal Communities of Dendrobium nobile Lindl. across Different Habitats and Their Enhancement of Host Plants’ Dendrobine Content and Biomass Accumulation

“…MF23 participates in dendrobine biosynthesis by regulating postmodification enzyme (cytochrome P450, aminotransferase and methyltransferase) gene expression. , Sarsaiya et al (2020) reported that D. nobile endophytic fungus T. longibrachiatum MD33 could produce the same dendrobine as the host . They also found that the MVA pathway enzyme-coding genes (hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA synthase, farnesyl diphosphate synthase and mevalonate kinase) might participate in sesquiterpene alkaloid metabolism in T. longibrachiatum isolated from D. nobile . Xu et al (2022) reported that the TPS and CYP450 gene families might also contribute to alkaloid biosynthesis in D. nobile .…”

“… 16 They also found that the MVA pathway enzyme-coding genes (hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA synthase, farnesyl diphosphate synthase and mevalonate kinase) might participate in sesquiterpene alkaloid metabolism in T. longibrachiatum isolated from D. nobile . 55 Xu et al (2022) reported that the TPS and CYP450 gene families might also contribute to alkaloid biosynthesis in D. nobile . 56 Wang et al (2022) reported that two dendrobine-type sesquiterpenoid alkaloids (6-hydroxydendrobine and nobilonine) from the Dendrobium endophytic bacterium Pseudomonas protegens CHA0 were synthesized mainly through the MEP pathway.…”

Transcriptome Analysis of Dendrobine Biosynthesis in Trichoderma longibrachiatum MD33

“…The Fungal Transcription Factors Database FTFD 1 contains information on 61 TF families, including bHLH, bZIP, C2H2 zinc finger, Zn2Cys6, and the zinc finger type GATA. These TFs have been identified in T. atroviride , T. virens , and T. reesei ( Qian et al, 2021 ), and are involved in amino acid and vitamin synthesis, carbon and nitrogen metabolism, meiosis, and morphogenesis ( Macpherson et al, 2006 ). Following MeJA treatment, many TFs were up-regulated, including zn-clus, SET, C3H, and GNAT.…”

“…The Fungal Transcription Factors Database FTFD 1 contains information on 61 TF families, including bHLH, bZIP, C2H2 zinc finger, Zn2Cys6, and the zinc finger type GATA. These TFs have been identified in T. atroviride, T. virens, and T. reesei (Qian et al, 2021), and…”

Picrotoxane sesquiterpenoids: chemistry, chemo- and bio-syntheses and biological activities

“…In this process, cyclase, cytochrome oxidase, methyltransferase, and aminotransferase were considered to be the key enzymes, but this requires further empirical evidence. 7,192…”