Use of CRISPR‐Cas tools to engineer Trichoderma species

Abstract

Given their lignocellulose degradability and biocontrol activities, fungi of the ubiquitously distributed genus Trichoderma have multiple industrial and agricultural applications. Genetic manipulation plays a valuable role in tailoring novel engineered strains with enhanced target traits. Nevertheless, as applied to fungi, the classic tools of genetic manipulation tend to be time‐consuming and tedious. However, the recent development of the CRISPR‐Cas system for gene editing has enabled researchers to achieve genome‐wide gene disruptions, gene replacements, and precise editing, and this technology has emerged as a primary focus for novel developments in engineered strains of Trichoderma. Here, we provide a brief overview of the traditional approaches to genetic manipulation, the different strategies employed in establishing CRSIPR‐Cas systems, the utilization of these systems to develop engineered strains of Trichoderma for desired applications, and the future trends in biotechnology.

Trichoderma and its role in biological control of plant fungal and nematode disease

“…Studies on miRNA regulation of Trichoderma colonization host process and plant immune response, and the regulation mechanism of cross-border miRNA transduction between Trichoderma , plants, and pathogenic microorganisms are emerging. The combination design or co-culture technology of Trichoderma and other microorganisms has become key for tapping new metabolites with specific functions of microorganisms, broadening the target spectrum of microbial metabolites, and developing new biopesticides and biostimulants based on metabolites ( Wang Y. et al, 2022 ). It is expected to become a new direction for the development of macromolecular biopesticides by molecular construction or modification of the Trichoderma multi-stimulator fusion protein and the development of new plant immune-activating protein pesticides.…”

Strategies for the Development of Industrial Fungal Producing Strains

“…Nevertheless, instrumental costs hinder its applicability. Electroporation-mediated transformation has been applied in several fungal species such as N. crassa, Penicillium urticae [127], Pseudogymnoascus verrucosus [128], Monascus purpureus [129] or T. harzianum [130], and in some other filamentous fungi of industrial relevance such as A. niger [131], A. oryzae [127] or T. reesei [132].…”

Exploiting synergies between microbial electrochemical technologies and synthetic biology

“…Rationally tuning phenotypes to match the electrochemical environment remains a major challenge, which requires intensive efforts on strain engineering. In this special issue, (Wang, et al, 2022a ) comprehensively reviewed the development of CRISPR‐Cas tools for the fungus Trichoderma . Different transformation methods and strategies to introduce Cas nucleases and guide RNAs into the fungal cells are compared in this article, as well as the potential application scenarios and future perspectives.…”