Fungal Cell Factories for Efficient and Sustainable Production of Proteins and Peptides

Author: mycolabadmin
2022-03-30
View Source

Summary

This research examines how fungi can be used as efficient and sustainable factories to produce valuable proteins and other compounds. Fungi are particularly good at secreting large amounts of proteins compared to other microorganisms, making them excellent candidates for industrial production. The findings impact everyday life in several ways: • More sustainable and efficient production of industrial enzymes used in detergents, food processing, and other consumer products • Development of new meat alternatives and protein-rich foods through fungal fermentation • More environmentally friendly ways to produce food proteins compared to traditional animal agriculture • Potential for converting agricultural waste into valuable food and feed products • Creation of new bio-based materials and ingredients for various consumer products

Background

Filamentous fungi are a large and diverse taxonomic group of microorganisms found worldwide that grow as networks of cells called hyphae. They naturally produce different enzymes to degrade materials and secrete defense proteins and surface-attachment proteins. Many fungi are easy to cultivate and their protein/enzyme secretion levels often exceed those of yeast and bacteria, making them preferred industrial production hosts.

Objective

This review aims to provide an overview of different proteins, enzymes and peptides produced by well-known fungi used as cell factories, and describe key challenges in optimizing fungi as efficient production hosts. The review focuses on fungal production of proteins/peptides relevant for biomedicine, biomass deconstruction, feed and food, as well as challenges related to culture conditions, fermentation techniques, and use of cheap substrates.

Results

The review found that filamentous fungi are excellent cell factories due to their robust growth, efficient secretion systems, and ability to utilize complex substrates. Key advantages include powerful secretory pathways and correct post-translational modifications. Production yields of 10-100 g/L have been achieved for industrial enzymes. Both SmF and SSF show promise but have different advantages – SmF allows better process control while SSF can achieve higher volumetric productivity with cheaper substrates.

Conclusion

Filamentous fungi are efficient protein/peptide production hosts due to their secretion capabilities, GRAS status, scalable fermentation expertise, and genetic engineering potential. While research lags behind bacterial/yeast systems, recent advances in understanding fungal molecular mechanisms and secretory pathways have improved their utility. Future opportunities exist in discovering new fungal species as cell factories and expanding their use for sustainable food protein production.

Published in:Microorganisms,
Study Type:Review,
Source: 10.3390/microorganisms10040753