The transcription machinery underlying flower formation

The Kluyver Centre for Genomics of Industrial Fermentations and the Netherlands Proteomics Centre collaborate in a Hotel Project to study secretion of proteins in the mycelium of the filamentous fungus Aspergillus niger. Han Wösten’s Microbiology group and Albert Heck’s Biomolecular Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics group analyze the secretome of this filamentous fungus that is used as a cell factory for industrial proteins. In this study, state of the art proteomics and genomics will be combined to obtain more insight in which parts of the colony actually contribute to secretion of (sets of) proteins. By using a defined culturing technique, secretion of enzymes at different zones of the fungus can be harvested. Using an advanced mass spectrometric technique, about seventy enzymes were identified at the periphery of the fungus. Of the proteins identified, all but one showed a predicted signal sequence for secretion. This shows that lysis of cells is minor, if present at all, in this zone of the colony. Lysis seems also absent in the colony centre, despite the fact that this part of the colony was already seven days old. Remarkably, six proteins that were not produced at the periphery of the colony were secreted in this zone. Thus, heterogeneity is reflected in the secretion of the mycelium. With this knowledge production of industrial relevant proteins can be improved