Heterogeneity in the mycelium: implications for the use of fungi as cell factories

Fungi are widely used as cell factories for the production of pharmaceutical compounds, enzymes and metabolites. Fungi form colonies that consist of a network of hyphae. During the last two decades it has become clear that fungal colonies within a liquid culture are heterogeneous in size and gene ex...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Biotechnology letters 2013-08, Vol.35 (8), p.1155-1164
Main Authors: Wösten, Han A. B, van Veluw, G. Jerre, de Bekker, C, Krijgsheld, Pauline
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Applied Microbiology
Biochemistry
Biomedical and Life Sciences
Bioreactors
Bioreactors - microbiology
Biotechnology
Colonies
Culture
enzymes
Factories
Fungi
Fungi - metabolism
gene expression
Genetic Heterogeneity
Heterogeneity
hyphae
Life Sciences
Manufacturing engineering
Metabolites
Microbiology
mycelium
Mycelium - metabolism
Pharmaceuticals
Productivity
Review
RNA
secretion
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Summary:Fungi are widely used as cell factories for the production of pharmaceutical compounds, enzymes and metabolites. Fungi form colonies that consist of a network of hyphae. During the last two decades it has become clear that fungal colonies within a liquid culture are heterogeneous in size and gene expression. Heterogeneity in growth, secretion, and RNA composition can even be found between and within zones of colonies. These findings imply that productivity in a bioreactor may be increased by reducing the heterogeneity within the culture. The results also imply that molecular mechanisms underlying productivity of fungi in bioreactors should not be studied at the culture level but at the level of micro-colony populations or even at zonal or hyphal level.
ISSN:0141-5492
1573-6776
DOI:10.1007/s10529-013-1210-x