Exploring the extremophilic fungi from pressmud: genomic analysis of Thermomucor indicae-seudaticae and diversity of osmophilic species

• Grant number: 15/25252-8
• Support type: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Doctorate
• Effective date (Start): April 01, 2016
• Effective date (End): September 30, 2016
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Microbiology
• Principal researcher: André Rodrigues
• Grantee: Tássio Brito de Oliveira
• Supervisor abroad: Nina Gunde-Cimerman
• Home Institution: Instituto de Biociências (IB). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Rio Claro. Rio Claro , SP, Brazil
• Research place: University of Ljubljana (UL), Slovenia
• Associated to the scholarship: 12/14594-7 - Fungi in the pressmud composting: diversity, genomics and biotechnological potential, BP.DR

Abstract

Pressmud is a material derived from sugarcane juice filtrate. Around 26 to 40 kg of this residue are produced per ton of sugarcane. This residue is mainly used as fertilizer in crops either with or without processing such as composting. Because pressmud presents high amounts of phosphorus, nitrogen and carbon it is an ideal habitat for microbial growth. In previous studies we unraveled the diversity of fungi in fresh pressmud and processed pressmud in a composting system by 454 pyrossequencing; in addition we characterized the enzymatic potential of heat-tolerant fungi isolated from these substrates. We obtained isolates of Thermomucor indicae-seudaticae, a thermophilic fungus able to produce biomass-degrading enzymes such as cellulase, pectinase and xylanase. Although many genomes from fungal species have been studied, the genome of T. indicae-seudaticae remains unexplored. Thus, we aim to look at genes encoding for relevant enzymes for biotechnological applications (cellulase, pectinase, xylanase and protease) in the genome of this fungus. In addition, we aim to study another under explored group of extremophiles, the osmophlilic fungi. We isolated 27 fungal strains from fresh pressmud and we will identify these isolates whereas previous studies have shown their potential for industrial application. By exploring the enzymatic repertoire in the genome of T. indicae-seudaticae as well as the diversity of osmophilic fungi we expect to shed the light onthe diversity and biotechnological potential of extremophilic fungi found in pressmud.

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

DE OLIVEIRA, TASSIO BRITO; GOSTINCAR, CENE; GUNDE-CIMERMAN, NINA; RODRIGUES, ANDRE. Genome mining for peptidases in heat-tolerant and mesophilic fungi and putative adaptations for thermostability. BMC Genomics, v. 19, FEB 20 2018. Web of Science Citations: 1.