Loss of AA13 LPMOs impairs degradation of resistant starch and reduces the growth of Aspergillus nidulans

ABSTRACT: Background Lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases (LPMOs) are often studied in simple models involving activity measurements of a single LPMO or a blend thereof with hydrolytic enzymes towards an insoluble substrate. However, the contribution of LPMOs to polysaccharide breakdown in complex cocktails of hydrolytic and oxidative enzymes, similar to fungal secretomes, remains elusive. Typically, two starch-specific AA13 LPMOs are encoded by mainly Ascomycota genomes. Here, we investigate the impact of LPMO loss on the growth and degradation of starches of varying resistance to amylolytic hydrolases by Aspergillus nidulans. Results Deletion of the genes encoding AnAA13A that possesses a CBM20 starch-binding module, AnAA13B (lacking a CBM20) or both AA13s genes resulted in reduction in growth on solid media with resistant, but not soluble processed potato starch. Larger size and amount of residual starch granules were observed for the AA13 KO strains as compared to the reference and the impairment of granular starch degradation was more severe for the AnAA13A KO based on a microscopic analysis. After five days of growth on raw potato starch in liquid media, the mount of residual starch was about 5-fold higher for the AA13 KO strains compared to the reference, which underscores the importance of LPMOs for degradation of especially resistant starches. Proteomic analyses revealed substantial changes in the secretomes of the AA13 double KO, followed by the AnAA13A deficient strains, whereas no significant changes in the proteome were observed for the AnAA13B deficient strain. Conclusions This study shows that the loss of AA13, especially the starch-binding AnAA13A, impairs degradation of resistant potato starch, but has limited impact less-resistant wheat starch and has no impact at all on processed solubilised starch. The effects of LPMO loss are more pronounced at the later stages of fungal growth, when the less-accessible regions of the substrate accumulate. The striking impact of the loss of a single LPMO against a whole secretome offers insight into the crucial role played by AA13 in the degradation of resistant starch and presents a methodological framework to analyse the contribution of distinct LPMOs towards complex substrates under in vivo conditions.

INSTRUMENT(S): Q Exactive

ORGANISM(S): Emericella Nidulans (strain Fgsc A4 / Atcc 38163 / Cbs 112.46 / Nrrl 194 / M139) (aspergillus Nidulans)

SUBMITTER: Erwin Schoof  

LAB HEAD: Maher Abou Hachem

PROVIDER: PXD020101 | Pride | 2020-09-02

REPOSITORIES: Pride