Trichoderma spp. are biological control agents extensively used against various plant pathogens. However, the key genes shared for the growth, development and biological activity are unclear. In this study, we explored the genes responsible for the growth and development of T. asperellum GDFS 1009 under liquid-shaking culture compared to solid-surface culture. Transcriptome analysis revealed 2744 differentially expressed genes, and RT-qPCR validation showed that the high-affinity methionine permease MUP1 was the key gene for growth under different media. Deletion of the MUP1 inhibited the transport of amino acids, especially methionine, thereby inhibiting mycelial growth and sporulation, whereas inhibition could be mitigated by adding methionine metabolites such as SAM, spermidine and spermine. The MUP1 gene responsible for the methionine-dependent growth of T. asperellum was confirmed to be promoted through the PKA pathway but not the MAPK pathway. Furthermore, the MUP1 gene also increased the mycoparasitic activity of T. asperellum against Fusarium graminearum. Greenhouse experiments revealed that MUP1 strengthens the Trichoderma-induced crop growth promotion effect and SA-induced pathogen defense potential in maize. Our study highlights the effect of the MUP1 gene on growth and morphological differentiation and its importance for the agricultural application of Trichoderma against plant diseases.

To enhance the pigment production by Streptomyces sp. PM4 for evaluating its anticancer activity. Response surface methodology was employed to enhance the production of red pigment from Streptomyces sp. PM4. Optimized pigment was purified and evaluated for the anticancer activity against HT1080, Hep2, HeLa and MCF7 cell lines by MTT assay. Based on the response surface methodology, it could be concluded that maltose (4.06 g), peptone (7.34 g), yeast extract (4.34 g) and tyrosine (2.89 g) were required for the maximum production of pigment (1.68 g/L) by the Streptomyces sp. PM4. Optimization of the medium with the above tested features increased the pigment yield by 4.6 fold. Pigment showed the potential anticancer activity against HT1080, HEp-2, HeLa and MCF-7 cell lines with the IC50 value of 18.5, 15.3, 9.6 and 8.5 respectively. The study revealed that the maximum amount of pigment could be produced to treat cancer.

The fungi community structures of sponges Theonella swinhoei and Xestospongia testudinaria are different from that of ambient seawater. 18S rRNA vs. 18S rRNA ge

Velvet family proteins are global regulators of fungal growth and development. Here, we reported the role of Vel1 and Lae1 from T. asperellum in osmotic tolerance. Deletion of the Vel1 and Lae1 genes led to the retardation of vegetative mycelial growth under saline conditions. The strain carrying the overexpression locus of the Vel1 and Lae1 genes was highly resistant to oxidative stress by upregulating the enzymes and genes involved in antioxidant activity. Major physiological changes in the cell wall and vacuoles occurred under high saline conditions. The Vel1 and Lae1 overexpression strains increased cell wall thickness and the number of vacuoles, which seems to lead to an increase of the osmolyte content of glycerol and proline. The absorption of Na⁺ content in the vacuole of the Vel1 and Lae1 overexpression strains was increased, while the absorption of Na⁺ was impaired in the Vel1 and Lae1 knock out strains, in which the Na⁺ was localized in the cell wall membrane. This result supported the significant correlation of the expression of genes with the ionic transportation in T. asperellum. Maize root colonization by the Vel1 and Lae1 gene overexpression strain was increased, which would mitigate the stress caused by the absorption of Na⁺ in the maize roots and increased the plant growth. Our results highlighted the importance of Vel1 and Lae1 proteins to the salinity stress tolerance of T. asperellum and the mitigation of Na⁺ stress to plants for sustainable agriculture.