Transcriptional Activator UvXlnR Is Required for Conidiation and Pathogenicity of Rice False Smut Fungus Ustilaginoidea virens.

Transcription factors play critical roles in diverse biological processes in fungi. XlnR, identified as a transcriptional activator that regulates the expression of the extracellular xylanase genes in fungi, has not been extensively studied for its function in fungal development and pathogenicity in rice false smut fungus Ustilaginoidea virens. In this study, we characterized UvXlnR in U. virens and established that the full-length, N-terminal, and C-terminal forms have the ability to activate transcription. The study further demonstrated that UvXlnR plays crucial roles in various aspects of U. virens biology. Deletion of UvXlnR affected growth, conidiation, and stress response. UvXlnR mutants also exhibited reduced pathogenicity, which could be partially attributed to the reduced expression of xylanolytic genes and extracellular xylanase activity of U. virens during the infection process. Our results indicate that UvXlnR is involved in regulating growth, conidiation, stress response, and pathogenicity.

Characterization of Bifidobacterium kashiwanohense that utilizes both milk- and plant-derived oligosaccharides.

Bifidobacteria are prominent members of the human gut microbiota throughout life. The ability to utilize milk- and plant-derived carbohydrates is important for bifidobacterial colonization of the infant and adult gut. The Bifidobacterium catenulatum subspecies kashiwanohense (B. kashiwanohense) was originally isolated from infant feces. However, only a few strains have been described, and the characteristics of this subspecies have been poorly investigated. Here, we characterized genotypes and phenotypes of 23 B. kashiwanohense-associated strains, including 12 newly sequenced isolates. Genome-based analysis clarified the phylogenetic relationship between these strains, revealing that only 13 strains are genuine B. kashiwanohense. We defined specific marker sequences and investigated the worldwide prevalence of B. kashiwanohense based on metagenome data. This revealed that not only infants but also adults and weaning children harbor this subspecies in the gut. Most B. kashiwanohense strains utilize long-chain xylans and possess genes for extracellular xylanase (GH10), arabinofuranosidase and xylosidase (GH43), and ABC transporters that contribute to the utilization of xylan-derived oligosaccharides. We also confirmed that B. kashiwanohense strains utilize short- and long-chain human milk oligosaccharides and possess genes for fucosidase (GH95 and GH29) and specific ABC transporter substrate-binding proteins that contribute to the utilization of a wide range of human milk oligosaccharides. Collectively, we found that B. kashiwanohense strains utilize both plant- and milk-derived carbohydrates and identified key genetic factors that allow them to assimilate various carbohydrates.

Characterization of a Thermophilic Lignocellulose-Degrading Microbial Consortium with High Extracellular Xylanase Activity.

A microbial consortium, TMC7, was enriched for the degradation of natural lignocellulosic materials under high temperature. TMC7 degraded 79.7% of rice straw during 15 days of incubation at 65°C. Extracellular xylanase was effectively secreted and hemicellulose was mainly degraded in the early stage (first 3 days), whereas primary decomposition of cellulose was observed as of day 3. The optimal temperature and initial pH for extracellular xylanase activity and lignocellulose degradation were 65°C and between 7.0 and 9.0, respectively. Extracellular xylanase activity was maintained above 80% and 85% over a wide range of temperature (50-75°C) and pH values (6.0-11.0), respectively. Clostridium likely had the largest contribution to lignocellulose conversion in TMC7 initially, and Geobacillus, Aeribacillus, and Thermoanaerobacterium might have also been involved in the later phase. These results demonstrate the potential practical application of TMC7 for lignocellulosic biomass utilization in the biotechnological industry under hot and alkaline conditions.

New combination of xylanolytic bacteria isolated from the lignocellulose degradation microbial consortium XDC-2 with enhanced xylanase activity.

Three bacterial strains with extracellular xylanase activity were isolated from the microbial consortium XDC-2. The aerobic strain A7, belonging to Bacillus sp., was combined with the anaerobe Clostridium sp. strain AA3 and/or Bacteroides sp. strain AA4 to obtain an efficient natural xylanolytic complex enzyme. The synthetic microbial community M1 consisting of strains Bacillus and Clostridium showed enhanced extracellular xylanase activity and production, and higher lignocelluloses degradation capability than any of the pure cultures and other synthetic microbial communities. Neither corn straw degradation nor extracellular xylanase activity was enhanced in the other synthetic microbial communities, Bacillus, Bacteroides with or without Clostridium. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction showed that the aerobic strain Bacillus enabled the growth of the anaerobic strain Clostridium, but not that of the anaerobic strain Bacteroides. These findings suggest that strains Bacillus and Clostridium can coexist well and have a positive synergistic interaction for extracellular xylanase secretion and lignocellulose degradation.