Abstract
BackgroundRhizopus oryzae is a zygomycete filamentous fungus, well-known as a saprobe ubiquitous in soil and as a pathogenic/spoilage fungus, causing Rhizopus rot and mucomycoses.ResultsCarbohydrate Active enzyme (CAZy) annotation of the R. oryzae identified, in contrast to other filamentous fungi, a low number of glycoside hydrolases (GHs) and a high number of glycosyl transferases (GTs) and carbohydrate esterases (CEs). A detailed analysis of CAZy families, supported by growth data, demonstrates highly specialized plant and fungal cell wall degrading abilities distinct from ascomycetes and basidiomycetes. The specific genomic and growth features for degradation of easily digestible plant cell wall mono- and polysaccharides (starch, galactomannan, unbranched pectin, hexose sugars), chitin, chitosan, β-1,3-glucan and fungal cell wall fractions suggest specific adaptations of R. oryzae to its environment.ConclusionsCAZy analyses of the genome of the zygomycete fungus R. oryzae and comparison to ascomycetes and basidiomycete species revealed how evolution has shaped its genetic content with respect to carbohydrate degradation, after divergence from the Ascomycota and Basidiomycota.
Highlights
Rhizopus oryzae is a zygomycete filamentous fungus, well-known as a saprobe ubiquitous in soil and as a pathogenic/spoilage fungus, causing Rhizopus rot and mucomycoses
This value is similar to the number of CAZymes found in known plant cell wall (PCW)
A total of 116 glycoside hydrolases were found in the R. oryzae genome, which is lower to what has been found in other filamentous fungi
Summary
Rhizopus oryzae is a zygomycete filamentous fungus, well-known as a saprobe ubiquitous in soil and as a pathogenic/spoilage fungus, causing Rhizopus rot and mucomycoses. The phylum Zygomycota is a primitive and early diverging group of fungi. Fungal species belonging to this basal fungal lineage are characterized by sexual reproduction via zygospores, asexual reproduction by uni-to multispored sporangia and, in most species, nonseptate (i.e coenocytic) hyphae. The Zygomycota is divided into two classes, the Zygomycetes and the Trichomycetes. The Zygomycetes are an ecologically diverse class of fungi, including both saprobes and pathogens of plants, animals (including humans) and other fungi. Rhizopus oryzae is a member of the order Mucorales, genus of Microbiology & Kluyver Centre for Genomics of Industrial Fermentation, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, 3584 CH, Utrecht, The Netherlands. The order of Mucorales consists of genera such as Mucor, Phycomyces, Rhizopus, Rhizomucor
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