Engineering the Cellulolytic Fungus Myceliophthora thermophila into a Platform for Producing Commodity Chemicals Directly from Lignocellulose

Producing the fuels and chemicals from renewable plant biomass has been thought as a feasible way for global sustainable development. However, the economical efficiency of biorefinery remains challenges. Here a cellulolytic thermophilic fungus, Myceliophthora thermophila, was constructed into a platform through metabolic engineering, which can efficiently convert lignocellulose to important bulk chemicals for polymers, four carbon 1, 4-diacids (malic and succinic acid), directly from lignocellulose without any extra enzymes addition or complicated pretreatment, with titer of over 200 g/L on cellulose and 110 g/L on plant biomass (corncob) during fed-batch fermentation. Our study represents a milestone of consolidated bioprocessing technology (CBP) and offers a new promising system for cost-effectively production of biomass-based chemicals and potentially fuels. mRNA profiles of Myceliophthora thermophila ATCC42464 wild-type strain and it derivatives exposed to glucose or cellulose (Avicel). The derivates (JG141,JG207, JG207Ncclr2, and JG336 strains) were obtained by genetic manipulation in M. thermophila wild-type strain.