Sequencing of Trichoderma caribbaeum IHBT for using the Illumina NovaSeq 6000 platform and PacBio Sequel II.

The efficient deconstruction of lignocellulosic and chitinous biomass is crucial for the production of sustainable bioenergy and the development of value added products. Trichoderma caribbaeum, a filamentous fungus the Trichoderma genus, is recognized for its potential as a biocontrol agent and in biomass degradation. In this study, the whole genome of Trichoderma caribbaeum IHBT, isolated from the western Himalayan region, was sequenced to identify genes encoding carbohydrate active enzymes. The size of the assembled genome was 36.2Mb with an N50 value of 1.2Mb and a GC content of 48 percent. Genome mining enabled the identification and functional annotation of 362 putative CAZyme encoding genes, including glycoside hydrolases, carbohydrate esterases, polysaccharide lyases, and auxiliary activity enzymes. Furthermore, a time course expression profiling of Trichoderma caribbaeum IHBT grown on sugarcane bagasse revealed an upregulation of several genes involved in carbohydrate metabolism, including lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases, suggesting an important role of the T. caribbaeum isolate in biomass deconstruction. The study provides a repertoire of promising CAZyme encoding genes for industrial applications, such as in biofuel production and biorefinery processes.