Trichoderma reesei

The filamentous fungus Trichoderma reesei (teleomorph: Hypocrea jecorina) grows on rotting plant material in its natural habitat. It is among the most prolific producers of plant cell-wall-degrading enzymes and is frequently used in industry for production of those and other performance proteins. A complete telomere-to-telomere genome sequence is now available (34 Mb, 10 877 genes, 7 chromosomes). Sexual reproduction of the haploid T. reesei in the laboratory was achieved only about a decade ago and requires pheromones, but also other chemical signals. T. reesei is readily transformable, and a plethora of tools, including CRISPR/Cas, have been developed which facilitate functional genomics, genome-wide investigations, and live-cell imaging, and tools to investigate chemical communication. Studies focused on a detailed understanding of enzyme expression and its improvement revealed the interplay of numerous transcription factors, connections to signaling pathways, and a significant impact of light. Detailed understanding of the physiology of T. reesei will enable optimized enzyme expression and thereby support development of more sustainable, yet commercially viable, solutions for biofuel production, textile production and recycling, chemical conversions using enzymes, food processing, production of pharmaceuticals including antibodies, bioremediation, and agriculture.