Fungi of the genus Trichoderma are soilborne,
green-spored ascomycetes that can be found all over the
world. They have been studied with respect to various
characteristics and applications and are known as successful
colonizers of their habitats, efficiently fighting their competitors.
Once established, they launch their potent degradative
machinery for decomposition of the often
heterogeneous substrate at hand. Therefore, distribution
and phylogeny, defense mechanisms, beneficial as well as
deleterious interaction with hosts, enzyme production and
secretion, sexual development, and response to environmental
conditions such as nutrients and light have been
studied in great detail with many species of this genus, thus
rendering Trichoderma one of the best studied fungi with
the genome of three species currently available. Efficient
biocontrol strains of the genus are being developed as
promising biological fungicides, and their weaponry for this
function also includes secondary metabolites with potential
applications as novel antibiotics. The cellulases produced
by Trichoderma reesei, the biotechnological workhorse of
the genus, are important industrial products, especially with
respect to production of second generation biofuels from
cellulosic waste. Genetic engineering not only led to
significant improvements in industrial processes but also
to intriguing insights into the biology of these fungi and is
now complemented by the availability of a sexual cycle in
T. reesei/Hypocrea jecorina, which significantly facilitates
both industrial and basic research. This review aims to give
a broad overview on the qualities and versatility of the best
studied Trichoderma species and to highlight intriguing
findings as well as promising applications
Fungi of the genus Trichoderma are soilborne,
green-spored ascomycetes that can be found all over the
world. They have been studied with respect to various
characteristics and applications and are known as successful
colonizers of their habitats, efficiently fighting their competitors.
Once established, they launch their potent degradative
machinery for decomposition of the often
heterogeneous substrate at hand. Therefore, distribution
and phylogeny, defense mechanisms, beneficial as well as
deleterious interaction with hosts, enzyme production and
secretion, sexual development, and response to environmental
conditions such as nutrients and light have been
studied in great detail with many species of this genus, thus
rendering Trichoderma one of the best studied fungi with
the genome of three species currently available. Efficient
biocontrol strains of the genus are being developed as
promising biological fungicides, and their weaponry for this
function also includes secondary metabolites with potential
applications as novel antibiotics. The cellulases produced
by Trichoderma reesei, the biotechnological workhorse of
the genus, are important industrial products, especially with
respect to production of second generation biofuels from
cellulosic waste. Genetic engineering not only led to
significant improvements in industrial processes but also
to intriguing insights into the biology of these fungi and is
now complemented by the availability of a sexual cycle in
T. reesei/Hypocrea jecorina, which significantly facilitates
both industrial and basic research. This review aims to give
a broad overview on the qualities and versatility of the best
studied Trichoderma species and to highlight intriguing
findings as well as promising applications
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