Deletion of the predicted β-(1,3)-glucan synthase gene
- 1Microbiology, Department of Biology, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, Utrecht, 3584 CH, the Netherlands
- 2NMR Spectroscopy, Bijvoet Center for Biomolecular Research, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, Utrecht, 3584 CH, the Netherlands
- 3Microbiology, Department of Biology, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, Utrecht, 3584 CH, the Netherlands; Corresponding author at: Microbiology, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, 3584 CH Utrecht, the Netherlands.
Abstract
β-(1,3)-glucans are important for the integrity of the fungal cell wall and the interaction of fungi with the (a)biotic environment. For instance, the β-(1,3)(1,6)-glucan schizophyllan protects against thermal stress, starvation, and competition. Agaricomycetes like Schizophyllum commune have two β-(1,3)-glucan synthase (bgs) genes. Here, deletion constructs for the bgs1 and bgs2 genes were introduced in S. commune . A Δbgs2 strain was not obtained. Inactivation of bgs1 resulted in an approximately twofold lower production of water-soluble polysaccharide with FTIR characteristics consistent with schizophyllan. In addition, solid state NMR showed a relative 5-fold decrease in β-(1,3)-glucan / β-(1,3)(1,6)-glucan (schizophyllan) levels in the rigid part of the cell wall of the deletion strain, which was accompanied by a relative 3.3-fold and 2.7-fold increase in chitin and α-(1–3)-glucan, respectively. These changes in cell wall composition were accompanied by reduced growth, impaired fruiting body formation, and absence of spore production. Together, these data show for the first time the impact of a deletion of a β-(1,3)-glucan synthase gene in a mushroom-forming fungus on cell wall composition, growth, and fruiting body development.
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BibTeX
@article{schunselaar2026deletion,
title = {{Deletion of the predicted β-(1,3)-glucan synthase gene}},
author = {Ella M. Schunselaar and Fleur E.L. Kleijburg and Adil A. Safeer and Ajit K. Bishoyi and Sophie J.L. van Velzen and Peter Jan Vonk and Luis G. Lugones and Marc Baldus and Han A.B. Wösten},
journal = {The Cell Surface},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1016/j.tcsw.2026.100183},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tcsw.2026.100183},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Deletion of the predicted β-(1,3)-glucan synthase gene
AU - Ella M. Schunselaar
AU - Fleur E.L. Kleijburg
AU - Adil A. Safeer
AU - Ajit K. Bishoyi
AU - Sophie J.L. van Velzen
AU - Peter Jan Vonk
AU - Luis G. Lugones
AU - Marc Baldus
AU - Han A.B. Wösten
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/16
JO - The Cell Surface
DO - 10.1016/j.tcsw.2026.100183
UR - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tcsw.2026.100183
AB - β-(1,3)-glucans are important for the integrity of the fungal cell wall and the interaction of fungi with the (a)biotic environment. For instance, the β-(1,3)(1,6)-glucan schizophyllan protects against thermal stress, starvation, and competition. Agaricomycetes like Schizophyllum commune have two β-(1,3)-glucan synthase (bgs) genes. Here, deletion constructs for the bgs1 and bgs2 genes were introduced in S. commune . A Δbgs2 strain was not obtained. Inactivation of bgs1 resulted in an approximately twofold lower production of water-soluble polysaccharide with FTIR characteristics consistent with schizophyllan. In addition, solid state NMR showed a relative 5-fold decrease in β-(1,3)-glucan / β-(1,3)(1,6)-glucan (schizophyllan) levels in the rigid part of the cell wall of the deletion strain, which was accompanied by a relative 3.3-fold and 2.7-fold increase in chitin and α-(1–3)-glucan, respectively. These changes in cell wall composition were accompanied by reduced growth, impaired fruiting body formation, and absence of spore production. Together, these data show for the first time the impact of a deletion of a β-(1,3)-glucan synthase gene in a mushroom-forming fungus on cell wall composition, growth, and fruiting body development.
SN - 2468-2330
ER -