title: Genome-wide transcriptomic analysis of a superior biomass-degrading strain of A. fumigatus revealed active lignocellulose-degrading genes.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Various saprotrophic microorganisms, especially filamentous fungi, can efficiently degrade lignocellulose that is one of the most abundant natural materials on earth. It consists of complex carbohydrates and aromatic polymers found in the plant cell wall and thus in plant debris. Aspergillus fumigatus Z5 was isolated from compost heaps and showed highly efficient plant biomass-degradation capability.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The 29-million base-pair genome of Z5 was sequenced and 9540 protein-coding genes were predicted and annotated. Genome analysis revealed an impressive array of genes encoding cellulases, hemicellulases and pectinases involved in lignocellulosic biomass degradation. Transcriptional responses of A. fumigatus Z5 induced by sucrose, oat spelt xylan, Avicel PH-101 and rice straw were compared. There were 444, 1711 and 1386 significantly differently expressed genes in xylan, cellulose and rice straw, respectively, when compared to sucrose as a control condition.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Combined analysis of the genomic and transcriptomic data provides a comprehensive understanding of the responding mechanisms to the most abundant natural polysaccharides in A. fumigatus. This study provides a basis for further analysis of genes shown to be highly induced in the presence of polysaccharide substrates and also the information which could prove useful for biomass degradation and heterologous protein expression.
authors.affiliation: Jiangsu Key Lab and Engineering Center for Solid Organic Waste Utilization, National Engineering Research Center for Organic-based Fertilizers, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, P.R. China. 2011203046@njau.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Youzhi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Miao
authors.affiliation: Jiangsu Key Lab and Engineering Center for Solid Organic Waste Utilization, National Engineering Research Center for Organic-based Fertilizers, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, P.R. China. liudongyang@njau.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Dongyang
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Jiangsu Key Lab and Engineering Center for Solid Organic Waste Utilization, National Engineering Research Center for Organic-based Fertilizers, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, P.R. China. 2013103108@njau.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Guangqi
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Jiangsu Key Lab and Engineering Center for Solid Organic Waste Utilization, National Engineering Research Center for Organic-based Fertilizers, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, P.R. China. 2013103110@njau.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Pan
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Jiangsu Key Lab and Engineering Center for Solid Organic Waste Utilization, National Engineering Research Center for Organic-based Fertilizers, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, P.R. China. ycxu@njau.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Yangchun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Jiangsu Key Lab and Engineering Center for Solid Organic Waste Utilization, National Engineering Research Center for Organic-based Fertilizers, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, P.R. China. shenqirong@njau.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Qirong
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.affiliation: Jiangsu Key Lab and Engineering Center for Solid Organic Waste Utilization, National Engineering Research Center for Organic-based Fertilizers, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, P.R. China. rfzhang@njau.edu.cn.|Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources Collection and Preservation, Ministry of Agriculture, Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, P.R. China. rfzhang@njau.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Ruifu
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D001232:Aspergillus fumigatus / Q000235:genetics*; D018533:Biomass; D044602:Cellulases / Q000235:genetics; D002482:Cellulose / Q000235:genetics; D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D005658:Fungi / Q000235:genetics; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling / Q000379:methods; D016681:Genome, Fungal / Q000235:genetics; D023281:Genomics / Q000379:methods; D006026:Glycoside Hydrolases / Q000235:genetics; D008031:Lignin / Q000235:genetics*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic / Q000235:genetics; D059467:Transcriptome / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D005656:Fungal Proteins; C036909:lignocellulose; D002482:Cellulose; D008031:Lignin; D044602:Cellulases; D006026:Glycoside Hydrolases; C023305:hemicellulase; C109691:microcrystalline cellulose