title: Ashbya gossypii beyond industrial riboflavin production: A historical perspective and emerging biotechnological applications.
abstract: The filamentous fungus Ashbya gossypii has been safely and successfully used for more than two decades in the commercial production of riboflavin (vitamin B2). Its industrial relevance combined with its high genetic similarity with Saccharomyces cerevisiae together promoted the accumulation of fundamental knowledge that has been efficiently converted into a significant molecular and in silico toolbox for its genetic engineering. This synergy has enabled a directed and sustained exploitation of A. gossypii as an industrial riboflavin producer. Although there is still room for optimizing riboflavin production, the recent years have seen an abundant advance in the exploration of A. gossypii for other biotechnological applications, such as the production of recombinant proteins, single cell oil and flavour compounds. Here, we will address the biotechnological potential of A. gossypii beyond riboflavin production by presenting (a) a physiological and metabolic perspective over this fungus; (b) the molecular toolbox available for its manipulation; and (c) commercial and emerging biotechnological applications for this industrially important fungus, together with the approaches adopted for its engineering.
authors.affiliation: CEB - Centre of Biological Engineering, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal. Electronic address: tatiana.aguiar@deb.uminho.pt.
authors.forename: Tatiana Q
authors.initials: TQ
authors.lastname: Aguiar
authors.affiliation: CEB - Centre of Biological Engineering, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal. Electronic address: rsilva@ceb.uminho.pt.
authors.forename: Rui
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.affiliation: CEB - Centre of Biological Engineering, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal. Electronic address: luciliad@deb.uminho.pt.
authors.forename: Lucília
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Domingues
mesh_terms: D001709:Biotechnology; D055169:Eremothecium / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D005818:Genetic Engineering; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D012256:Riboflavin / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000737:chemistry; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D012256:Riboflavin
keywords: Ashbya gossypii; Flavour compounds; Genetic engineering; Metabolism; Physiology; Recombinant proteins; Riboflavin; Single cell oil