Potential of Aspergillus oryzae as a biosynthetic platform for indigoidine, a non-ribosomal peptide pigment with antioxidant activity

PLoS One. 2022 Jun 23;17(6):e0270359. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0270359. eCollection 2022.

Abstract

The growing demand for natural pigments in the industrial sector is a significant driving force in the development of production processes. The production of natural blue pigments, which have wide industrial applications, using microbial systems has been gaining significant attention. In this study, we used Aspergillus oryzae as a platform cell factory to produce the blue pigment indigoidine (InK), by genetic manipulation of its non-ribosomal peptide synthetase system to overexpress the indigoidine synthetase gene (AoinK). Phenotypic analysis showed that InK production from the engineered strain was growth associated, owing to the constitutive control of gene expression. Furthermore, the initial pH, temperature, and glutamine and MgSO4 concentrations were key factors affecting InK production by the engineered strain. The pigment secretion was enhanced by addition of 1% Tween 80 solution to the culture medium. The maximum titer of total InK was 1409.22 ± 95.33 mg/L, and the maximum productivity was 265.09 ± 14.74 mg/L·d. Moreover, the recombinant InK produced by the engineered strain exhibited antioxidant activity. These results indicate that A. oryzae has the potential to be used as a fungal platform for overproduction of extracellular non-ribosomal peptide pigments.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Antioxidants / metabolism
  • Aspergillus oryzae* / genetics
  • Aspergillus oryzae* / metabolism
  • Peptides / metabolism
  • Piperidones*

Substances

  • Antioxidants
  • Peptides
  • Piperidones
  • indigoidine

Grants and funding

1. Chanikul Chutrakul (Grant No. RSA6280066) from Thailand Science Research and Innovation (TSRI), Thailand. The funder had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. 2. Kobkul Laoteng (Grant No. P19-52263) from Targeted Research Grant of Functional Ingredients and Food Innovation, National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), Thailand. The funder had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.