New colours for old in the blue-cheese fungus Penicillium roqueforti
Abstract Penicillium roqueforti is used worldwide in the production of blue-veined cheese. The blue-green colour derives from pigmented spores formed by fungal growth. Using a combination of bioinformatics, targeted gene deletions, and heterologous gene expression we discovered that pigment formatio...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Nature Portfolio
2024-01-01
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| Series: | npj Science of Food |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41538-023-00244-9 |
| _version_ | 1797355547244101632 |
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| author | Matthew M. Cleere Michaela Novodvorska Elena Geib Jack Whittaker Heather Dalton Nadhira Salih Sarah Hewitt Matthew Kokolski Matthias Brock Paul S. Dyer |
| author_facet | Matthew M. Cleere Michaela Novodvorska Elena Geib Jack Whittaker Heather Dalton Nadhira Salih Sarah Hewitt Matthew Kokolski Matthias Brock Paul S. Dyer |
| author_sort | Matthew M. Cleere |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Penicillium roqueforti is used worldwide in the production of blue-veined cheese. The blue-green colour derives from pigmented spores formed by fungal growth. Using a combination of bioinformatics, targeted gene deletions, and heterologous gene expression we discovered that pigment formation was due to a DHN-melanin biosynthesis pathway. Systematic deletion of pathway genes altered the arising spore colour, yielding white to yellow-green to red-pink-brown phenotypes, demonstrating the potential to generate new coloured strains. There was no consistent impact on mycophenolic acid production as a result of pathway interruption although levels of roquefortine C were altered in some deletants. Importantly, levels of methyl-ketones associated with blue-cheese flavour were not impacted. UV-induced colour mutants, allowed in food production, were then generated. A range of colours were obtained and certain phenotypes were successfully mapped to pathway gene mutations. Selected colour mutants were subsequently used in cheese production and generated expected new colourations with no elevated mycotoxins, offering the exciting prospect of use in future cheese manufacture. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T14:12:44Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f71110d874b0469ea14b05f8fab7b855 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2396-8370 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T14:12:44Z |
| publishDate | 2024-01-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | npj Science of Food |
| spelling | doaj.art-f71110d874b0469ea14b05f8fab7b8552024-01-14T12:37:54ZengNature Portfolionpj Science of Food2396-83702024-01-018111110.1038/s41538-023-00244-9New colours for old in the blue-cheese fungus Penicillium roquefortiMatthew M. Cleere0Michaela Novodvorska1Elena Geib2Jack Whittaker3Heather Dalton4Nadhira Salih5Sarah Hewitt6Matthew Kokolski7Matthias Brock8Paul S. Dyer9School of Life Sciences, University of NottinghamSchool of Life Sciences, University of NottinghamSchool of Life Sciences, University of NottinghamSchool of Life Sciences, University of NottinghamSchool of Life Sciences, University of NottinghamSchool of Life Sciences, University of NottinghamSchool of Life Sciences, University of NottinghamSchool of Life Sciences, University of NottinghamSchool of Life Sciences, University of NottinghamSchool of Life Sciences, University of NottinghamAbstract Penicillium roqueforti is used worldwide in the production of blue-veined cheese. The blue-green colour derives from pigmented spores formed by fungal growth. Using a combination of bioinformatics, targeted gene deletions, and heterologous gene expression we discovered that pigment formation was due to a DHN-melanin biosynthesis pathway. Systematic deletion of pathway genes altered the arising spore colour, yielding white to yellow-green to red-pink-brown phenotypes, demonstrating the potential to generate new coloured strains. There was no consistent impact on mycophenolic acid production as a result of pathway interruption although levels of roquefortine C were altered in some deletants. Importantly, levels of methyl-ketones associated with blue-cheese flavour were not impacted. UV-induced colour mutants, allowed in food production, were then generated. A range of colours were obtained and certain phenotypes were successfully mapped to pathway gene mutations. Selected colour mutants were subsequently used in cheese production and generated expected new colourations with no elevated mycotoxins, offering the exciting prospect of use in future cheese manufacture.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41538-023-00244-9 |
| spellingShingle | Matthew M. Cleere Michaela Novodvorska Elena Geib Jack Whittaker Heather Dalton Nadhira Salih Sarah Hewitt Matthew Kokolski Matthias Brock Paul S. Dyer New colours for old in the blue-cheese fungus Penicillium roqueforti npj Science of Food |
| title | New colours for old in the blue-cheese fungus Penicillium roqueforti |
| title_full | New colours for old in the blue-cheese fungus Penicillium roqueforti |
| title_fullStr | New colours for old in the blue-cheese fungus Penicillium roqueforti |
| title_full_unstemmed | New colours for old in the blue-cheese fungus Penicillium roqueforti |
| title_short | New colours for old in the blue-cheese fungus Penicillium roqueforti |
| title_sort | new colours for old in the blue cheese fungus penicillium roqueforti |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41538-023-00244-9 |
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