Alterations in protein secretion caused by metabolic engineering of glycosylation pathways in fungi

Due to its natural properties, Trichoderma reesei is commonly used in industry-scale production of secretory proteins. Since almost all secreted proteins are O-glycosylated, modulation of the activity of enzymes of the O-glycosylation pathway are likely to affect protein production and secretion or change the glycosylation pattern of the secreted proteins, altering their stability and biological activity. Understanding how the activation of different components of the O-glycosylation pathway influences the glycosylation pattern of proteins and their production and secretion could help in elucidating the mechanism of the regulation of these processes and should facilitate creation of engineered microorganisms producing high amounts of useful proteins. In this review we focus on data concerning Trichoderma, but also present some background information allowing comparison with other fungal species.