Assessment of the applicability of different fluorescent proteins in Trichoderma atroviride
Student/in: Julia Nagler, BSc
Termin: 04.12.2025, 15:15 Uhr
Ort: Seminarraum Biologie, Foyer
1. Prüfer/in: Clara Baldin, PhD
2. Prüfer/in: Univ.-Prof. Mag. Dr. Sigrid Neuhauser
Vorsitzende/r: Priv.-Doz. Mag. Dr. Andreas Wagner
Interessierte Kolleginnen und Kollegen sind herzlich willkommen!
Abstract
Trichoderma is a widespread genus of ascomycete fungi found in diverse ecosystems and is particularly valued in agriculture as a biological control agent. A specific example of Trichoderma’s effects is seen in the species Trichoderma atroviride. T. atroviride not only promotes plant growth and enhances plant immune responses but also acts directly against phytopathogens. Despite its importance, many aspects of T. atroviride’s cellular processes and stress responses remain poorly understood.
Fluorescence microscopy has become a central tool for studying fungal cell biology. While a wide range of optimized fluorophores exists for animal and yeast systems, the options for filamentous fungi like Trichoderma are still largely limited to GFP and mCherry.
The aim of this work is to identify and evaluate new fluorescent proteins (fluorophores) for T. atroviride that offer distinct spectral properties. Using molecular techniques such as plasmid construction and CRISPR/Cas9-mediated transformation, mutant strains expressing different fluorescent proteins have been generated and analyzed. After verifying the expression and evaluating the fluorescence properties, selected fluorophores have been fused to specific cellular localization signals to enable simultaneous multicolor visualization of various subcellular compartments.