Preliminary exploration of the mechanisms underlying morphology engineering of Monascus purpureus during submerged fermentation via multi-omics approaches

Herein, multi-omics approaches were employed to investigate the relationship between mycelia morphology and biosynthesis of Monascus pigments (MPs) during submerged fermentation of Monascus purpureus . Through heavy ion beam irradiation, eleven mutants with diverse mycelial morphologies and MPs productions were generated. Genome resequencing analysis revealed that the autologous genes of these mutants were primarily enriched in pathways associated with histone ubiquitination and methylation. Among them, M. purpureus ZS exhibited a 2.49-fold increase in MPs production and distinct mycelia morphology compared to the parent strain, thus it was selected for transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses. The results revealed showed significant alterations in lysine metabolism, lipid metabolism, as well as cell wall and membrane components. Additionally, upregulated CoA biosynthesis along with type I polyketide structures and the genetic cluster responsible for MPs biosynthesis facilitated accumulation of MPs. These findings provide a theoretical foundation for morphological engineering of Monascus while offering novel strategies to achieve higher levels of MPs production during submerged fermentation. • Diverse morphologies and Monascus pigments productions of mutants were obtained. • Morphological engineering of a mutant strain M. purpureus ZS was evaluated. • Genome resequencing identified the genes controlling mycelial morphology. • Omics unveiled the link between morphology and Monascus pigments production.