Cinnabar-induced hormesis in Trichoderma longibrachiatum MD33: multi-omics elucidation of a fungal-specific dendrobine biosynthesis pathway

These findings establish 4.0 μg/L a hormetic threshold for maximizing dendrobine yields and delineating the genetic and enzymatic architecture of its fungal biosynthesis. This work provides a roadmap for the metabolic engineering of <i>T. longibrachiatum</i> MD33, emphasizing ROS-mediated pathway optimization for sustainable alkaloid production. Future studies should leverage CRISPR-based editing of identified regulatory nodes (e.g., <i>HMGR</i> and <i>FPPS</i>) to enhance stress resilience and dendrobine titers in industrial strains.