High-Level Mycoprotein Production through Metabolic Regulation of Concanavalin A-Like Lectin/Glucanase Domain-Containing Protein in Fusarium venenatum

Abstract Mycoprotein produced by Fusarium venenatum is emerging as an increasingly widespread edible microbial protein source. However, their development is constrained by low protein content, inefficient substrate conversion, and substantial byproducts like ethanol, leading to considerable carbon loss. This study identifies a new genetic target FvCLG encoding concanavalin A-like lectin/glucanase domain-containing protein that associated with cell wall construction. In the 5 L fermenter, the ΔFvCLG strain FG31 achieved the highest reported protein content (61.34%), representing a 22.41% increase over the wild-type strain, while ethanol production was significantly restricted with only minimal CO2 generation. Furthermore, the glucose-to-biomass and glucose-to-protein conversion rate of FG31 increased by 44.02% and 76.41%, respectively. The widespread upregulation of nitrogen metabolism pathway genes associated with multiple amino acid synthesis in FG31 was revealed through transcriptomic analysis, while glycolysis pathway genes linked to ethanol synthesis were downregulated. This work provides new insights into enhancing the mycoprotein content and improving the substrate conversion efficiency.