Summarized Enzymology of Aspergillus oryzae: The National Microorganism of Japan

The industrially important filamentous fungus Aspergillus oryzae has been investigated for understanding the intracellular membrane trafficking machinery due to the great ability of valuable enzyme production. The major secretion route from the hyphal tip via the vesicle cluster Spitzenkörper is delineated by the underlying molecular mechanisms of the secretory pathway, however there is a growing body of evidence that septum-directed and unconventional secretion occurs in A. oryzae hyphal cells. Summarizes molecular and physiological mechanisms of membrane traffic, i.e., secretory and endocytic pathways, in A. oryzae and related filamentous fungi and describes the further potential for industrial applications. The condensed studies in modern enzymology described above have a long and rich history of contributing to biotechnology and understanding of biochemistry in Japan, reaffirming the prove that “Necessary is the mother of invention”.