Novel Transcription Factor TrTRC-1 Controls Amino Acid Biosynthesis to Regulate Cellulase and Xylanase Production in Trichoderma reesei

The fungus Trichoderma reesei is widely employed for industrial enzyme production. However, the mechanisms coordinating enzyme production with amino acid biosynthesis and metabolism remain incompletely understood. Here, we characterized a novel C2H2 zinc finger transcription factor, TrTRC-1, in T. reesei. The deletion of TrTRC-1 enhanced cellulase, xylanase, and extracellular protein production by 9.8–32.4% compared to that in T. reesei Rut C30, while simultaneously stimulating mycelial growth and conidiation. Transcriptomic analysis revealed that the deletion of TrTRC-1 significantly altered the expression of genes associated with primary metabolic pathways, amino acid biosynthesis/metabolism, and carbohydrate-active enzymes. In a 5 L bioreactor, T. reesei ΔTrTRC-1 achieved an FPase activity of 17.35 IU/mL and exhibited robust saccharification efficiency on lignocellulosic biomass. These findings demonstrate that TrTRC-1 serves as a multifunctional regulator in T. reesei, advancing our understanding of the regulatory network that balances enzyme production with cellular metabolism and providing a strategic basis for constructing microbial chassis strains with industrial application prospects.