Soukaina Timouma, Alistair Hanak, Laura Natalia Balarezo Cisneros, Ian Donaldson, Fernando Valle, Daniela Delneri
{"title":"Construction of a reference genome for Starmerella batistae and annotation of Starmerella species reveal an unexpected evolutionary relationship with Schizosaccharomyces pombe and suggest an alternative enzymatic route for sophorolipid production.","authors":"Soukaina Timouma, Alistair Hanak, Laura Natalia Balarezo Cisneros, Ian Donaldson, Fernando Valle, Daniela Delneri","doi":"10.1093/femsyr/foag008","DOIUrl":"10.1093/femsyr/foag008","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The Starmerella clade is known for displaying osmotolerant and acidophilic traits from their association with bees. Several species in this genus can produce sophorolipids, which are commercially produced as biosurfactants. Here, we isolated a yeast contaminant from the laboratory environment, identified as Starmerella batistae, able to thrive at low pH and relative high temperatures. We sequenced and conducted a de novo genome assembly in three chromosomes and a mitochondrial genome for S. batistae (ca. 9.3 Mb). Based on this reference genome we functionally annotated 29 Starmerella species, using the publicly available sequences. Phylogenetic analysis across different yeast clades revealed a close relationship between Starmerella and Schizosaccharomyces yeasts. Fifteen genes were uniquely shared between Schizosaccharomyces pombe and S. batistae, of which twelve were involved in cell morphology, reflecting the fact that S. batistae cells are elongated rather than round. We found that all the Starmerella sophorolipid-producing strains shared a close common ancestor. One-to-one orthologs of Starmerella bombicola sophorolipid pathway were only found in S. kuoi (full pathway, but inverted), and in S. powellii and S. floricola (partial pathway). These findings support the notion that alternative pathways for the production of sophorolipids have evolved in different Starmerella lineages.</p>","PeriodicalId":12290,"journal":{"name":"FEMS yeast research","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12983215/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146118264","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Thiol groups are determinant for overcoming acetic acid and pH stress in wine and beer fermentation-derived Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains.","authors":"Anahit Shirvanyan, Angela Primavera, Nicoletta Guaragnella, Rodrigo Ledesma-Amaro, Karen Trchounian","doi":"10.1093/femsyr/foag004","DOIUrl":"10.1093/femsyr/foag004","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Acetic acid (AA), a natural by-product of ethanol fermentation in yeast cells, is widely present in lignocellulosic hydrolysate as a fermentation inhibitor. Thus, gaining insight into the molecular mechanisms of AA tolerance in yeast is particularly relevant for industrial applications. This study investigates the response to AA stress in two Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains (ATCC 9804 and ATCC 13007) during different metabolic states (fermentation, respiro-fermentation, and respiration) and external pH levels (3․0 and 4.5). The results show that AA reduces the viability of both strains in a dosage-dependent manner. Moreover, ATCC 13007 is more sensitive to AA stress compared to ATCC 9804. Respiratory metabolism and higher pH correlate with better resistance to AA stress. Catalase activity was observed to increase by 1.5-6-fold under AA stress conditions, in accordance with changes in yeast thiol group content and growth. The influence of AA stress is reactive oxygen species-dependent, and redox balance regulation was found to increase the robustness of S. cerevisiae ATCC 13007 to AA by 2-fold. The study reveals valuable insights into yeast adaptation to stress conditions, contributing to the development of robust yeast strain construction for high-yield biomass and chemicals production.</p>","PeriodicalId":12290,"journal":{"name":"FEMS yeast research","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12884846/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146085172","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Ronald Alexander Marr, Pablo Cartes, Brendan Cook, Vivien Measday
{"title":"Evaluating Canadian yeast strains for novel new-make spirit applications.","authors":"Ronald Alexander Marr, Pablo Cartes, Brendan Cook, Vivien Measday","doi":"10.1093/femsyr/foag005","DOIUrl":"10.1093/femsyr/foag005","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Whisky is an alcoholic beverage derived from fermented grain mash that is distilled into 'new make spirit' before maturing in barrels. While most research on whisky innovation has focused on raw materials or maturation, yeast strain selection remains a relatively underexplored avenue for product diversification. Here, we evaluated yeast diversity for whisky production by screening 110 strains sourced from Canadian vineyards for maltose utilization followed by assessing 29 candidate strains in malt extract fermentations. Seven strains representing distinct genetic backgrounds were advanced to pilot-scale fermentations, including a commercial whisky control strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, four other S. cerevisiae strains, one Torulaspora delbrueckii strain, and one Saccharomyces uvarum strain isolated from British Columbia wine fermentations. Fermentation performance was assessed via high performance liquid chromatography, and volatile organic compounds in new make spirits were profiled using headspace solid-phase microextraction-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. All strains completed fermentation except T. delbrueckii, despite undergoing sequential inoculation with a commercial whisky strain. Fermentations with non-S. cerevisiae yeast strains contained elevated levels of glycerol and organic acids. Volatile organic compounds analysis identified 43 compounds, revealing strain-dependent aroma diversity. Notably, S. uvarum P01E08 was enriched in 2-phenylethyl octanoate, phenylethyl alcohol, and phenylethyl acetate. These findings highlight diverse regional yeast selection as a viable strategy to expand whisky sensory diversity.</p>","PeriodicalId":12290,"journal":{"name":"FEMS yeast research","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12884848/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146092487","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a model for mammalian diseases.","authors":"Evelyn Sattlegger, Anja H Schiemann","doi":"10.1093/femsyr/foag013","DOIUrl":"10.1093/femsyr/foag013","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>For many human diseases and disorders, the underlying molecular mechanism often remains poorly understood, limiting progress in developing effective targeted therapies and diagnostic tools. To fill this gap in knowledge, surrogate systems are required that faithfully recapitulate in vivo biology, as direct experimentation in humans is not feasible. Most mammalian cell lines are immortalized and genetically altered, making them limited representatives of normal physiological states. Animal models are costly, labour-intensive, and raise ethical concerns. On the other hand, the eukaryote Saccharomyces cerevisiae is a powerful model system for deciphering biological mechanisms and diseases in exquisite molecular detail. Fundamental cellular and molecular processes are highly conserved between yeast and humans. Yeast can be diploid, or haploid where the effect of a genetic change is not masked by the intact second allele. It is inexpensive to handle, grows rapidly, and is highly amenable to manipulation at the genetic, molecular, biochemical, and cellular level. Moreover, an ever-growing array of advanced technologies, protocols, yeast collections and libraries, and databases is available. This review highlights examples in which yeast has advanced our understanding of biological processes and diseases, facilitated drug development, and informed therapeutic interventions, demonstrating that it remains highly relevant in modern biomedical research.</p>","PeriodicalId":12290,"journal":{"name":"FEMS yeast research","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13094546/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147503512","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Engineering yeast for sustainable bioproduction of tryptophan-derived aromatic compounds.","authors":"Baode Sun, Xinqi Xie, Axayacatl González, Tim McCubbin, Esteban Marcellin, Huadong Peng","doi":"10.1093/femsyr/foag012","DOIUrl":"10.1093/femsyr/foag012","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Aromatic compounds are a diverse group of bioactive molecules with broad applications in the polymer, food, feed, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical industries. To address climate change and the depletion of fossil resources, there is growing interest in their sustainable production. Yeast cell factories offer an attractive alternative to conventional chemical synthesis by converting aromatic amino acids (AAAs) into a broad range of valuable aromatic products. Among AAAs, L-tryptophan (Trp) is distinguished by its indole moiety and serves as a key precursor for numerous high-value natural products. This review summarises recent advances in the engineering of yeast to produce tryptophan-derived compounds. Furthermore, it discusses current metabolic engineering strategies, synthetic biology tools, and the remaining challenges that must be overcome to achieve efficient, scalable, and economically viable biosynthesis of tryptophan-derived aromatic compounds in yeast.</p>","PeriodicalId":12290,"journal":{"name":"FEMS yeast research","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13001592/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147325108","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Optimizing carbon-to-nitrogen ratios for enhanced antimicrobial sophorolipid production in Starmerella riodocensis GT-SL1R.","authors":"Sirawich Sapsirisuk, Pattanan Songdech, Kwanrutai Watchaputi, Panupong Puttarak, Jirayut Euanorasetr, Nitnipa Soontorngun","doi":"10.1093/femsyr/foag007","DOIUrl":"10.1093/femsyr/foag007","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Sophorolipids (SLs) are promising biosurfactants with diverse industrial and biomedical applications; however, optimizing their production efficiency remains a challenge. This study investigates the effect of carbon-to-nitrogen (C/N) ratios on SL production by Starmerella riodocensis GT-SL1R and evaluates the antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties of partial purified SLs. Among the tested C/N ratios (25-200), the highest SL production (26.71 ± 2.01 g·l⁻¹) was achieved at a C/N of 100, with a yield of 0.27 ± 0.0 g·g⁻¹ after 7 days. High C/N conditions (≥100) upregulated key SL biosynthesis genes (CYP52M1, UgtA1, UgtB1, At, and Sble), supporting enhanced SL production. Scale-up fermentation in a 5 l bioreactor further improved SL production to (55.94 ± 1.17 g·l⁻¹), outperforming Starmerellabombicola BCC5426 (50.49 ± 1.97 g·l⁻¹). Structural characterization revealed a predominance of lactonic SLs. SLs exhibited strong antimicrobial activity against Cutibacterium acnes, Staphylococcus epidermidis and Staphylococcus aureus and demonstrated potent anti-inflammatory effects by inhibiting nitric oxide production (IC50 = 21.93 ± 5.95 µg ml⁻¹), with lower cytotoxicity than indomethacin. These findings highlight S. riodocensis GT-SL1R as a promising candidate for industrial SL production and biomedical applications.</p>","PeriodicalId":12290,"journal":{"name":"FEMS yeast research","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12923171/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146124285","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Justin C Fay, James H Miller, Sofia Dashko, Katie E Hyma, Ping Liu, Helena Volk, Haley Cohen, Nabil F Rahman, Keyang Tang, Emery R Longan, Xueying C Li, Lorena Butinar, Jure Piškur
{"title":"Distribution of yeast species and their resistance to copper and sulfite across arboreal and viticulture habitats.","authors":"Justin C Fay, James H Miller, Sofia Dashko, Katie E Hyma, Ping Liu, Helena Volk, Haley Cohen, Nabil F Rahman, Keyang Tang, Emery R Longan, Xueying C Li, Lorena Butinar, Jure Piškur","doi":"10.1093/femsyr/foaf074","DOIUrl":"10.1093/femsyr/foaf074","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Humans have generated ecological and environmental disturbances, such as vineyards, across the globe. Disturbed environments create widespread and repeated selective pressures that can drive colonization and local adaptation in microbial species. We investigated the distribution of fermentative yeast species in vineyards compared to nearby arboreal habitats and measured their resistance to two commonly used vineyard antimicrobials, copper and sulfite. We analyzed 4 101 strains, representing 70 species, collected from grapevine- and oak-associated substrates at 17 vineyard and 20 non-vineyard sites in the USA and Slovenia. Species frequency varied with geography and substrate, but the majority of species commonly present in vineyards were also found in non-vineyard arboreal environments, representing a potential source for vineyard colonization and exploitation of sugar from grapes. Species varied in both copper and sulfite resistance, but only Saccharomyces cerevisiae showed elevated resistance in vineyard compared to non-vineyard samples. Our results indicate that S. cerevisiae has uniquely taken advantage of vineyard environments through adaptations that appear either unnecessary or inaccessible to other yeast species present in vineyards.</p>","PeriodicalId":12290,"journal":{"name":"FEMS yeast research","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12767201/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145767664","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Hadeel A B Elnaim Mohamed, Hizlan Hincal Agus, Bedia Palabiyik
{"title":"A novel method for telomere length detection in fission yeast.","authors":"Hadeel A B Elnaim Mohamed, Hizlan Hincal Agus, Bedia Palabiyik","doi":"10.1093/femsyr/foae040","DOIUrl":"10.1093/femsyr/foae040","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Fission yeast is the ideal model organism for studying telomere maintenance in higher eukaryotes. Telomere length has been directly correlated with life expectancy and the onset of aging-related diseases in mammals. In this study, we developed a novel simple, and reproducible method to measure the telomere length, by investigating the effect of caffeine and cisplatin on the telomere length in fission yeast. Hydroxyurea-synchronized fission yeast cells were exposed to 62 µM cisplatin and 8.67 mM caffeine treatments for 2 h, then their telomere lengths were evaluated with two different methods. First, the quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) assay was used as a confirmative method, where telomere length was determined relative to a single-copy gene in the genome. Second, the newly developed method standard polymerase chain reaction (PCR)/ImageJ assay assessed the telomere length based on the amplified PCR band intensity using a set of telomere primers, reflecting telomeric sequence availability in the genome. Both methods show a significant decrease and a notable telomere lengthening in response to cisplatin and caffeine treatments, respectively. The finding supports the accuracy and productivity of the standard PCR/ImageJ assay as it can serve as a quick screening tool to study the effect of suspected chemotherapeutic and antiaging drugs on telomere length in fission yeast.</p>","PeriodicalId":12290,"journal":{"name":"FEMS yeast research","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-01-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11781191/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142885275","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Denzel G L Ignacia, Nicole X Bennis, Caitlyn Wheeler, Lylyna C L Tu, Jelle Keijzer, Clara Carqueija Cardoso, Jean-Marc G Daran
{"title":"Functional analysis of Saccharomyces cerevisiae FLO genes through optogenetic control.","authors":"Denzel G L Ignacia, Nicole X Bennis, Caitlyn Wheeler, Lylyna C L Tu, Jelle Keijzer, Clara Carqueija Cardoso, Jean-Marc G Daran","doi":"10.1093/femsyr/foaf057","DOIUrl":"10.1093/femsyr/foaf057","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Flocculation in Saccharomyces cerevisiae is a critical phenotype with ecological and industrial significance. This study aimed to functionally dissect the contributions of individual FLO genes (FLO1, FLO5, FLO9, FLO10, FLO11) to flocculation by employing an optogenetic circuit (OptoQ-AMP5) for precise, light-inducible control of gene expression. A FLO-null platform yeast strain was engineered allowing the expression of individual FLO genes without native background interference. Each FLO gene was reintroduced into the FLO-null background under the control of OptoQ-AMP5. Upon light induction, strains expressing FLO1, FLO5, or FLO10 demonstrated strong flocculation, with FLO1 and FLO5 forming large and structurally distinct aggregates. FLO9 induced a weaker phenotype. Sugar inhibition assays revealed distinct sensitivities among flocculins, notably FLO9's novel sensitivity to fructose and maltotriose. Additionally, FLO-induced changes in cell surface hydrophobicity were quantified, revealing that FLO10 and FLO1 conferred the greatest hydrophobicity, correlating with their aggregation strength. This work establishes a robust platform for investigating flocculation mechanisms in yeast with temporal precision. It highlights the phenotypic diversity encoded within the FLO gene family and their differential responses to environmental cues. The optogenetic system provides a valuable tool for both fundamental studies and the rational engineering of yeast strains for industrial fermentation processes requiring controlled flocculation.</p>","PeriodicalId":12290,"journal":{"name":"FEMS yeast research","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-01-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12539575/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145130367","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Cristobal A Onetto, Chris M Ward, Cristian Varela, Laura Hale, Simon A Schmidt, Anthony R Borneman
{"title":"Genetic and phenotypic diversity of wine-associated Hanseniaspora species.","authors":"Cristobal A Onetto, Chris M Ward, Cristian Varela, Laura Hale, Simon A Schmidt, Anthony R Borneman","doi":"10.1093/femsyr/foaf031","DOIUrl":"10.1093/femsyr/foaf031","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The genus Hanseniaspora includes apiculate yeasts commonly found in fruit- and fermentation-associated environments. Their genetic diversity and evolutionary adaptations remain largely unexplored despite their ecological and oenological significance. This study investigated the phylogenetic relationships, genome structure, selection patterns, and phenotypic diversity of Hanseniaspora species isolated primarily from Australian wine environments, focusing on Hanseniaspora uvarum, the most abundant non-Saccharomyces yeast in wine fermentation. A total of 151 isolates were sequenced, including long-read genomes for representatives of the main phylogenetic clades. Comparative genomics revealed ancestral chromosomal rearrangements between the slow-evolving lineage (SEL) and fast-evolving lineage (FEL) that could have contributed to their evolutionary split, as well as significant loss of genes associated with mRNA splicing, chromatid segregation and signal recognition particle protein targeting in the FEL. Pangenome analysis within H. uvarum identified extensive copy number variation, particularly in genes related to xenobiotic tolerance and nutrient transport. Investigation into the selective landscape following the FEL/SEL divergence identified diversifying selection in 229 genes in the FEL, with significant enrichment in genes within the lysine biosynthetic pathway. Furthermore, phenotypic screening of 116 isolates revealed substantial intraspecific diversity, with specific species exhibiting enhanced ethanol, osmotic, copper, SO₂, and cold tolerance.</p>","PeriodicalId":12290,"journal":{"name":"FEMS yeast research","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-01-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12199727/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144265815","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}