Project description:We study the genetics, including microarray karyotyping using comparative genomic hybridization, to explore global changes in the genomic DNA of seven S. cerevisiae strains related to traditional fermentations of very different sources comparing to the sequenced S. cerevisiae laboratory strain (S288C). Our final goal is to determine the adaptive evolution of properties of biotechnological interest in Saccharomyces yeasts. Many copy number variations (CNVs) were observed, especially in genes associated to subtelomeric regions and transposon elements. Among the fermentation strains, differential CNV was observed in genes related to sugar transport and metabolism. An outstanding example of diverse CNV is the gen PUT1, involved in proline assimilation, which correlated with the adaptation of the strains to the presence of this nitrogen source in the media.
Project description:We study the genetics, including microarray karyotyping using comparative genomic hybridization to explore global changes in the genomic DNA, of four S. bayanus var uvarum strains related to traditional fermentations of very different sources comparing to the sequenced S. cerevisiae laboratory strain (S288C). Our final goal is to determine the adaptive evolution of properties of biotechnological interest in Saccharomyces yeasts. Many copy number variations (CNV) were observed, especially in genes associated to subtelomeric regions and transposon elements. Among the fermentation strains, differential CNV was observed in genes related to sugar transport and metabolism. An outstanding example of diverse CNV is the gen PUT1, involved in proline assimilation, which correlated with the adaptation of the strains to the presence of this nitrogen source in the media.
Project description:Reprogramming a non-methylotrophic industrial host, such as Saccharomyces cerevisiae, to a synthetic methylotroph reprents a huge challenge due to the complex regulation in yeast. Through TMC strategy together with ALE strategy, we completed a strict synthetic methylotrophic yeast that could use methanol as the sole carbon source. However, how cells respond to methanol and remodel cellular metabolic network on methanol were not clear. Therefore, genome-scale transcriptional analysis was performed to unravel the cellular reprograming mechanisms underlying the improved growth phenotype.
Project description:We study the genetics, including microarray karyotyping using comparative genomic hybridization, to explore global changes in the genomic DNA of seven S. cerevisiae strains related to traditional fermentations of very different sources comparing to the sequenced S. cerevisiae laboratory strain (S288C). Our final goal is to determine the adaptive evolution of properties of biotechnological interest in Saccharomyces yeasts. Many copy number variations (CNVs) were observed, especially in genes associated to subtelomeric regions and transposon elements. Among the fermentation strains, differential CNV was observed in genes related to sugar transport and metabolism. An outstanding example of diverse CNV is the gen PUT1, involved in proline assimilation, which correlated with the adaptation of the strains to the presence of this nitrogen source in the media. Seven S. cerevisiae strains were obtained from natural environments and different fermentation processes. The S. cerevisiae strain S288C was used as a control for microarray hybridizations. All experiments were performed using duplicate arrays, and Cy5-dCTP and Cy3-dCTP dye-swap assays were performed to reduce dye-specific bias.
Project description:Background: Recent studies have demonstrated that antisense transcription is pervasive in budding yeasts and is conserved between Saccharomyces cerevisiae and S. paradoxus. While studies have examined antisense transcripts of S. cerevisiae for inverse transcription in stationary phase and stress conditions, there is a lack of comprehensive analysis of the conditional specific evolutionary characteristics of antisense transcription between yeasts. Here we attempt to decipher the evolutionary relationship of antisense transcription of S. cerevisiae and S. paradoxus cultured in mid log, early stationary phase, and heat shock conditions. Results: Massively parallel sequencing of sequence strand-specific cDNA library was performed from RNA isolated from S. cerevisiae and S. paradoxus cells at mid log, stationary phase and heat shock conditions. We performed this analysis using a stringent set of sense ORF transcripts and non-coding antisense transcripts that were expressed in all the three conditions, as well as in both species. We found the divergence of the condition specific anti-sense transcription levels is higher than that in condition specific sense transcription levels, suggesting that antisense transcription played a potential role in adapting to different conditions. Furthermore, 43% of sense-antisense pairs demonstrated inverse transcription in either stationary phase or heat shock conditions relative to the mid log conditions. In addition, a large part of sense-antisense pairs (67%), which demonstrated inverse transcription, were highly conserved between the two species. Our results were also concordant with known functional analyses from previous studies and with the evidence from mechanistic experiments of role of individual genes. Conclusions: This study provides a comprehensive picture of the role of antisense transcription mediating sense transcription in different conditions across yeast species. We can conclude from our findings that antisense regulation could act like an on-off switch on sense regulation in different conditions.
Project description:Background: Recent studies have demonstrated that antisense transcription is pervasive in budding yeasts and is conserved between Saccharomyces cerevisiae and S. paradoxus. While studies have examined antisense transcripts of S. cerevisiae for inverse transcription in stationary phase and stress conditions, there is a lack of comprehensive analysis of the conditional specific evolutionary characteristics of antisense transcription between yeasts. Here we attempt to decipher the evolutionary relationship of antisense transcription of S. cerevisiae and S. paradoxus cultured in mid log, early stationary phase, and heat shock conditions. Results: Massively parallel sequencing of sequence strand-specific cDNA library was performed from RNA isolated from S. cerevisiae and S. paradoxus cells at mid log, stationary phase and heat shock conditions. We performed this analysis using a stringent set of sense ORF transcripts and non-coding antisense transcripts that were expressed in all the three conditions, as well as in both species. We found the divergence of the condition specific anti-sense transcription levels is higher than that in condition specific sense transcription levels, suggesting that antisense transcription played a potential role in adapting to different conditions. Furthermore, 43% of sense-antisense pairs demonstrated inverse transcription in either stationary phase or heat shock conditions relative to the mid log conditions. In addition, a large part of sense-antisense pairs (67%), which demonstrated inverse transcription, were highly conserved between the two species. Our results were also concordant with known functional analyses from previous studies and with the evidence from mechanistic experiments of role of individual genes. Conclusions: This study provides a comprehensive picture of the role of antisense transcription mediating sense transcription in different conditions across yeast species. We can conclude from our findings that antisense regulation could act like an on-off switch on sense regulation in different conditions. Transcriptomes of two yeast species under mid-log phase, early stationary phase, and after heat shock treatment were generated by Illumina HiSeq 2000 paired-end sequencing
Project description:The present study aims to explore chemostat-based transcriptome analysis of mixed cultures by investigating interactions between the yeast S. cerevisiae and the lactic acid bacterium L. bulgaricus . S. cerevisiae and L. bulgaricus are both frequently encountered in kefir, a fermented dairy product. In the context of this study, this binary culture serves as a model for the many traditional food and beverage fermentation processes in which yeasts and lactic acid bacteria occur together. The design of the cultivation conditions was based on the observation that L. bulgaricus, but not S. cerevisiae, can use lactose as a carbon source for growth and that S. cerevisiae, but not L. bulgaricus, can grow on galactose that is released upon hydrolysis of lactose by the bacterial β-galactosidase. Mixed populations of yeasts and lactic acid bacteria occur in many dairy, food and beverage fermentations, but knowledge about their interactions is incomplete. In the present study, interactions between Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus, two microorganisms that co-occur in kefir fermentations, were studied during anaerobic growth on lactose. By combining physiological and transcriptome analysis of the two strains in the co-cultures, five mechanisms of interaction were identified. 1. L. bulgaricus hydrolyses lactose, which cannot be metabolized by S. cerevisiae, to galactose and glucose. Subsequently, galactose, which cannot be metabolized by L. bulgaricus, is excreted and provides a carbon source for yeast. 2. In pure cultures, L. bulgaricus only grows at increased CO2 concentrations. In anaerobic mixed cultures, the yeast provides this CO2 via alcoholic fermentation. 3. Analysis of amino acid consumption from the defined medium indicated that S. cerevisiae supplied alanine to the bacteria. 4. A mild but significant low-iron response in the yeast transcriptome, identified by DNA microarray analysis, was consistent with the chelation of iron by the lactate produced by L. bulgaricus. 5. Transcriptome analysis of L. bulgaricus in mixed cultures showed an overrepresentation of transcripts involved in lipids metabolism suggesting either a competition of the two microorganisms for fatty acids, or a response to the ethanol produced by S. cerevisiae.
Project description:The yeast Dekkera bruxellensis is as ethanol tolerant as Saccharomyces cerevisiae and may be found in bottled wine. It causes the spoilage of wine, beer, cider and soft drinks. In wines, the metabolic products responsible for spoilage by Dekkera bruxellensis are mainly volatile phenols. These chemical compounds are responsible for the taints described as ‘‘medicinal’’ in white wines (due to vinyl phenols) and as ‘‘leather’’, ‘‘horse sweat’’ and ‘‘stable’’ in red wines (due to ethyl phenols mainly 4-ethylphenol). Apart from the negative aroma nuances imparted by these yeasts, positive aromas such as ‘smoky’, ‘spicy’ and ‘toffee’ are also cited. Our goal was to identify the impact that the wine spoilage yeast Dekkera bruxellensis has on fermenting S. cerevisiae cells, especially on its gene expression level. To this end we co-inoculated both yeast species at the start of fermentation in a synthetic wine must, using S. cerevisiae-only fermentations without Dekkera bruxellensis as a control. All fermentations were employed in special membrane reactors (1.2 um pore size cut-off) physically separating Dekkera bruxellensis from wine yeast S. cerevisiae. Biomass separation with this membrane was done to abolish the possibility of hybridizing also D. bruxellensis probes on Agilent V2 (8x15K format) G4813 DNA microarrays designed just for S. cerevisiae ORF targets. The 1.2 um pore membrane separating both yeasts allowed the exchange of ethanol, metabolites and sugars during the fermentation.