Analysis of genome sequences of marine isolates of Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Genome sequences for three marine Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains (AZ65, AZ118, AZ123) were generated, enabling direct comparison showing superior salt and inhibitor tolerance versus multiple terrestrial and industrial strains.

• Why it matters: Most known S. cerevisiae isolates are terrestrial, leaving marine physiology and evolution underexplored and limiting identification of traits useful for seawater- and marine-biomass fermentation.
• What they did: The study sequenced genomes of AZ65, AZ118, and AZ123 and compared their salt and inhibitor tolerance with multiple terrestrial and industrial comparators; it also analyzed the ENA locus for copy number, protein sequence, and promoter sequence changes.
• The result: Marine strains’ superior tolerance was confirmed, but ENA locus analysis showed no strong evidence of modification in response to the marine habitat, leaving the genetic and physiological basis unresolved.