Plasmid-mediated horizontal gene mobilisation: Insights from two lactococcal conjugative plasmids.

The distinct conjugation machineries encoded by plasmids pNP40 and pUC11B represent the most prevalent plasmid transfer systems among lactococcal strains. In the current study, we identified genetic determinants that underpin pNP40- and pUC11B-mediated, high-frequency mobilisation of other, non-conjugative plasmids. The mobilisation frequencies of the smaller, non-conjugative plasmids and the minimal sequences required for their mobilisation were determined, owing to the determination of the oriT sequences of both pNP40 and pUC11B, which allowed the identification of similar sequences in some of the non-conjugative plasmids that were shown to promote their mobilisation.

Delineation of a lactococcal conjugation system reveals a restriction-modification evasion system.

Plasmid pUC11B is a 49.3-kb plasmid harboured by the fermented meat isolate Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis UC11.

Yeasts from temperate forests.

Yeasts are ubiquitous in temperate forests. While this broad habitat is well-defined, the yeasts inhabiting it and their life cycles, niches, and contributions to ecosystem functioning are less understood. Yeasts are present on nearly all sampled substrates in temperate forests worldwide.

A supernumerary designer chromosome for modular in vivo pathway assembly in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

The construction of microbial cell factories for sustainable production of chemicals and pharmaceuticals requires extensive genome engineering. Using Saccharomyces cerevisiae, this study proposes synthetic neochromosomes as orthogonal expression platforms for rewiring native cellular processes and implementing new functionalities. Capitalizing the powerful homologous recombination capability of S.

Design and Experimental Evaluation of a Minimal, Innocuous Watermarking Strategy to Distinguish Near-Identical DNA and RNA Sequences.

The construction of powerful cell factories requires intensive and extensive remodelling of microbial genomes. Considering the rapidly increasing number of these synthetic biology endeavors, there is an increasing need for DNA watermarking strategies that enable the discrimination between synthetic and native gene copies. While it is well documented that codon usage can affect translation, and most likely mRNA stability in eukaryotes, remarkably few quantitative studies explore the impact of watermarking on transcription, protein expression, and physiology in the popular model and industrial yeast .

The Genetic Makeup and Expression of the Glycolytic and Fermentative Pathways Are Highly Conserved Within the Genus.

The ability of the yeast to convert glucose, even in the presence of oxygen, via glycolysis and the fermentative pathway to ethanol has played an important role in its domestication. Despite the extensive knowledge on these pathways in , relatively little is known about their genetic makeup in other industrially relevant yeast species. In this study we explore the diversity of the glycolytic and fermentative pathways within the genus using , , and as paradigms.

FnCpf1: a novel and efficient genome editing tool for Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Cpf1 is a new class II family of CRISPR-Cas RNA-programmable endonucleases with unique features that make it a very attractive alternative or complement to Cas9 for genome engineering. Using constitutively expressed Cpf1 from Francisella novicida, the present study demonstrates that FnCpf1 can mediate RNA-guided DNA cleavage at targeted genomic loci in the popular model and industrial yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. FnCpf1 very efficiently and precisely promoted repair DNA recombination with efficiencies up to 100%.

Changes in the Relative Abundance of Two Saccharomyces Species from Oak Forests to Wine Fermentations.

Saccharomyces cerevisiae and its sibling species Saccharomyces paradoxus are known to inhabit temperate arboreal habitats across the globe. Despite their sympatric distribution in the wild, S. cerevisiae is predominantly associated with human fermentations.

Use of non-conventional yeast improves the wine aroma profile of Ribolla Gialla.

Consumer wine preferences are changing rapidly towards exotic flavours and tastes. In this work, we tested five non-conventional yeast strains for their potential to improve Ribolla Gialla wine quality. These strains were previously selected from numerous yeasts interesting as food production candidates.

The wine and beer yeast Dekkera bruxellensis.

Recently, the non-conventional yeast Dekkera bruxellensis has been gaining more and more attention in the food industry and academic research. This yeast species is a distant relative of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and is especially known for two important characteristics: on the one hand, it is considered to be one of the main spoilage organisms in the wine and bioethanol industry; on the other hand, it is 'indispensable' as a contributor to the flavour profile of Belgium lambic and gueuze beers. Additionally, it adds to the characteristic aromatic properties of some red wines.

Why, when, and how did yeast evolve alcoholic fermentation?

The origin of modern fruits brought to microbial communities an abundant source of rich food based on simple sugars. Yeasts, especially Saccharomyces cerevisiae, usually become the predominant group in these niches. One of the most prominent and unique features and likely a winning trait of these yeasts is their ability to rapidly convert sugars to ethanol at both anaerobic and aerobic conditions.