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Updated: May 6, 2026

Genotyping Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms in the Mitochondrial Genome by Pyrosequencing
Published on: February 10, 2023
Mitochondrial DNA size diversity in the Dekkera/Brettanomyces yeasts
C R McArthur1, G D Clark-Walker
1Department of Genetics, Research School of Biological Sciences, Australian National University, PO B 475, 2601, Canberra City, ACT, Australia.
Abstract:
Restriction endonuclease digestion of mitocondrial DNAs from the nine Dekkera/Brettanomyces yeasts have revealed that three separate pairs of species, namely D. bruxellensis/B. lambicus; B. abstinens/B. custersii and B. anomalus/B. clausenii have identical genomes. This observation suggests that such analysis of mtDNA could be an important procedure for yeast taxonomy. Sizes of mtDNAs showed a graded range from the 28 kbp molecule in B. custersianus to the 100 kbp molecule in B. custersii. Furthermore, although the mtDNAs from D. intermedia (72 kbp) and D. bruxellensis (82 kbp) differ in size by 10 kbp the restriction enzyme fragmentation patterns are generally similar. The differences are reminiscent of mtDNA polymorphisms found in strains of Saccharomyces cervisiae which result from insertions or deletions, chiefly within genic sequences. By analogy, the two Dekkera species may, on further analysis, be revealed as variants of a single species.
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