Condition-specific promoter activities in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Synthetic Biology
• Biotechnology

Background:

• Saccharomyces cerevisiae is crucial for biofuel and biochemical production.
• Optimizing gene expression via promoter manipulation is key for industrial efficiency.
• Understanding promoter dynamics under stress is vital for robust bioproduction.

Purpose of the Study:

• To characterize promoter activities in Saccharomyces cerevisiae under industrially relevant stressful conditions.
• To evaluate native and synthetic promoters for consistent gene expression during fermentation.
• To identify suitable promoters for enhancing bioproduction using lignocellulosic hydrolysates.

Main Methods:

• Utilized yeast enhanced green fluorescent protein (yEGFP) as a reporter to measure promoter activity.
• Assessed promoter performance under stress conditions including acetic acid, furfural, and high temperature.
• Investigated promoter responses in the presence of xylose as a carbon source.

Main Results:

• P_TDH3 and the synthetic promoter P_3xC-TEF1 demonstrated the highest and most stable promoter strengths across tested conditions.
• Commonly used constitutive promoters (P_ADH1, P_PGK1) showed reduced activity under stress.
• P_HSP12 and P_HSP26 responded to heat and acetic acid stress, with P_HSP12 also showing activity with xylose.

Conclusions:

• Promoter activity in Saccharomyces cerevisiae is dynamic and condition-dependent, especially under stress.
• P_TDH3 and synthetic P_3xC-TEF1 are robust choices for stable gene expression in bioproduction.
• Findings guide the selection of promoters for engineering yeast strains for efficient industrial bioproduction.