Domestication reprogrammed the budding yeast life cycle

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Evolutionary Biology
• Genetics

Background:

• Domestication profoundly impacts species biology, serving as a foundation for global food supply.
• The yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae is a crucial model organism in biological research.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the species-wide effects of domestication on Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
• To identify genetic factors underlying the yeast domestication syndrome.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of sexual and asexual reproduction and chronological life span in 1,011 genome-sequenced yeast isolates.
• Genome-wide association analysis and genetic engineering to trace genetic origins.
• Comparative analysis of domesticated and wild yeast strains.

Main Results:

• A clear dichotomy was observed between domesticated and wild yeast strains.
• Domestication enhanced fermentative growth, reduced respiratory growth, altered stress tolerance, and impaired sexual reproduction.
• Chronological life span was clade-specific, not significantly affected by domestication.
• Genetic factors including aneuploidy, gene copy number variations, and SNPs were identified as causative.

Conclusions:

• Domestication represents a major evolutionary event in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
• The domestication syndrome has significantly altered the biology of this model yeast.
• Understanding these alterations is crucial for interpreting research using domesticated yeast strains.