A Dynamic Genome-Scale Model Identifies Metabolic Pathways Associated with Cold Tolerance in Saccharomyces...

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Systems Biology
• Biotechnology

Background:

• Saccharomyces kudriavzevii is a cold-tolerant yeast with potential for industrial winemaking.
• Its co-occurrence with Saccharomyces cerevisiae in natural environments is known, but cold tolerance mechanisms are unclear.
• Understanding these mechanisms can unlock new biotechnological applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the metabolic pathways enabling cold tolerance in Saccharomyces kudriavzevii.
• To compare the yeast's metabolism at different temperatures (25°C and 12°C) using a dynamic genome-scale model.
• To elucidate the molecular basis of S. kudriavzevii's adaptation to cold.

Main Methods:

• Development and application of a dynamic genome-scale model for S. kudriavzevii.
• Simulation of yeast metabolism at 25°C and 12°C.
• Validation of model predictions using intracellular metabolomics and transcriptomic data.

Main Results:

• The model accurately predicted biomass and metabolite dynamics, linking phenotype to intracellular pathways.
• Novel insights into cold tolerance mechanisms were revealed, including significant proteolytic activity.
• S. kudriavzevii's ability to produce nitrogen from extracellular proteins was confirmed.

Conclusions:

• Dynamic genome-scale modeling is effective for studying microbial cold tolerance.
• Proteolytic activity contributes to S. kudriavzevii's survival and its association with S. cerevisiae.
• These findings offer potential targets for yeast strain engineering in the biotech industry.