Genetic and phenotypic insights into Cyberlindnera jadinii as a promising yeast for industrial biotechnology

Cyberlindnera jadinii is a nonmodel yeast species recognized for its robust growth under diverse stress conditions, making it a promising candidate for various industrial applications. Here, we performed genome sequencing for genetic analysis and high-throughput phenotypic assays to examine 20 wild strains, focusing on the diversity of their genome, morphology, and fitness traits. We found that C. jadinii comprises a mixed population of diploid and triploid cells, with the latter exhibiting significantly larger cell sizes than the former, suggesting that ploidy plays a crucial role in determining cell morphology. In contrast, fitness traits, including growth under 24 different conditions, were more closely associated with SNP-defined lineages than with ploidy. Cyberlindnera jadinii exhibited a genetic diversity (π = 18 × 10-3) four times higher than that of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, possibly reflecting genetic diversity shaped by history and environment. The heterologous expression of the CjFPS1 homolog in S. cerevisiae enhanced its growth on glycerol and acetate, underscoring its conserved metabolic function in carbon utilization. Overall, our findings not only reveal the rich genotypic and phenotypic diversity of C. jadinii but also provide new insights into its potential applications as a robust industrial yeast for diverse biotechnological processes.