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Updated: Sep 16, 2025
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Genetic Engineering of an Unconventional Yeast for Renewable Biofuel and Biochemical Production
Published on: September 20, 2016
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Yeasts as Biofertilizers and Biocontrol Agents: Mechanisms and Applications
Olena Dmytruk1, Alla Yemets2, Kostyantyn Dmytruk1
1Institute of Cell Biology, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Lviv, Ukraine.
Biotechnology and Applied Biochemistry
|July 11, 2025
Summary
Yeasts can enhance plant growth and fight plant diseases through various mechanisms. This review explores their potential as biofertilizers and biocontrol agents, highlighting metabolic engineering and microbiome strategies.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Plant Science
- Biotechnology
Background:
- Yeasts are microorganisms with natural plant associations, offering mechanisms for beneficial coexistence.
- Certain yeast species promote plant growth and exhibit broad-spectrum antifungal activities.
- Commercialization of yeasts for agricultural applications is currently limited.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review recent insights into the mechanisms of yeast-mediated plant growth promotion.
- To explore yeast-based strategies for plant disease biocontrol.
- To discuss current and future applications of yeasts in agriculture, including biofertilizers and biocontrol agents.
Main Methods:
- Review of scientific literature on yeast-plant interactions.
- Analysis of documented mechanisms for plant growth stimulation by yeasts.
- Examination of yeast modes of action as biological control agents.
- Discussion of yeast-induced systemic resistance in plants.
Main Results:
- Yeasts enhance plant growth via nutrient supply/availability and phytohormone production.
- Yeast biocontrol mechanisms include competition, mycoparasitism, biofilms, and production of antimicrobial compounds.
- Yeasts can induce systemic resistance in plants by modulating defense responses.
Conclusions:
- Yeasts possess significant potential as biofertilizers and biocontrol agents.
- Metabolic engineering of yeast strains and plant microbiomes are key future strategies.
- Further research can unlock the full agricultural potential of yeasts.
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