Abstract
Recent studies on population genomics of Saccharomyces cerevisiae have substantially improved our understanding of the genetic diversity and domestication history of the yeast. However, the origin of the domesticated population of S. cerevisiae and the genomic changes responsible for ecological adaption of different populations and lineages remain to be fully revealed. Here we sequenced 64 African strains from various indigenous fermented foods and forests in different African countries and performed a population genomic analysis on them combined with a set of previously sequenced worldwide S. cerevisiae strains representing the maximum genetic diversity of the species documented so far. The result supports the previous observations that the wild and domesticated populations of S. cerevisiae are clearly separated and that the domesticated population diverges into two distinct groups associated with solid- and liquid-state fermentations from a single ancestor. African strains are mostly located in basal lineages of the two domesticated groups, implying a long domestication history of yeast in Africa. We identified genes that mainly or exclusively occur in specific groups or lineages and genes that exhibit evident group or lineage specific allele distribution patterns. Notably, we show that the homing endonuclease VDE is generally absent in the wild but commonly present in the domesticated lineages of S. cerevisiae. The genes with group specific allele distribution patterns are mostly enriched in functionally similar or related fundamental metabolism processes, including the evolutionary conserved TOR signaling pathway.
Highlights
The budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae is used worldwide in baking and alcoholic beverage production and the earliest evidence for wine-like beverage fermentation dates back to Neolithic times about 9,000 years ago (McGovern et al, 2004)
The Population Structure of S. cerevisiae Is Primarily Shaped by Ecology
In this study we sequenced 126 isolates, including 64 African strains from various indigenous fermented foods and forests in Ethiopia, Mauritius, Nigeria, and South Africa and 52 strains associated with Baijiu (Chinese liquor) fermentation and 10 strains associated with Huangjiu fermentation from China (Supplementary Table 1)
Summary
The budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae is used worldwide in baking and alcoholic beverage production and the earliest evidence for wine-like beverage fermentation dates back to Neolithic times about 9,000 years ago (McGovern et al, 2004). The genetic diversity of the species is mainly contributed by the wild lineages found in China or Far East Asia (Wang et al, 2012; Liti, 2015; Duan et al, 2018). An out-ofChina origin hypothesis of S. cerevisiae has been proposed (Wang et al, 2012; Duan et al, 2018; Peter et al, 2018) It remains unclear whether S. cerevisiae was first domesticated in Asia and the domesticated strains were later introduced to other continents, or whether wild S. cerevisiae immigrated from Asia to other continents and was domesticated independently in different places (Steensels et al, 2019). Our recent study showed that the domesticated lineages documented worldwide so far share a common ancestor which was likely formed by outcrossing between diverse wild isolates, implying a single domestication event scenario (Duan et al, 2018)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
