Abstract
Rhodotorula diobovata is an oleaginous and carotenogenic yeast, useful for diverse biotechnological applications. To understand the molecular basis of its potential applications, the genome was sequenced using the Illumina MiSeq and Ion Torrent platforms, assembled by AbySS, and annotated using the JGI annotation pipeline. The genome size, 21.1 MB, was similar to that of the biotechnological “workhorse”, R. toruloides. Comparative analyses of the R. diobovata genome sequence with those of other Rhodotorula species, Yarrowia lipolytica, Phaffia rhodozyma, Lipomyces starkeyi, and Sporidiobolus salmonicolor, were conducted, with emphasis on the carotenoid and neutral lipid biosynthesis pathways. Amino acid sequence alignments of key enzymes in the lipid biosynthesis pathway revealed why the activity of malic enzyme and ATP-citrate lyase may be ambiguous in Y. lipolytica and L. starkeyi. Phylogenetic analysis showed a close relationship between R. diobovata and R. graminis WP1. Dot-plot analysis of the coding sequences of the genes crtYB and ME1 corroborated sequence homologies between sequences from R. diobovata and R. graminis. There was, however, nonsequential alignment between crtYB CDS sequences from R. diobovata and those from X. dendrorhous. This research presents the first genome analysis of R. diobovata with a focus on its biotechnological potential as a lipid and carotenoid producer.
Highlights
Oleaginous yeasts store more than 20% of their dry cell weight as triglycerides (TAGs).With a projected world population of 9.9 billion in 2050 [1], the course to cleaner and sustainable energy would require continuous research, development, and implementation of renewable energy strategies
This study presents the first whole-genome sequence analysis and annotation of R. diobovata and compares the genome of R. diobovata with other oleaginous and carotenogenic yeasts with a focus on their lipid and carotenoid biosynthesis pathways
The draft genome sequence of R. diobovata annotated by the Joint Genome Institute (JGI) pipeline is estimated to have a total of 7970 protein-coding genes with an average of 5.95 exons per gene and an average protein length of 510 amino acids
Summary
Oleaginous yeasts store more than 20% of their dry cell weight as triglycerides (TAGs).With a projected world population of 9.9 billion in 2050 [1], the course to cleaner and sustainable energy would require continuous research, development, and implementation of renewable energy strategies. The production of biofuels from oleaginous microorganisms has been widely researched as an alternative to traditional diesel from fossil fuels [2,3]. In addition to their application in biodiesel production, some oleaginous microorganisms have other biotechnological applications in nutritional and nutraceutical supplements, cosmetics, and medical and lipid research [4]. While R. toruloides has been widely studied and engineered for various applications, other Rhodotorula species remain under characterized. One of those is the carotenogenic and oleaginous yeast, Rhodotorula diobovata
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