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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Peoria, Illinois » National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research » Mycotoxin Prevention and Applied Microbiology Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #313557
Title: Genomic evolution of the ascomycetous yeasts

Author
item RILEY, ROBERT - US Department Of Energy
item HARIDAS, SAJEET - US Department Of Energy
item SALAMOV, ASAF - US Department Of Energy
item BOUNDY-MILLS, KYRIA - University Of California
item GOKER, MARKUS - Leibniz Institute
item HITTINGER, CHRIS - University Of Wisconsin
item KLENK, HANS-PETER - Newcastle University
item LOPES, MARIANA - Newcastle University
item MEIER-KOLTHOFF, JAN - Newcastle University
item Kurtzman, Cletus

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/22/2015
Publication Date: 3/22/2015
Citation: Riley, R., Haridas, S., Salamov, A., Boundy-Mills, K., Goker, M., Hittinger, C., Klenk, H., Lopes, M., Meier-Kolthoff, J.P., Kurtzman, C.P. 2015. Genomic evolution of the ascomycetous yeasts [abstract].

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Yeasts are important for industrial and biotechnological processes and show remarkable metabolic and phylogenetic diversity despite morphological similarities. We have sequenced the genomes of 16 ascomycete yeasts of taxonomic and industrial importance including members of Saccharomycotina and Taphrinomycotina. Phylogenetic analysis of these and previously published yeast genomes helped resolve the placement of species including Saitoella complicata, Babjeviella inositovora, Hyphopichia burtonii, and Metschnikowia bicuspidata. Moreover, we find that alternative nuclear codon usage, where CUG encodes serine instead of leucine, are monophyletic within the Saccharomycotina. Most of the yeasts have compact genomes with a large fraction of single exon genes, and a tendency towards more introns in early-diverging species. Analysis of enzyme phylogeny gives insights into the evolution of metabolic capabilities such as xylose fermentation, methanol utilization, and assimilation of alternative carbon sources.