Random Transfer of <i>Ogataea polymorpha</i> Genes into <i>Saccharomyces cerevisiae</i> Reveals a Complex Background of Heat Tolerance

• Main Authors: Taisuke Seike, Yuki Narazaki, Yoshinobu Kaneko, Hiroshi Shimizu, Fumio Matsuda
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2021-04-01
• Series: Journal of Fungi
• Subjects: <i>Saccharomyces cerevisiae</i>; cDNA library; heat tolerance; random gene transfer; <i>Ogataea polymorpha</i>
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2309-608X/7/4/302

Horizontal gene transfer, a process through which an organism acquires genes from other organisms, is a rare evolutionary event in yeasts. Artificial random gene transfer can emerge as a valuable tool in yeast bioengineering to investigate the background of complex phenotypes, such as heat tolerance. In this study, a cDNA library was constructed from the mRNA of a methylotrophic yeast, <i>Ogataea polymorpha</i>, and then introduced into <i>Saccharomyces cerevisiae</i>. <i>Ogataea polymorpha</i> was selected because it is one of the most heat-tolerant species among yeasts. Screening of <i>S. cerevisiae</i> populations expressing <i>O. polymorpha</i> genes at high temperatures identified 59 <i>O. polymorpha</i> genes that contribute to heat tolerance. Gene enrichment analysis indicated that certain <i>S. cerevisiae</i> functions, including protein synthesis, were highly temperature-sensitive. Additionally, the results confirmed that heat tolerance in yeast is a complex phenotype dependent on multiple quantitative loci. Random gene transfer would be a useful tool for future bioengineering studies on yeasts.