Overexpression of smORF YNR034W-A/EGO4 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae increases the fermentative efficiency of Agave tequilana Weber must

• Published in: Journal of industrial microbiology & biotechnology Vol. 44; no. 1; pp. 63 - 74
• Main Authors: Vargas-Maya, Naurú Idalia, González-Hernández, Gloria Angélica, Padilla-Guerrero, Israel Enrique, Torres-Guzmán, Juan Carlos
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 2017; Oxford University Press
• Subjects: Agave; Alcoholic beverages; Alcoholic Beverages - analysis; Analysis; Biochemistry; Biofuels; Bioinformatics; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biotechnology; Cell Culture and Bioengineering - Original Paper; Ethanol; Ethanol - metabolism; Fermentation; Gene expression; Gene Expression Profiling; Genes; Genetic Engineering; Glucose; Glucose - chemistry; Industrial Microbiology; Inorganic Chemistry; Laboratories; Life Sciences; Metabolism; Metabolites; Microbiology; Open Reading Frames; Proteins; Saccharomyces cerevisiae; Saccharomyces cerevisiae - genetics; Saccharomyces cerevisiae - metabolism; Studies; Tequila; Yeast; Yeasts; Fermentation; Tequila; smORF; Agave tequilana; Saccharomyces
• ISSN: 1367-5435; 1476-5535
• DOI: 10.1007/s10295-016-1871-2

Fermentative processes are widely used to produce food, beverages and biofuels. Saccharomyces cerevisiae is an efficient ethanol-producing microorganism. However, a concentration of high ethanol and other metabolites can affect yeast viability and decrease the ethanol yield. Many studies have focused on improving the fermentative efficiency, mostly through the genetic engineering of genes that have a direct impact on specific metabolic pathways. In the present study, we characterized a small open reading frame encoding a protein with an unknown function and biological role termed YNR034W-A. We analyzed the expression profile of the YNR034W-A gene during growth and glucose treatment, finding that it is expressed during the diauxic shift and stationary phase and is negatively regulated by glucose. We overexpressed the YNR034W-A gene in the BY4741 laboratory strain and a wild-type yeast strain (AR5) isolated during the Tequila fermentation process. Transformant derivatives of the AR5 strain showed an improved fermentative efficiency during fermentation of Agave tequilana Weber juice. We suggest that the improved fermentative efficiency is the result of a higher stress tolerance response in the YNR034W-A overexpressing transformant.