Clade- and species-specific features of genome evolution in the Saccharomycetaceae

• Published in: FEMS yeast research Vol. 15; no. 5; p. fov035
• Main Authors: Wolfe, Kenneth H., Armisén, David, Proux-Wera, Estelle, ÓhÉigeartaigh, Seán S., Azam, Haleema, Gordon, Jonathan L., Byrne, Kevin P.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Oxford University Press 01.08.2015; Oxford University Press (OUP)
• Subjects: Biological Evolution; Chromosomes; comparative genomics; Computer Science; Conserved Sequence; Dynactin; Dynactin Complex; Dynein; Dyneins - genetics; evolution; Evolution, Molecular; Gene order; Genes, Fungal; Genome, Fungal - genetics; Genomes; Histidine; Histidine - biosynthesis; HO gene; Kazachstania; Life Sciences; Microtubule-Associated Proteins - genetics; Minireview; Multigene Family - genetics; Naumovozyma; Phylogeny; RNA Interference; RNA-mediated interference; Saccharomyces cerevisiae; Saccharomyces cerevisiae - genetics; Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins - genetics; Saccharomycetaceae; Species; Tetrapisispora; Torulaspora; Torulaspora - genetics; Yeast; Tetrapisispora; Kazachstania; evolution; Torulaspora; comparative genomics; Naumovozyma
• ISSN: 1567-1356; 1567-1364; 1567-1364
• DOI: 10.1093/femsyr/fov035

Many aspects of the genomes of yeast species in the family Saccharomycetaceae have been well conserved during evolution. They have similar genome sizes, genome contents, and extensive collinearity of gene order along chromosomes. Gene functions can often be inferred reliably by using information from Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Beyond this conservative picture however, there are many instances where a species or a clade diverges substantially from the S. cerevisiae paradigm—for example, by the amplification of a gene family, or by the absence of a biochemical pathway or a protein complex. Here, we review clade-specific features, focusing on genomes sequenced in our laboratory from the post-WGD genera Naumovozyma, Kazachstania and Tetrapisispora, and from the non-WGD species Torulaspora delbrueckii. Examples include the loss of the pathway for histidine synthesis in the cockroach-associated species Tetrapisispora blattae; the presence of a large telomeric GAL gene cluster in To. delbrueckii; losses of the dynein and dynactin complexes in several independent yeast lineages; fragmentation of the MAT locus and loss of the HO gene in Kazachstania africana; and the patchy phylogenetic distribution of RNAi pathway components. The authors review species-specific evolutionary attributes of yeast genomes.