How do yeast cells become tolerant to high ethanol concentrations?

Snoek, Tim; Verstrepen, Kevin J.; Voordeckers, Karin

doi:10.1007/s00294-015-0561-3

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Published: 12 January 2016

How do yeast cells become tolerant to high ethanol concentrations?

Tim Snoek^1,2^nAff3,
Kevin J. Verstrepen^1,2 &
Karin Voordeckers^1,2

Current Genetics volume 62, pages 475–480 (2016)Cite this article

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Abstract

The brewer’s yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae displays a much higher ethanol tolerance compared to most other organisms, and it is therefore commonly used for the industrial production of bioethanol and alcoholic beverages. However, the genetic determinants underlying this yeast’s exceptional ethanol tolerance have proven difficult to elucidate. In this perspective, we discuss how different types of experiments have contributed to our understanding of the toxic effects of ethanol and the mechanisms and complex genetics underlying ethanol tolerance. In a second part, we summarize the different routes and challenges involved in obtaining superior industrial yeasts with improved ethanol tolerance.

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Acknowledgments

KV is supported by a Fonds voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek (FWO) postdoctoral fellowship. Original research in the lab of KJV is funded by by KU Leuven Program Financing, European Research Council (ERC) Starting Grant 241426, Human Frontier Science (HFSP) program grant RGP0050/2013, Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie (VIB), European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO) Young Investigator program, FWO, and Agentschap voor Innovatie door Wetenschap en Technology (IWT).

Author information

Tim Snoek
Present address: The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Copenhagen, Denmark

Affiliations

VIB Laboratory for Systems Biology, Gaston Geenslaan 1, 3001, Leuven, Belgium
Tim Snoek, Kevin J. Verstrepen & Karin Voordeckers
CMPG Laboratory for Genetics and Genomics, KU Leuven, Gaston Geenslaan 1, 3001, Leuven, Belgium
Tim Snoek, Kevin J. Verstrepen & Karin Voordeckers

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Tim Snoek
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Kevin J. Verstrepen
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Karin Voordeckers
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Correspondence to Karin Voordeckers.

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Communicated by M. Kupiec.

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Snoek, T., Verstrepen, K.J. & Voordeckers, K. How do yeast cells become tolerant to high ethanol concentrations?. Curr Genet 62, 475–480 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00294-015-0561-3

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Received: 21 December 2015
Accepted: 28 December 2015
Published: 12 January 2016
Issue Date: August 2016
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00294-015-0561-3

Keywords

Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Ethanol tolerance
Fermentation
Biofuel