Genome-wide effect of non-optimal temperatures under anaerobic conditions on gene expression in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

• Published in: Genomics (San Diego, Calif.) Calif.), 2022-07, Vol.114 (4), p.110386-110386, Article 110386
• Main Authors: García-Ríos, Estéfani, Alonso-del-Real, Javier, Lip, Ka Ying Florence, Pinheiro, Tania, Teixeira, José, van Gulik, Walter, Domingues, Lucília, Querol, Amparo, Guillamón, José Manuel
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: bioethanol; Cold; ethanol; gene expression; genes; genomics; Heat; heat tolerance; Proteome; proteomics; Saccharomyces; Saccharomyces cerevisiae; temperature; Temperature tolerance; transcription (genetics); Transcriptome; transcriptomics; wines; yeasts
• ISSN: 0888-7543; 1089-8646
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ygeno.2022.110386

Understanding of thermal adaptation mechanisms in yeast is crucial to develop better-adapted strains to industrial processes, providing more economical and sustainable products. We have analyzed the transcriptomic responses of three Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains, a commercial wine strain, ADY5, a laboratory strain, CEN.PK113-7D and a commercial bioethanol strain, Ethanol Red, grown at non-optimal temperatures under anaerobic chemostat conditions. Transcriptomic analysis of the three strains revealed a huge complexity of cellular mechanisms and responses. Overall, cold exerted a stronger transcriptional response in the three strains comparing with heat conditions, with a higher number of down-regulating genes than of up-regulating genes regardless the strain analyzed. The comparison of the transcriptome at both sub- and supra-optimal temperatures showed the presence of common genes up- or down-regulated in both conditions, but also the presence of common genes up- or down-regulated in the three studied strains. More specifically, we have identified and validated three up-regulated genes at sub-optimal temperature in the three strains, OPI3, EFM6 and YOL014W. Finally, the comparison of the transcriptomic data with a previous proteomic study with the same strains revealed a good correlation between gene activity and protein abundance, mainly at low temperature. Our work provides a global insight into the specific mechanisms involved in temperature adaptation regarding both transcriptome and proteome, which can be a step forward in the comprehension and improvement of yeast thermotolerance. •Low temperature exerted a stronger transcriptional response in the three strains.•OPI3 proved to be a gene with paramount importance in cold environments.•Proteome-transcriptome correlation was higher in cold.•Switch from respiration to fermentation may be a convergent mechanism in cold.