Amino acid metabolism and MAP kinase signaling pathway play opposite roles in the regulation of ethanol production during fermentation of sugarcane molasses in budding yeast

• Published in: Genomics (San Diego, Calif.) Calif.), 2024-03, Vol.116 (2), p.110811, Article 110811
• Main Authors: Jiang, Linghuo, Shen, Yuzhi, Jiang, Yongqiang, Mei, Weiping, Wei, Liudan, Feng, Jinrong, Wei, Chunyu, Liao, Xiufan, Mo, Yiping, Pan, Lingxin, Wei, Min, Gu, Yiying, Zheng, Jiashi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Amino acid metabolism; Amino acid permease; Amino Acids; batch fermentation; Ethanol; Ethanol - metabolism; ethanol production; Fermentation; genome; genomics; glycerol; Hog1; Kss1; MAP kinase; MAP Kinase Signaling System; mitogen-activated protein kinase; Molasses; osmolarity; Saccharomyces cerevisiae; Saccharomyces cerevisiae - genetics; Saccharomyces cerevisiae - metabolism; Saccharomycetales - metabolism; Saccharum - genetics; Saccharum - metabolism; sugarcane; Sugarcane molasses; yeasts
• ISSN: 0888-7543; 1089-8646; 1089-8646
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ygeno.2024.110811

Sugarcane molasses is one of the main raw materials for bioethanol production, and Saccharomyces cerevisiae is the major biofuel-producing organism. In this study, a batch fermentation model has been used to examine ethanol titers of deletion mutants for all yeast nonessential genes in this yeast genome. A total of 42 genes are identified to be involved in ethanol production during fermentation of sugarcane molasses. Deletion mutants of seventeen genes show increased ethanol titers, while deletion mutants for twenty-five genes exhibit reduced ethanol titers. Two MAP kinases Hog1 and Kss1 controlling the high osmolarity and glycerol (HOG) signaling and the filamentous growth, respectively, are negatively involved in the regulation of ethanol production. In addition, twelve genes involved in amino acid metabolism are crucial for ethanol production during fermentation. Our findings provide novel targets and strategies for genetically engineering industrial yeast strains to improve ethanol titer during fermentation of sugarcane molasses. •Screening 4797 gene mutants for ethanol fermentation titers of sugarcane molasses.•Forty-two genes involved in ethanol production in sugarcane molasses fermentation.•Seventeen mutants show increased, but 25 mutants exhibit reduced, ethanol yields.•Two MAP kinases Hog1 and Kss1 negatively regulate ethanol production.•Amino acid metabolism are crucial for ethanol production during fermentation.