Lager-brewing yeasts in the era of modern genetics

Lager-brewing yeasts in the era of modern genetics

Gorter de Vries, A.R. (TU Delft BT/Industriele Microbiologie)
Pronk, J.T. (TU Delft BT/Biotechnologie)
Daran, J.G. (TU Delft BT/Industriele Microbiologie)

BT/Biotechnologie

2019

The yeast Saccharomyces pastorianus is responsible for the annual worldwide production of almost 200 billion liters of lager-type beer. S. pastorianus is a hybrid of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Saccharomyces eubayanus that has been studied for well over a century. Scientific interest in S. pastorianus intensified upon the discovery, in 2011, of its S. eubayanus ancestor. Moreover, advances in whole-genome sequencing and genome editing now enable deeper exploration of the complex hybrid and aneuploid genome architectures of S. pastorianus strains. These developments not only provide novel insights into the emergence and domestication of S. pastorianus but also generate new opportunities for its industrial application. This review paper combines historical, technical and socioeconomic perspectives to analyze the evolutionary origin and genetics of S. pastorianus. In addition, it provides an overview of available methods for industrial strain improvement and an outlook on future industrial application of lager-brewing yeasts. Particular attention is given to the ongoing debate on whether current S. pastorianus originates from a single or multiple hybridization events and to the potential role of genome editing in developing industrial brewing yeast strains.

Saccharomyces pastorianus
genome editing
hybrid heterosis
strain improvement
whole genome sequencing

http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:13c3049b-8515-4cd4-9a2c-f8f44e96971c

https://doi.org/10.1093/femsyr/foz063

1567-1356

FEMS Yeast Research, 19 (7)

Institutional Repository

journal article

© 2019 A.R. Gorter de Vries, J.T. Pronk, J.G. Daran