Abstract

The occurrence of putative cyanases (EC 4.2.1.104) in the genomes of yeasts belonging to the ascomycete sub-phyla Saccharomycotina (budding yeasts) and Taphrinomycotina (fission yeasts) was investigated. Predicted gene products displaying significant sequence similarity to previously characterized cyanases were identified in the genomes of the budding yeast Lipomyces starkeyi and the fission yeasts Protomyces lactucaedebilis, Saitoella complicata and Taphrina deformans. Li. starkeyi and Sai. complicata were further tested for their ability to utilize cyanate as a nitrogen source. However, neither species displayed significant growth when cyanate was provided as the sole nitrogen source. Cyanate utilization assays of 15 yeast species whose genomes lack detectable cyanase homologs unexpectedly resulted in consistently strong growth in six species as well as variable growth in an additional three species. The present study represents the first known report of cyanase-independent utilization of cyanate as a nitrogen source in ascomycete yeasts. Implications of cyanate utilization for the ecological niches occupied by ascomycete yeasts are discussed.

Keywords

Cyanase; Cyanate; Metabolism; Phenotype; Yeast

Published in

World Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
2019, Volume: 35, number: 1, article number: 3
Publisher: SPRINGER

SLU Authors

• Linder, Tomas

  • Department of Molecular Sciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

UKÄ Subject classification

Microbiology


Publication identifier

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11274-018-2579-4

Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/97576