A5023090073- Fungal and yeast genetics research
- Fermentation and Sensory Analysis
- Yeasts and Rust Fungi Studies
- Biofuel production and bioconversion
- Microbial Metabolic Engineering and Bioproduction
- Mycorrhizal Fungi and Plant Interactions
- Horticultural and Viticultural Research
- Plant Pathogens and Fungal Diseases
- Plant Pathogens and Resistance
- Fungal Biology and Applications
- RNA and protein synthesis mechanisms
- Plant nutrient uptake and metabolism
- Lichen and fungal ecology
- Microbial Metabolites in Food Biotechnology
- Wine Industry and Tourism
- RNA Research and Splicing
- Genomics and Chromatin Dynamics
- Genetic Mapping and Diversity in Plants and Animals
- Fungal Infections and Studies
- Enzyme Structure and Function
- Genomics and Phylogenetic Studies
- Evolution and Genetic Dynamics
- Metabolism, Diabetes, and Cancer
- Polar Research and Ecology
- Nail Diseases and Treatments
Universidade Nova de Lisboa
2015-2024
Rede de Química e Tecnologia
2015-2019
University of Coimbra
2014
University of Lisbon
2000-2008
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
1992-1997
Domestication of plants and animals promoted humanity's transition from nomadic to sedentary lifestyles, demographic expansion, the emergence civilizations. In contrast well-documented successes crop livestock breeding, processes microbe domestication remain obscure, despite importance microbes production food, beverages, biofuels. Lager-beer, first brewed in 15th century, employs an allotetraploid hybrid yeast, Saccharomyces pastorianus (syn. carlsbergensis ), a domesticated species created...
ABSTRACT Here we report the isolation of four Saccharomyces species (former sensu stricto group) from tree bark. The employment two temperatures (10°C in addition to more commonly used 30°C) resulted S. kudriavzevii and uvarum , that grow at low temperatures, cerevisiae paradoxus . A clear bias was found toward bark certain trees, particularly oak species. Very often, than one locality occasionally even same sample. Our evidence strongly suggests (markedly) different growth temperature...
Organisms exhibit extensive variation in ecological niche breadth, from very narrow (specialists) to broad (generalists). Two general paradigms have been proposed explain this variation: (i) trade-offs between performance efficiency and breadth (ii) the joint influence of extrinsic (environmental) intrinsic (genomic) factors. We assembled genomic, metabolic, data nearly all known species ancient fungal subphylum Saccharomycotina (1154 yeast strains 1051 species), grown 24 different...
The domestication of the wine yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae is thought to be contemporary with development and expansion viticulture along Mediterranean basin. Until now, unavailability wild lineages prevented identification closest relatives yeasts. Here, we enlarge collection natural employ whole-genome data oak-associated isolates study a balanced number anthropic S. strains. We identified industrial variants new geographically delimited populations, including novel oak population. This...
Abstract Reticulate evolution can be a major driver of diversification into new niches, especially in disturbed habitats and at the edges ranges. Industrial fermentation strains yeast provide window these processes, but progress has been hampered by limited understanding natural diversity distribution S accharomyces species populations. For example, lager beer is brewed with pastorianus , an alloploid hybrid . cerevisiae eubayanus only recently discovered P atagonia, A rgentina. Here, we...
Abstract Species is the fundamental unit to quantify biodiversity. In recent years, model yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae has seen an increased number of studies related its geographical distribution, population structure, and phenotypic diversity. However, seven additional species from same genus have been less thoroughly studied, which limited our understanding macroevolutionary events leading diversification this over last 20 million years. Here, we show geographies, hosts, substrates,...
Candida intermedia PYCC 4715 was previously shown to grow well on xylose and transport this sugar by two different systems: high-capacity low-affinity facilitated diffusion a high-affinity xylose–proton symporter, both of which accept glucose as substrate. Here we report the isolation genes encoding transporters, designated GXF1 (glucose/xylose facilitator 1) GXS1 symporter respectively. Although isolated functional complementation an HXT-null (where Hxt refers hexose transporters)...
Transport of glucose and fructose in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae plays a crucial role controlling rate wine fermentation. In S. cerevisiae, hexoses are transported by facilitated diffusion via hexose carriers (Hxt), which prefer to fructose. However, utilization is critically important at end Here, we report characterization transporter recently identified sequencing genome commercial strain EC1118 found many other yeasts. This designated Fsy1p because its homology with pastorianus...
The genus Saccharomyces currently includes eight species in addition to the model yeast cerevisiae, most of which can be consistently isolated from tree bark and soil. We recently found sympatric pairs species, composed one cryotolerant thermotolerant oak samples various geographic origins. In order contribute explain occurrence sympatry we screened genomic data for protein divergence that might correlated distinct growth temperature preferences using dN/dS ratio as a measure evolution rates...
Fructophily is a rare trait that consists of the preference for fructose over other carbon sources. Here, we show in yeast lineage (the Wickerhamiella/Starmerella, W/S clade) comprised fructophilic species thriving high-sugar floral niche, acquisition fructophily concurrent with wider remodeling central metabolism. Coupling comparative genomics biochemical and genetic approaches, gathered ample evidence loss alcoholic fermentation an ancestor clade subsequent reinstatement through either...
Lignocellulosic biomass is a common resource across the globe, and its fermentation offers promising option for generating renewable liquid transportation fuels. The deconstruction of lignocellulosic releases sugars that can be fermented by microbes, but these processes also produce inhibitors, such as aromatic acids aldehydes. Several research projects have investigated baker's yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Most taken synthetic biological approaches or explored naturally occurring...
The natural biology of Saccharomyces cerevisiae , the best known unicellular model eukaryote, remains poorly documented and understood although recent progress has started to change this situation. Studies carried out recently in Northern Hemisphere revealed existence wild populations associated with oak trees North America, Asia, Mediterranean region. However, spite these advances, global distribution S. especially regions were oaks other members Fagaceae are absent, is not well understood....
Organisms exhibit extensive variation in ecological niche breadth, from very narrow (specialists) to broad (generalists). Paradigms proposed explain this either invoke trade-offs between performance efficiency and breadth or underlying intrinsic extrinsic factors. We assembled genomic (1,154 yeast strains 1,049 species), metabolic (quantitative measures of growth 843 species 24 conditions), (environmental ontology 1,088 species) data nearly all known the ancient fungal subphylum...
Comparative genomics revealed in the last decade a scenario of rampant horizontal gene transfer (HGT) among prokaryotes, but for fungi clearly dominant pattern vertical inheritance still stands, punctuated however by an increasing number exceptions. In present work, we studied phylogenetic distribution and fungal encoding fructose transporter (FSY1) with unique substrate selectivity. 109 FSY1 homologues were identified two sub-phyla Ascomycota, survey that included 241 available genomes. At...
Maltotriose utilization by Saccharomyces cerevisiae and closely related yeasts is important to industrial processes based on starch hydrolysates, where the trisaccharide present in significant concentrations often not completely consumed. We undertook an integrated study better understand maltotriose metabolism a mixture with glucose maltose. Physiological data obtained for particularly fast-growing distiller's strain (PYCC 5297) showed that, contrast what has been previously reported other...
In fungi, sexual identity is determined by specialized genomic regions called MAT loci which are the equivalent to sex chromosomes in some animals and plants. Usually, only two sexes or mating types exist, alternate sets of genes (or alleles) at locus (bipolar system). However, phylum Basidiomycota, a unique tetrapolar system emerged four different generated per meiosis. This occurs because functionally distinct molecular recognition systems, each encoded one region, constrain selection...
Abstract In Saccharomyces cerevisiae , the main yeast in wine fermentation, opportunity to examine divergence at molecular level between a domesticated lineage and its wild counterpart arose recently due identification of closest relatives strains, population associated with Mediterranean oaks. As genomic data are available for considerable number representatives belonging both groups, we used genomics estimate degree distribution nucleotide variation yeasts their relatives. We found...