Yarrowia lipolytica requires the expression of a heterologous invertase to grow on a sucrose-based substrate. This work reports the construction of an optimized invertase expression cassette composed of Saccharomyces cerevisiae Suc2p secretion signal sequence followed by the SUC2 sequence and under the control of the strong Y. lipolytica pTEF promoter. This new construction allows a fast and optimal cleavage of sucrose into glucose and fructose and allows cells to reach the maximum growth rate. Contrary to pre-existing constructions, the expression of SUC2 is not sensitive to medium composition in this context. The strain JMY2593, expressing this new cassette with an optimized secretion signal sequence and a strong promoter, produces 4,519 U/l of extracellular invertase in bioreactor experiments compared to 597 U/l in a strain expressing the former invertase construction. The expression of this cassette strongly improved production of invertase and is suitable for simultaneously high production level of citric acid from sucrose-based media.

Sugar assimilation has been intensively studied in the model yeast S. cerevisiae, and for two decades, it has been clear that the homologous HXT genes, which encode a set of hexose transporters, play a central role in this process. However, in the yeast Yarrowia lipolytica, which is well-known for its biotechnological applications, sugar assimilation is only poorly understood, even though this yeast exhibits peculiar intra-strain differences in fructose uptake: some strains (e.g., W29) are known to be slow-growing in fructose while others (e.g., H222) grow rapidly under the same conditions. Here, we retrieved 24 proteins of the Sugar Porter family from these two strains, and determined that at least six of these proteins can function as hexose transporters in the heterologous host Saccharomyces cerevisiae EBY.VW4000. Transcriptional studies and deletion analysis in Y. lipolytica indicated that two genes, YHT1 and YHT4, are probably the main players in both strains, with a similar role in the uptake of glucose, fructose, and mannose at various concentrations. The other four genes appear to constitute a set of 'reservoir' hexose transporters with an as-yet unclear physiological role. Furthermore, through examining Sugar Porters of the entire Yarrowia clade, we show that they constitute a dynamic family, within which hexose transport genes have been duplicated and lost several times. Our phylogenetic analyses support the existence of at least three distinct evolutionary groups of transporters which allow yeasts to grow on hexoses. In addition to the well-known and widespread Hxt-type transporters (which are not essential in Y. lipolytica), we highlight a second group of transporters, represented by Yht1, which are phylogenetically related to sensors that play a regulatory role in S. cerevisiae, and a third group, represented by Yht4, previously thought to contain only high-affinity glucose transporters related to Hgt1of Kluyveromyces lactis.

The progress of research on silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) has led to their inclusion in many consumer products (chemicals, cosmetics, clothing, water filters, and medical devices) as a biocide. Despite the widespread use of AgNPs, their biocidal activity is not yet fully understood and is usually associated with various factors (size, composition, surface, red-ox potential, and concentration) and, obviously, specific features of microorganisms. There are merely a few studies concerning the interaction of molds with AgNPs. Therefore, the determination of the minimal AgNPs concentration required for effective growth suppression of five fungal species ( Paecilomyces variotii, Penicillium pinophilum, Chaetomium globosum, Trichoderma virens , and Aspergillus brasiliensis ), involved in the deterioration of construction materials, was particularly important. Inhibition of bacteria ( Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus , and Escherichia coli ) and yeasts ( Candida albicans and Yarrowia lipolytica ) was also assessed as the control of AgNPs effectiveness. AgNPs at the concentrations of 9–10.7 ppm displayed high inhibitory activity against moulds, yeast, and bacteria. The TEM images revealed that 20 nm AgNPs migrated into bacterial, yeast, and fungal cells but aggregated in larger particles (50–100 nm) exclusively inside eukaryotic cells. The aggregation of 20 nm AgNPs and particularly their accumulation in the cell wall, observed for A. brasiliensis cells, are described here for the first time.

Yarrowia lipolytica is an early diverging species of the Saccharomycotina subphylum, which is recognized as a valuable host for many biotechnological applications exploiting its oleaginous capacities. The 20.5-Mb genome of the Polish Y. lipolytica strain A-101 will greatly help decipher the genetic basis of the regulation of its lipid metabolism.