Journal Article

Engineering Yeast Transcription Machinery for Improved Ethanol Tolerance and Production

Nevoigt, Elke, Moxley, Joel, Stephanopoulos, Gregory, Alper, Hal, Fink, Gerald R

2006

Overview

Global transcription machinery engineering (gTME) is an approach for reprogramming gene transcription to elicit cellular phenotypes important for technological applications. Here we show the application of gTME to Saccharomyces cerevisiae for improved glucose/ethanol tolerance, a key trait for many biofuels programs. Mutagenesis of the transcription factor Spt15p and selection led to dominant mutations that conferred increased tolerance and more efficient glucose conversion to ethanol. The desired phenotype results from the combined effect of three separate mutations in the SPT15 gene [serine substituted for phenylalanine (Phe¹⁷⁷Ser) and, similarly, Tyr¹⁹⁵His, and Lys²¹⁸Arg]. Thus, gTME can provide a route to complex phenotypes that are not readily accessible by traditional methods.

• Publisher: American Association for the Advancement of Science,The American Association for the Advancement of Science
• Subject: Amino Acid Substitution / Biofuels / Biological and medical sciences / Biotechnology / Cell Cycle Proteins - genetics / Cell Cycle Proteins - metabolism / engineering / Ethanol / Ethanol - metabolism / Ethanol - pharmacology / Fermentation / Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology / Gene Expression Profiling / Gene Expression Regulation, Fungal / Genes / Genetic Engineering / Genetic mutation / Genotype & phenotype / Glucose / Glucose - metabolism / Glucose - pharmacology / Libraries / Machinery / Mutagenesis / Mutation / Phenotype / Phenotypes / phenylalanine / RNA / Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Saccharomyces cerevisiae - genetics / Saccharomyces cerevisiae - growth & development / Saccharomyces cerevisiae - metabolism / Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins - genetics / Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins - metabolism / serine / TATA-Binding Protein Associated Factors - genetics / TATA-Binding Protein Associated Factors - metabolism / TATA-Box Binding Protein - genetics / TATA-Box Binding Protein - metabolism / transcription (genetics) / Transcription Factor TFIID - genetics / Transcription Factor TFIID - metabolism / transcription factors / Transcription Factors - genetics / Transcription Factors - metabolism / Transcription, Genetic / Transformation, Genetic / Up-Regulation / Viability / Yeast / Yeasts