Scheffersomyces xylosifermentans was first isolated from insect tunnels in Broad Run, USA (1). It is phylogenetically closely related to xylose-fermenting yeast Scheffersomyces insectosa (1, 2). This species belongs to a genus that contains several D-xylose fermenting yeasts (3) and sequencing its genome could contribute to understanding how this trait has evolved.
References:
(1) Suh, S. O., Houseknecht, J. L., Gujjari, P., & Zhou, J. J. (2013). Scheffersomyces parashehatae fa, sp. nov., Scheffersomyces xylosifermentans fa, sp. nov., Candida broadrunensis sp. nov. and Candida manassasensis sp. nov., novel yeasts associated with wood-ingesting insects, and their ecological and biofuel implications. Int. J. Syst. Evol. Microbiol. 63(Pt_11), 4330-4339.
(2) Urbina H & Blackwell M. (2012). Multilocus Phylogenetic Study of the Scheffersomyces Yeast Clade and Characterization of the N-Terminal Region of Xylose Reductase Gene. PLOS One. 7(6):e39128.
(3) Jia, R. R., Lv, S. L., Chai, C. Y., & Hui, F. L. (2020). Three new Scheffersomyces species associated with insects and rotting wood in China. MycoKeys, 71, 87.
Genome Reference(s)
Barros Katharina O., Mader Megan, Krause David J., Pangilinan Jasmyn, Andreopoulos Bill, Lipzen Anna, Mondo Stephen J., Grigoriev Igor V., Rosa Carlos A., Sato Trey K., Hittinger Chris Todd
Oxygenation influences xylose fermentation and gene expression in the yeast genera Spathaspora and Scheffersomyces
Biotechnol Biofuels. 2024;17(1): doi: 10.1186/s13068-024-02467-8
