Genomes of Rhodotorula toruloides IST536 (PYCC 5615) and the evolved multi-stress tolerant strain IST536 MM15

The oleaginous red yeast species Rhodotorula toruloides, a prominent environmental basidiomycetous yeast, has garnered significant interest for its remarkable capacity to utilize main carbon sources present in lignocellulosic hydrolysates, such as glucose, xylose, and acetic acid, and to efficiently produce lipids and carotenoids. This species can also efficiently use other unusual and difficult-to-catabolize C-sources, as is the case of the acid sugar D-galacturonic acid and the neutral sugar L-arabinose, present in hydrolysates from pectin-rich agro-industrial residues. R. toruloides IST536 (synonymous to PYCC 5615) was previously selected in our laboratory for sugar beet pulp valorization based on its ability to produce lipids and carotenoids through the complete catabolism of the major C-sources present in the hydrolysates (1). This strain, whose genome is currently not sequenced, is a conjugated strain derived from IFO 0559 (isolated from wood-pulp; GCA_000988805.1) × IFO 0880 (isolated from air; GCA_001255795.1) (2). Despite its potential, the metabolism of this promising strain can be limited by the presence inhibitors present in lignocellulosic hydrolysates. To increase IST536 (PYCC 5615) strain robustness, an adaptive laboratory evolution (ALE) strategy was used. The selected evolved strain IST536 MM15 exhibits increased tolerance to several inhibitors of biotechnological relevance: methanol and the four main inhibitors present in lignocellulosic hydrolysates: acetic and formic acids, hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), and furfural (3). The superior performance of this evolved multi-stress tolerant strain for lipid production from non-detoxified lignocellulosic biomass hydrolysates was confirmed. To obtain mechanistic insights underlying such multi-tolerant phenotype, the genomes of the original and the evolved strains, IST536 (PYCC 5615) and IST536 MM15, respectively, were sequenced. References: 1. Martins LC, et, al. Journal of Fungi. 2021; 7(3):215. https://doi.org/10.3390/jof7030215 2. Banno, I. (1967). The Journal of General and Applied Microbiology, 13(2), 167-196. https://doi.org/10.2323/jgam.13.167 3. Fernandes, M. A., Mota, M. N., et al, Journal of Fungi, 2023, 9(11), 1073 https://doi.org/10.3390/jof9111073