De novo Genome Assembly of a Native Saccharomyces cerevisiae Strain Isolated from Desert Wine Must

Saccharomyces cerevisiae is the primary yeast species responsible for alcoholic fermentation, yet native strains adapted to extreme environments remain poorly characterized. In this study, we report the de novo genome assembly of a native S. cerevisiae strain isolated from spontaneously fermenting must in the hyper-arid Atacama Desert of northern Chile. High-quality sequencing data generated through a hybrid approach combining MGI short reads and Oxford Nanopore long reads enabled the reconstruction of a near-complete genome assembly. Genome annotation revealed conserved features of central metabolism, as well as unique genetic elements potentially associated with stress tolerance in desert vineyard environments. Comparative genomic analyses with reference strains highlighted structural variations and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that may underlie adaptations to osmotic stress, temperature fluctuations, and nutrient limitations characteristic of arid ecosystems. This work represents the first genomic characterization of a yeast strain associated with desert viticulture, providing valuable insights into microbial diversity, terroir, and the biotechnological potential of native yeasts for the development of distinctive wine profiles.