Phenotypic characterization and comparative transcriptome profiling of overexpressing RDS1 during the lag phase reveal the tolerant mechanisms of Saccharomyce cerevisiae to furfural

The aims of this work were to obtain, RDS1 yeast tolerant strain against furfural through overexpression using a method of in vivo homologous recombination. The comparative transcriptome profiling was performed in response to furfural challenge to determine gene expression levels during the lag phase in a time course study. A significant change in expression level of log2 (Fold change > 1) was displayed for RDS1 gene in the recombinant strain. The overexpression of RDS1 was found to increase the tolerance of the oxidative stress, cell wall and cellular detoxification when challenged with furfural. Furthermore, expressed genes also involved in degradation of damaged proteins. This study clearly shows RDS1 overexpression for the first time play an important role in the improvement of laboratory yeast tolerance towards furfural. The result can provide insight into mechanisms of yeast tolerance, such knowledge can be applied to aid engineering efforts for tolerant strain improvement.