AUTHOR=Mirończuk Aleksandra M. , Biegalska Anna , Zugaj Karolina , Rzechonek Dorota A. , Dobrowolski Adam 

TITLE=A Role of a Newly Identified Isomerase From Yarrowia lipolytica in Erythritol Catabolism

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Microbiology

VOLUME=9

YEAR=2018

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2018.01122

DOI=10.3389/fmicb.2018.01122

ISSN=1664-302X

ABSTRACT=<p>Erythritol is a natural sweetener produced by microorganisms as an osmoprotectant. It belongs to the group of polyols and it can be utilized by the oleaginous yeast <italic>Yarrowia lipolytica</italic>. Despite the recent identification of the transcription factor of erythritol utilization (<italic>EUF1</italic>), the metabolic pathway of erythritol catabolism remains unknown. In this study we identified a new gene, <italic>YALI0F01628g</italic>, involved in erythritol assimilation. <italic>In silico</italic> analysis showed that <italic>YALI0F01628g</italic> is a putative isomerase and it is localized in the same region as <italic>EUF1</italic>. qRT-PCR analysis of <italic>Y. lipolytica</italic> showed a significant increase in <italic>YALI0F01628</italic>g expression during growth on erythritol and after overexpression of <italic>EUF1</italic>. Moreover, the deletion strain <italic>ΔF01628</italic> showed significantly impaired erythritol assimilation, whereas synthesis of erythritol remained unchanged. The results showed that <italic>YALI0F1628g</italic> is involved in erythritol assimilation; thus we named the gene <italic>EYI1</italic>. Moreover, we suggest the metabolic pathway of erythritol assimilation in yeast <italic>Y. lipolytica</italic>.</p>