Yeast on the milky way: genetics, physiology and biotechnology of Kluyveromyces lactis

• Published in: Yeast (Chichester, England) Vol. 30; no. 5; pp. 165 - 177
• Main Authors: Rodicio, Rosaura, Heinisch, Jürgen J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 01-05-2013
• Subjects: Animals; Biotechnology; Cheese; Dairy Products - microbiology; Fungal Proteins - genetics; Fungal Proteins - metabolism; Gene Expression; Genetic Engineering; Genetic Vectors; Glucose - metabolism; glucose signalling; heterologous gene expression; Humans; Kluyveromyces - genetics; Kluyveromyces - metabolism; Kluyveromyces - physiology; Kluyveromyces lactis; Lactose - metabolism; MAP Kinase Signaling System; MAPK signalling; non‐Saccharomyces yeast; Oxygen - metabolism; Saccharomyces cerevisiae - genetics; Saccharomyces cerevisiae - metabolism; Saccharomyces cerevisiae - physiology; Spores, Fungal; Stress, Physiological; Transgenes
• ISSN: 0749-503X; 1097-0061
• DOI: 10.1002/yea.2954

The milk yeast Kluyveromyces lactis has a life cycle similar to that of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and can be employed as a model eukaryote using classical genetics, such as the combination of desired traits, by crossing and tetrad analysis. Likewise, a growing set of vectors, marker cassettes and tags for fluorescence microscopy are available for manipulation by genetic engineering and investigating its basic cell biology. We here summarize these applications, as well as the current knowledge regarding its central metabolism, glucose and extracellular stress signalling pathways. A short overview on the biotechnological potential of K. lactis concludes this review. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Kluyveromyces lactis is found in milk and involved in cheese production. A growing list of molecular genetic techniques mean that it has great potential both as a model organism and in biotechnology.