There may be greater genetic variation between different yeasts of the same species than between humans and chimpanzees, according to the latest finding by University of Gothenburg, published in journal NATURE.In collaboration with the Sanger Institute in Cambridge, they have succeeded in sequencing the DNA and characterising the genome properties (i.e. phenotypes) of 70 different individual organisms from two different species of yeast – the common brewer's yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae and its evolutionary cousin Saccharomyces paradoxus.
"As humans transported wine and beer yeasts around the world, different yeasts have mated and recombined, so that the strains of today carry gene variants from various parts of the world. This mosaic pattern is not at all visible in our studies of another yeast that has not been exploited by humans," says Anders Blomberg. The DNA of individual yeast organisms can vary by up to 4 per cent, compared to the 1 per cent difference between the DNA of humans and chimpanzees.
Individual organisms from the same species can have extra genetic material. Most of these "extra genes" occur at the periphery of the chromosome (the telomer region), which lends support to the theory that these areas are very important in evolution.
Earlier, entire yeast genome in 1996 marked the beginning of a revolution in biological and medical research.Until now genome of about 1000 species has been sequenced.
"As humans transported wine and beer yeasts around the world, different yeasts have mated and recombined, so that the strains of today carry gene variants from various parts of the world. This mosaic pattern is not at all visible in our studies of another yeast that has not been exploited by humans," says Anders Blomberg. The DNA of individual yeast organisms can vary by up to 4 per cent, compared to the 1 per cent difference between the DNA of humans and chimpanzees.
Individual organisms from the same species can have extra genetic material. Most of these "extra genes" occur at the periphery of the chromosome (the telomer region), which lends support to the theory that these areas are very important in evolution.
Earlier, entire yeast genome in 1996 marked the beginning of a revolution in biological and medical research.Until now genome of about 1000 species has been sequenced.
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