Exploring the xylose paradox in Saccharomyces cerevisiae through in vivo sugar signalomics of targeted deletants

Background: There have been many successful strategies to implement xylose metabolism in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, but no effort has so far enabled xylose utilization at rates comparable to that of glucose (the preferred sugar of this yeast). Many studies have pointed towards the engineered yeast not sensing that xylose is a fermentable carbon source despite growing and fermenting on it, which is paradoxical. We have previously used fluorescent biosensor strains to in vivo monitor the sugar signalome in yeast engineered with xylose reductase and xylitol dehydrogenase (XR/XDH) and have established that S. cerevisiae senses high concentrations of xylose with the same signal as low concentration of glucose, which may explain the poor utilization. Results: In the present study, we evaluated the effects of three deletions (ira2δ, isu1δ and hog1δ) that have recently been shown to display epistatic effects on a xylose isomerase (XI) strain. Through aerobic and anaerobic characterization, we showed that the proposed effects in XI strains were for the most part also applicable in the XR/XDH background. The ira2δisu1δ double deletion led to strains with the highest specific xylose consumption- and ethanol production rates but also the lowest biomass titre. The signalling response revealed that ira2δisu1δ changed the low glucose-signal in the background strain to a simultaneous signalling of high and low glucose, suggesting that engineering of the signalome can improve xylose utilization. Conclusions: The study was able to correlate the previously proposed beneficial effects of ira2δ, isu1δ and hog1δ on S. cerevisiae xylose uptake, with a change in the sugar signalome. This is in line with our previous hypothesis that the key to resolve the xylose paradox lies in the sugar sensing and signalling networks. These results indicate that the future engineering targets for improved xylose utilization should probably be sought not in the metabolic networks, but in the signalling ones

Using phosphoglucose isomerase-deficient (pgi1Δ) Saccharomyces cerevisiae to map the impact of sugar phosphate levels on d-glucose and d-xylose sensing

Abstract Background Despite decades of engineering efforts, recombinant Saccharomyces cerevisiae are still less efficient at converting d-xylose sugar to ethanol compared to the preferred sugar d-glucose. Using GFP-based biosensors reporting for the three main sugar sensing routes, we recently demonstrated that the sensing response to high concentrations of d-xylose is similar to the response seen on low concentrations of d-glucose. The formation of glycolytic intermediates was hypothesized to be a potential cause of this sensing response. In order to investigate this, glycolysis was disrupted via the deletion of the phosphoglucose isomerase gene (PGI1) while intracellular sugar phosphate levels were monitored using a targeted metabolomic approach. Furthermore, the sugar sensing of the PGI1 deletants was compared to the PGI1-wildtype strains in the presence of various types and combinations of sugars. Results Metabolomic analysis revealed systemic changes in intracellular sugar phosphate levels after deletion of PGI1, with the expected accumulation of intermediates upstream of the Pgi1p reaction on d-glucose and downstream intermediates on d-xylose. Moreover, the analysis revealed a preferential formation of d-fructose-6-phosphate from d-xylose, as opposed to the accumulation of d-fructose-1,6-bisphosphate that is normally observed when PGI1 deletants are incubated on d-fructose. This may indicate a role of PFK27 in d-xylose sensing and utilization. Overall, the sensing response was different for the PGI1 deletants, and responses to sugars that enter the glycolysis upstream of Pgi1p (d-glucose and d-galactose) were more affected than the response to those entering downstream of the reaction (d-fructose and d-xylose). Furthermore, the simultaneous exposure to sugars that entered upstream and downstream of Pgi1p (d-glucose with d-fructose, or d-glucose with d-xylose) resulted in apparent synergetic activation and deactivation of the Snf3p/Rgt2p and cAMP/PKA pathways, respectively. Conclusions Overall, the sensing assays indicated that the previously observed d-xylose response stems from the formation of downstream metabolic intermediates. Furthermore, our results indicate that the metabolic node around Pgi1p and the level of d-fructose-6-phosphate could represent attractive engineering targets for improved d-xylose utilization