Applications of Blastobotrys ( Arxula ) adeninivorans in Biotechnology

The yeast Blastobotrys adeninivorans (syn. Arxula adeninivorans ) is a dimorphic, asexual hemiascomycete which is phylogenetically very distant from Saccharomyces cerevisiae. It has been shown to be most useful in a wide range of biotechnological applications: as gene donor in enzyme production, as host for heterologous gene expression, and as powerful biological component in biosensors. B. (A.) adeninivorans major advantage is its metabolic flexibility, which enables the utilization of a wide range of different carbon and nitrogen sources. For example, recent analyses of the genome and its transcriptome revealed a new pathway for the assimilation of n-butanol via butyraldehyde and butyric acid as well as new insights into the previously reported purine degradation pathway. Additionally, the synthesis of several secretory enzymes with great biotechnological potential, such as two tannases (Atan1p and Atan2p) and three new cutinases (Acut1p, Acut2p and Acut3p) were identified. Due to these characteristics, B. (A.) adeninivorans can be exploited as a gene donor for the production of enzymes with attractive biotechnological applications. Furthermore, its unusual thermo- and halotolerance as well as differential morphology-dependent glycosylation and the secretion characteristics render B. (A.) adeninivorans attractive as host for heterologous gene expression. Successful expression of bacterial alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) genes from Rhodococcus ruber and Rhodococcus erythropolis enables B. (A.) adeninivorans to be used as biocatalyst for the synthesis of chiral alcohols as building blocks for the chemical industry. The combination of robustness with its great ability for heterologous gene expression makes B. (A.) adeninivorans a superior choice for the biological component in biosensor applications. Different B. (A.) adeninivorans-based biosensors detecting hormones like estrogens, androgens and glucocorticoides as well as dioxin have been developed and consequently improved in the last decade. This chapter will provide a comprehensive overview on the biology and the biotechnological applications of this yeast.