Complete genome sequence determined by the Genolevures Consortium in a comparative genomics study of hemiascomycete yeasts

In a comparative genomics study designed to examine eukaryotic genome evolution, the Genolevures Consortium determined the complete genome sequences of the yeast species Kluyveromyces lactis, Candida glabrata, Yarrowia lipolytica, and Debaryomyces hansenii. These four hemiascomycete yeasts represent a broad evolutionary range within a single eukaryotic phylum. The Genolevures Consortium sequenced the Kluyveromyces lactis strain NRRL Y-1140 genome at 11.4X coverage using whole genome shotgun (WGS) sequencing. They assembled the Kluyveromyces lactis sequences into chromosomes with 0 total gaps. The Genolevures Consortium annotated the four yeast genome sequences, identifying approximately 24,200 novel genes. They classified the corresponding protein products, together with Saccharomyces cerevisiae proteins, into about 4,700 families. Genomic analysis revealed that the different yeast lineages have evolved through a variety of molecular mechanisms, including tandem gene repeat formation, segmental duplication, a massive genome duplication, and extensive gene loss.