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Background: In yeasts belonging to the subphylum Saccharomycotina, genes encoding components of the main metabolic pathways, like alcoholic fermentation, are usually conserved. However, in fructophilic species belonging to the floral Wickerhamiella and Starmerella genera (W/S clade), alcoholic fermentation was uniquely shaped by events of gene loss and horizontal gene transfer (HGT). Results: Because HGT and gene losses were first identified when only eight W/S-clade genomes were available, we collected publicly available genome data and sequenced the genomes of 36 additional species. A total of 63 genomes, representing most of the species described in the clade, were included in the analyses. Firstly, we inferred the phylogenomic tree of the clade and inspected the genomes for the presence of HGT-derived genes involved in fructophily and alcoholic fermentation. We predicted nine independent HGT events and several instances of secondary loss pertaining to both pathways. To investigate the possible links between gene loss and acquisition events and evolution of sugar metabolism, we conducted phenotypic characterization of 42 W/S-clade species including estimates of sugar consumption rates and fermentation byproduct formation. In some instances, the reconciliation of genotypes and phenotypes yielded unexpected results, such as the discovery of fructophily in the absence of the cornerstone gene (FFZ1) and robust alcoholic fermentation in the absence of the respective canonical pathway. Conclusions: These observations suggest that reinstatement of alcoholic fermentation in the W/S clade triggered a surge of innovation that goes beyond the utilization of xenologous enzymes, with fructose metabolism playing a key role. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Four yeast isolates collected from flowers from different ecosystems in Brazil, one from fruit of Nothofagus alpina in Argentina, three from flowers of Neltuma chilensis in Chile and one obtained from the proventriculus of a female bumblebee in Canada were demonstred, by analysis of the sequences of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region and D1/D2 domains of the large subunit rRNA gene, to represent two novel species of the genus Starmerella . These species are described here as Starmerella gilliamiae f.a, sp. nov. (CBS 16166 T ; Mycobank MB 851206) and Starmerella monicapupoae f.a., sp. nov. (PYCC 8997 T ; Mycobank MB 851207). The results of a phylogenomic analysis using 1037 single-copy orthogroups indicated that S. gilliamiae is a member of a subclade that contains Starmerella opuntiae , Starmerella aceti and Starmerella apicola . The results also indicated that S. monicapupoae is phylogenetically related to Starmerella riodocensis . The two isolates of S. monicapupoae were obtained from flowers in Brazil and were probably vectored by insects that visit these substrates. Starmerella gilliamiae has a wide geographical distribution having been isolated in flowers from Brazil and Chile, fruit from Argentina and a bumblebee from Canada.