The intimate relationship between man and yeast : it's complicated
Date
2011-06
Authors
Botha, Alfred
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch
Abstract
Inaugural address delivered on 6 June 2011 by prof Alf Botha.Yeasts public health service; resource allocation; have been associated with mankind’s welfare
for a long time. For millennia these unicellular
fungi were cultivated by man as a source of food and
drink. However, it was only some 140 years ago that
Pasteur demonstrated that live yeast is essential for
beer and wine fermentations (Pasteur, 1866; 1876).
Since then, these organisms were also found to have
biotechnological potential in the production of vitamins
(Roman, 1957), fine chemicals (Botes et al., 2005; Miao
et al., 2011), enzymes (Steyn & Pretorius, 1990), biofuel
(Lynd et al., 2002) and even single-cell proteins (Du
Preez, 1990; Roman, 1957). However, yeasts are not
only important for industrial biotechnology, but these
fungi also have potential uses in agriculture. Some yeasts
were found to be beneficial for mycorrhizal interactions
during which crop performance is enhanced (Fracchia
et al., 2003), others inhibit growth of post harvest
pathogens on damaged fruit (Chand-Goyal & Spotts,
1997; Roberts, 1990), while a few species are currently
being included in biological fertilisers that are claimed
to enhance soil quality. However, yeasts may also be
detrimental to mankind since a number of species may
act as opportunistic pathogens of humans (Ikeda et al.,
2002; Lamagni et al., 2001). This phenomenon is of great
importance to an ever-increasing immunocompromised
human population suffering from HIV/Aids.
The extraordinary progress made in yeast biology may
largely be ascribed to decades of studying the intrinsic
characteristics of these organisms while growing in pure
culture (Kurtzman & Fell, 1998; Lodder, 1971). Thus,
during the last two hundred years yeast morphology,
metabolism, as well as classical and molecular biology,
was always at the frontiers of the biological sciences
of the time. This review takes a closer look at the
reasons for man’s fascination with this versatile group
of organisms and focuses on one of the new frontiers in
yeast biology, that of its ecology in natural environments.
However, before we can explore this realm of science,
we first need to obtain a better understanding of the
general characteristics of these microscopic eukaryotes
that have captured the imagination of so many biologists
over the decades.
Description
Keywords
Yeasts, Unicellulat fungi, Unicellular organisms, Pathogenic fungi, Fungi in agriculture, Yeast -- Biology -- Environmental aspects
Citation
Botha, Alf 2011, The intimate relationship between man and yeast : its complicated. Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch