To develop a strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae that produces ethanol directly from starch, two integrative vectors were constructed to allow the simultaneous multiple integration of the Aspergillus awamori glucoamylase gene (GA1) and the Debaryomyces occidentalis alpha-amylase gene (AMY) and glucoamylase with debranching activity gene (GAM1) into the chromosomes of an industrial strain of S. cerevisiae. The GA1 and AMY genes were constitutively expressed under the ADC1 promoter in S. cerevisiae using the double delta-integration system. The GAM1 gene was constitutively expressed under the corresponding promoter using the double 18S rDNA-integration system. The recombinant industrial strain secreting biologically active alpha-amylase, glucoamylase and debranching enzyme was able to ferment starch to ethanol in a single step. The new strain produced 8% (v/v) ethanol (62.8 g l(-1)) from 20% (w/v) soluble starch after 2 days, fermentation.

Industrial strains of a polyploid, distiller's Saccharomyces cerevisiae that produces glucoamylase and α-amylase was used for the direct fermentation of raw starch to ethanol. Strains contained either Aspergillus awamori glucoamylase gene (GA1), Debaryomyces occidentalis glucoamylase gene (GAM1) or D. occidentalis α-amylase gene (AMY), singly or in combination, integrated into their chromosomes. The strain expressing both GA1 and AMY generated 10.3% (v/v) ethanol (80.9 g l(-1)) from 20% (w/v) raw corn starch after 6 days of fermentation, and decreased the raw starch content to 21% of the initial concentration.

Phytase liberates inorganic phosphate from phytic acid (myo-inositol hexakisphosphate) which is the major phosphate reserve in plant-derived foods and feeds. An industrial strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae expressing the Debaryomyces castellii phytase gene (phytDc) and D. occidentalis alpha-amylase gene (AMY) was developed. The phytDc and AMY genes were constitutively expressed under the ADC1 promoter in S. cerevisiae by using the delta-integration system, which contains DNA derived exclusively from yeast. The recombinant industrial strain secreted both phytase and alpha-amylase for the efficient degradation of phytic acid and starch as main components of plant seeds. This new strain hydrolyzed 90% of 0.5% (w/v) sodium phytate within 5 days of growth and utilized 100% of 2% (w/v) starch within 48 h simultaneously.

We have produced a health-promoting alcoholic beverage abundant in anthocyanins from purple sweet potato.

The gene encoding Schwanniomyces occidentalis alpha-amylase (AMY) was introduced into the chromosomal delta sequences of an industrial strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. To obtain a strain suitable for commercial use, an delta-integrative cassette devoid of bacterial DNA sequences was constructed that contains the AMY gene and aureobasidin A resistance gene (AUR1-C) as the selection marker. The AMY gene was expressed under the control of the alcohol dehydrogenase gene promoter (ADC1p). The alpha-amylase activity of Sacc. cerevisiae transformed with this integrative cassette was 6 times higher than that of Sch. occidentalis. The transformants (integrants) were mitotically stable after 100 generations in nonselective medium.