Saccharomycopsis schoenii: A Model Predatory Yeast Provides Insights into Evolution, Genomics and Biocontrol
Fungal mycoparasitism, where one fungus preys on another, offers a sustainable, eco-friendly alternative to synthetic chemical fungicides in agriculture and conventional antifungal therapies to manage clinical pathogens. The budding yeast Saccharomycopsis schoenii has emerged as a compelling model for contact-dependent, necrotrophic predation. Belonging to the CUG-Ser2 clade, its obligate predatory lifestyle is characterized by extensive genomic restructuring, including the loss of the sulfate assimilation pathway, which couples methionine starvation to a predatory behavioral switch. In this review, we highlight recent comparative genomics and functional studies as they relate to S. schoenii predation. For example, S. schoenii uses rewired mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling, actin-based penetration pegs and a large tandem expansion of secreted aspartic proteases (SAPs) to breach prey cell walls. Analysis of its genome reveals structural adaptations, including AT-rich regional centromeres and dispersed mating-type (MAT) loci. The more we learn about S. schoenii’s contact-dependent attack, the greater the opportunities to deploy S. schoenii as a safe, mycotoxin-free biocontrol agent against both multi-drug-resistant Candida auris and post-harvest Penicillium molds.