Tadesse Teshome, Dese Degife, Dabassa Anbessa, Bacha Ketema
Biology, Mettu University, Metu, Oromia, 318, Ethiopia.
Biology, Jimma University College of Natural Sciences, Jimma, Oromia, 378, Ethiopia.
F1000Res. 2025 Apr 8;14:105. doi: 10.12688/f1000research.160250.3. eCollection 2025.
Yeasts are unicellular fungi that inhabit a variety of environments including plant surfaces, water, soil, and animal hosts. However, limited research has been conducted on soil and plant associated yeasts in Africa, with most studies originating from developed regions.
This study explored the diversity, distribution, and phenotypic characterization of cultivable wild yeast in samples from rhizosphere soil, leaves, litter, and tree bark collected from South West Ethiopia. Yeast isolates were characterized using morphological, physiological and biochemical methods, Stress-tolerant yeast species were identified using Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization-Time of Flight (MALDI-TOF).
Based on morphological, physiological, and biochemical analyses, a total of 15 yeast genera were identified from 23 plant species. Predominant yeast species included spp., spp., spp., spp., spp., and spp. Plant species with the highest yeast diversity were , , , , and Bark samples yielded more yeast isolates than rhizosphere soil, litter, and leaves. Stress-tolerant species such as , , , , and were identified using MALDI-TOF. Correlation analysis revealed no significant relationship between yeast populations in bark and leaf samples or between rhizosphere soil and leaves, though a weak positive correlation was found between rhizosphere soil and bark or litter. Seasonal analysis showed a strong positive correlation between yeast abundance in spring and summer, but no association between autumn and spring.
Ethiopian forests are home for various yeast species including the stress-tolerant wild yeasts. This study highlights the significant yeast diversity in Ethiopian forests, with potential applications in improving industrial fermentation processes that operate under stressful conditions.
酵母是单细胞真菌，存在于多种环境中，包括植物表面、水、土壤和动物宿主。然而，非洲关于土壤和与植物相关的酵母的研究有限，大多数研究来自发达地区。
本研究探索了从埃塞俄比亚西南部采集的根际土壤、树叶、凋落物和树皮样本中可培养野生酵母的多样性、分布和表型特征。使用形态学、生理学和生化方法对酵母分离株进行表征，使用基质辅助激光解吸电离飞行时间质谱（MALDI-TOF）鉴定耐胁迫酵母物种。
基于形态学、生理学和生化分析，从23种植物中鉴定出总共15个酵母属。主要的酵母物种包括……属、……属、……属、……属、……属和……属。酵母多样性最高的植物物种是……、……、……、……和……。树皮样本产生的酵母分离株比根际土壤、凋落物和树叶更多。使用MALDI-TOF鉴定出了……、……、……、……和……等耐胁迫物种。相关性分析显示，树皮和树叶样本中的酵母种群之间，以及根际土壤和树叶之间没有显著关系，不过在根际土壤与树皮或凋落物之间发现了微弱的正相关。季节性分析表明，春季和夏季的酵母丰度之间存在强正相关，但秋季和春季之间没有关联。
埃塞俄比亚森林是各种酵母物种的家园，包括耐胁迫的野生酵母。本研究突出了埃塞俄比亚森林中显著的酵母多样性，在改善在胁迫条件下运行的工业发酵过程方面具有潜在应用价值。
