Basidiomycetes colonize a variety of ecological niches, but unlike ascomycetes, little attention has been paid to their potential to degrade plant polymers and the resulting biotechnological importance. In particular, the identification and isolation of CAZymes is of biotechnological relevance and has the potential to expand the portfolio of currently available commercial enzyme cocktails for biomass degradation.

In a screening, two oleogenic yeast strains (basidiomycetes) were identified, genome-sequenced and annotated. In both isolates, a significantly higher number and diversity of CAZymes and proteolytic enzymes were identified in the genome. The predictions regarding the potential degradation of proteins and complex polysaccharides will now be verified experimentally and individual enzymes will be characterized in more detail, combining and evaluating bioinformatic methods with cultivation on the appropriate substrates.