A relic at risk: Genomic evidence for an early-diverging domesticated lineage in Norwegian farmhouse yeast

Abstract

The use of Saccharomyces cerevisiae to ferment alcoholic beverages is an ancient tradition, with genetic evidence indicating origins in Neolithic Asia, although the domestication process of the species is not fully understood. Kveik is a group of traditional yeasts used in farmhouse brewing in western Norway preserved through generations of rural brewing practice. While recent studies have highlighted the distinctiveness of kveik, its precise phylogenetic position, genetic diversity, and domestication history remain unclear. We performed whole-genome sequencing on 64 isolates from 25 traditional brewing cultures from Western Norway selected using cultural heritage criteria, and generated telomere-to-telomere (T2T) assemblies for selected strains. Phylogenomic and population genetic analyses reveal that kveik strains form a paraphyletic and early diverging group with respect to other domesticated S. cerevisiae strains. Most strains exhibit low diversity among isolates from the same brewing culture, strong geographic clustering, and little evidence of gene-flow or admixture. Mitochondrial genomes and Ty1 retrotransposon profiles corroborate this distinct lineage history. We further show that previously reported signals of gene flow between kveik and Asian fermentation strains are likely artifacts caused by population structure and selection. Divergence time estimates suggest that the common ancestor of beer, kveik, and other liquid-phase fermenting strains originated from ancestral populations 4,000 to 8,000 years ago. Our genomic resource sheds light on yeast evolution and domestication. Kveik likely comprises some of the oldest domesticated lineages in continuous use until today, connecting intangible cultural heritage to an early genetic origin. Significance statementYeast has been used to brew beer and ferment food for thousands of years, but we still do not fully understand how and where the different domesticated strains we are using today arose. We sequenced the largest collection of Norwegian farmhouse yeasts (kveik) to date, from cultures used by rural traditional brewers for generations. Our genetic analyses show that kveik forms a distinct and early branch among European brewing yeasts. This shows that historical traditions have created unique local types of yeast and helps us better understand and preserve the diversity of domesticated yeasts.