Rational design of alcoholic fermentation targeting extracellular carbon

Breeding yeast strains for industrial alcoholic fermentation requires laborious screening due to the lack of in vivo modification strategies. Here we show that quiescence-specific cell wall thickening via synthesis of a major component, 1,3-β-glucan, critically antagonizes cellular fermentation ability by sequestering the available cytoplasmic carbon sources. This study provides insights into glycolytic control and reports an effective and reliable rational fermentation design.