Résumé
Yeasts are single‐celled fungi that are involved in the production of many of the fermented foods and beverages that make up our cultural heritage. This chapter focuses on the domestication of yeast. After briefly outlining the origins of fermented products, the chapter describes the diversity of yeast species encountered, then presents what we know about the evolutionary history of domesticated yeasts. Lastly, the chapter details the genetic events that helped yeasts to adapt to their domesticated environment, as well as the traits that meet the needs of humans. Genome, chromosome or gene duplication events lead to the appearance of new genetic sources of adaptation. These events have repeatedly played a part in the evolution of domesticated
S. cerevisiae
populations. Recent genomic studies have revealed that yeast domestication for adaptation to different ecological niches results from a combination of structural variations and point mutations that only affect one or a few nucleotides.