The sheer knowledge about yeasts – unicellular organisms, their conserved biology and most vital processes allow us to have sufficient contextual foundations for broadening the perspective in their evolutionary behavior. Yeast's adaptation to environment is driven, among others, by specific biocidic, or killer phenomenon – the main ambition of this research. Our goal was to analyze the processes derived from yeasts in their relationship with double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) viruses. The scientific literature is mostly limited to the findings specifically in Saccharomyces sensu stricto, although we decided to dwell deeper into other yeasts from the wild origin as well.
We investigated 28 niches of various flora through different geographic zones of Lithuania, consisting of unique fruit-trees, oaks, fungi, and few other surroundings. 240 unique strains of yeasts were thoroughly inspected for morphology, growth, and signs of possessing a viral genome. Out of analyzed yeast strains, about third possessed dsRNAs, and half of them demonstrated some sort of killer activity, uncovered by RNA gel electrophoresis and cultivation on selective media. However, each of the killer phenotype was unique in its manifestation – we found silent, progressive, and weak killers, three classifications of the same phenomenon. These findings provide us with new prospects of potential research on natural processes occurring in different niches.