Abstract: The yeast is one of the most widely used industrial microorganisms in ethanol and brewing industry due to its higher ethanol yield and fermentation rate. During fermentation process，the accumulated ethanol plays a toxic role to yeast，which inhibits the growth of yeast and the increase of ethanol production. So research on the tolerance mechanism of yeast is very important in theoretical and practical application. The studies reviewed here not only deepened our knowledge on yeast ethanol tolerance，but also provided a basis for the breeding of yeast strain with improved ethanol tolerance. The research progress in the ethanol tolerance of yeast was addressed. The ethanol formation and tolerance mechanisms of yeast focusing on the methods for improving the ethanol tolerance were introduced. Future research in this area should be focused on the tolerance mechanism，and the connection between ethanol tolerance and other stress tolerance，to ultimately improve the conversion efficiency of ethanol.

Key words: ethanol, fermentation, tolerance, yeast

摘要： 酿酒酵母是重要的工业微生物之一，具有发酵速度快、乙醇产量高特性，主要应用于乙醇和酿酒行业。但在发酵过程中，随着乙醇积累会对酵母细胞产生毒害作用，从而抑制了菌体细胞生长和乙醇进一步形成。因此，对酿酒酵母乙醇耐受性机制研究具有重要的理论和实际意义，也为选育具有较强乙醇耐受性的酵母菌种提供了理论基础。本文综述了酿酒酵母乙醇耐受性研究进展，介绍了酿酒酵母乙醇发酵途径、乙醇耐受性机理，主要阐述了提高酵母乙醇耐受性方法。指出加强酵母乙醇耐受性机理研究，了解乙醇耐受性与其他胁迫耐受性联系，最终提高酵母菌乙醇转化效率是未来研究关键。

关键词: 乙醇, 发酵, 耐受性, 酿酒酵母