Molecular and physiological comparison of spoilage wine yeasts of different geographic origins

MARCELA P. SANGORRÍN; VERÓNICA GARCÍA; CHRISTIAN A. LOPES; JULIETA S. SAEZ; MARÍA ANGÉLICA GANGA

JOURNAL OF APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY

WILEY-BLACKWELL PUBLISHING, INC

Año: 2013 vol. 114 p. 1066 - 1074

1364-5072

AIMS: Dekkerabruxellensis and Pichia guilliermondii are contaminating yeasts in wine due to the production of phenolic aromas. Although the degradation pathway of cinnamic acids, precursors of these phenolic compounds has been described in D. bruxellensis, no such pathway has been described in P. guilliermondii. METHODS AND RESULTS: A molecular and physiological characterization of 14 D. bruxellensis and 15 P. guilliermondiiphenol-producing strainswas carried out. Bothp-coumarate decarboxylase (CD) and vinyl reductase (VR) activities, responsible for the production of volatile phenols, were quantified and the production of 4-VP and 4-EP weremeasured. All D. bruxellensis and some P. guilliermondiistrains showed the two enzymatic activities, whilst 11 of the 15 strains of this latter species showed only CD activity and did not produce 4-EP in the assay conditions.Furthermore, PCR products obtained with degenerated primers showed a low homology with the sequence of the gene for a phenyl acrylic acid decarboxylase activitydescribed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. CONCLUSIONS: D. bruxellensis and P. guilliermondii may share a similar metabolic pathway for the degradation of cinnamic acids. © 2013 The Authors Journal of Applied Microbiology © 2013 The Society for Applied Microbiology.