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Aims: The main objective of this study was to identify amino acid residues in the AGT1-encoded α-glucoside transporter (Agt1p) that are critical for efficient transport of maltotriose in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Methods and Results: The sequences of two AGT1-encoded α-glucoside transporters with different efficiencies of maltotriose transport in two Saccharomyces strains (WH310 and WH314) were compared. The sequence variations and discrepancies between these two proteins (Agt1pWH310 and Agt1pWH314) were investigated for potential effects on the functionality and maltotriose transport efficiency of these two AGT1-encoded α-glucoside transporters. A 23-amino-acid C-terminal truncation proved not to be critical for maltotriose affinity. The identification of three amino acid differences, which potentially could have been instrumental in the transportation of maltotriose, were further investigated. Single mutations were created to restore the point mutations I505T, V549A and T557S one by one. The single site mutant V549A showed a decrease in maltotriose transport ability, and the I505T and T557S mutants showed complete reduction in maltotriose transport. Conclusions: The amino acids Thr505 and Ser557, which are respectively located in the transmembrane (TM) segment TM11 and on the intracellular segment after TM12 of the AGT1-encoded α-glucoside transporters, are critical for efficient transport of maltotriose in S. cerevisiae. Significance and Impact of the Study: Improved fermentation of starch and its dextrin products, such as maltotriose and maltose, would benefit the brewing and whisky industries. This study could facilitate the development of engineered maltotriose transporters adapted to starch-efficient fermentation systems, and offers prospects for the development of yeast strains with improved maltose and maltotriose uptake capabilities that, in turn, could increase the overall fermentation efficiencies in the beer and whisky industries.

Aims: The main objective of this study was to develop polysaccharide-degrading wine strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, which are able to improve aspects of wine processing and clarification, as well as colour extraction and stabilization during winemaking. Methods and Results: Two yeast expression ⁄secretion gene cassettes were constructed, namely (i) a pectinase gene cassette (pPPK) consisting of the endo-polygalacturonase gene (pelE) from Erwinia chrysanthemi and the pectate lyase gene (peh1) from Erwinia carotovora and (ii) a glucanase ⁄xylanase gene cassette (pEXS) containing the endo-b-1,4-glucanase gene (end1) from Butyrivibrio fibrisolvens and the endo-b-1,4-xylanase gene (xynC) from Aspergillus niger. The commercial wine yeast strain, VIN13, was transformed separately with these two gene cassettes and checked for the production of pectinase, glucanase and xylanase activities. Pinot Noir, Cinsaut and Muscat d’Alexandria grape juices were fermented using the VIN13[pPPK] pectinase- and the VIN13[pEXS] glucanase ⁄xylanase-producing transformants. Chemical analyses of the resultant wines indicated that (i) the pectinase-producing strain caused a decrease in the concentration of phenolic compounds in Pinot Noir whereas the glucanase ⁄xylanase-producing strain caused an increase in phenolic compounds presumably because of the degradation of the grape skins; (ii) the glucanase ⁄xylanase-producing strain caused a decrease in wine turbidity, especially in Pinot Noir wine, as well as a clear increase in colour intensity and (iii) in the Muscat d’Alexandria and Cinsaut wines, the differences between the control wines (fermented with the untransformed VIN3 strain) and the wines produced by the two transformed strains were less prominent showing that the effect of these polysaccharide-degrading enzymes is cultivar-dependent. Conclusions: The recombinant wine yeasts producing pectinase, glucanase and xylanase activities during the fermentation of Pinot Noir, Cinsaut and Muscat d’Alexandria grape juice altered the chemical composition of the resultant wines in a way that such yeasts could potentially be used to improve the clarity, colour intensity and stability and aroma of wine. Significance and Impact of the Study: Aspects of commercial-scale wine processing and clarification, colour extraction and stabilization, and aroma enhancement could potentially be improved by the use of polysaccharidedegrading wine yeasts without the addition of expensive commercial enzyme preparations. This offers the potential to further improve the price : quality ratio of wine according to consumer expectations.

Nineteen whisky yeasts were evaluated according to their fermentation performance and ability to produce a palatable spirit. Four of these strains were selected and, together with a commercial wine yeast strain (control), were transformed with integration plasmids containing the LKA1 and LKA2 α-amylase genes from the yeast Lipomyces kononenkoae. Fermentation trials with starch-containing media indicated that the transformants produced between 47% and 66% of the theoretical ethanol yield. This study has resulted in progress toward the development of whisky yeast that could ultimately be used in a process during which production of amylases, hydrolysis of starch, and fermentation of resulting sugars to grain whisky occur in a single step.

To illustrate the effect of a cellulose-binding domain (CBD) on the enzymatic characteristics of non-cellulolytic exoglucanases, 10 different recombinant enzymes were constructed combining the Saccharomyces cerevisiae exoglucanases, EXG1 and SSG1, with the CBD2 from the Trichoderma reesei cellobiohydrolase, CBH2, and a linker peptide. The enzymatic activity of the recombinant enzymes increased with the CBD copy number. The recombinant enzymes, CBD2-CBD2-L-EXG1 and CBD2-CBD2-SSG1, exhibited the highest cellobiohydrolase activity (17.5 and 16.3 U mg(-1) respectively) on Avicel cellulose, which is approximately 1.5- to 2-fold higher than the native enzymes. The molecular organisation of CBD in these recombinant enzymes enhanced substrate affinity, molecular flexibility and synergistic activity, contributing to their elevated action on the recalcitrant substrates as characterised by adsorption, kinetics, thermostability and scanning electron microscopic analysis.

A total of 61 S. cerevisiae strains, 60 of them isolated from wine ecosystems, were evaluated for the presence of the gene encoding endopolygalacturonase (PGU1) and for polygalacturonase (PG) activity. Nine strains lack the gene PGU1 and did not exhibit PG activity on plate assays. Of the 52 strains showing an amplified band corresponding to the size of PGU1 gene, only 36 degraded polygalacturonic acid (PGA) and 17 did not degrade it at any of the pH values used. The coding region of the PGU1 gene (ORF YJR153w) was not present in some PG activity negative strains. The S. cerevisiae UCLMS-39 strain was selected for its specific activity at different pHs, temperatures and oenological parameters. The temperature and pH optima were 50 °C and 3.5–5.5 respectively and it was only affected by ethanol. The PGU1 gene was cloned and sequenced. The production of a biologically functional endoPG in S. cerevisiae UCLMS-39 brings us a step closer to improving the qualities of outstanding enological yeasts naturally lacking PG activity.

While unfermented grape must contains approximately equal amounts of the two hexoses glucose and fructose, wine producers worldwide often have to contend with high residual fructose levels (>2 g l−1) that may account for undesirable sweetness in finished dry wine. Here, we investigate the fermentation kinetics of glucose and fructose and the influence of certain environmental parameters on hexose utilisation by wine yeast. Seventeen Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains, including commercial wine yeast strains, were evaluated in laboratory-scale wine fermentations using natural Colombard grape must that contained similar amounts of glucose and fructose (approximately 110 g l−1 each). All strains showed preference for glucose, but to varying degrees. The discrepancy between glucose and fructose utilisation increased during the course of fermentation in a strain-dependent manner. We ranked the S. cerevisiae strains according to their rate of increase in GF discrepancy and we showed that this rate of increase is not correlated with the fermentation capacity of the strains. We also investigated the effect of ethanol and nitrogen addition on hexose utilisation during wine fermentation in both natural and synthetic grape must. Addition of ethanol had a stronger inhibitory effect on fructose than on glucose utilisation. Supplementation of must with assimilable nitrogen stimulated fructose utilisation more than glucose utilisation. These results show that the discrepancy between glucose and fructose utilisation during fermentation is not a fixed parameter but is dependent on the inherent properties of the yeast strain and on the external conditions.

Lipomyces kononenkoae and Saccharomycopsis fibuligera possess highly efficient alpha-amylase and/or glucoamylase activities that enable both of these yeasts to utilize raw starch as a carbon source. Eight constructs containing the L. kononenkoae alpha-amylase genes (LKA1 and LKA2), and the S. fibuligera alpha-amylase (SFA1) and glucoamylase (SFG1) genes were prepared. The first set of constructs comprised four single gene cassettes each containing one of the individual amylase coding sequences (LKA1, LKA2, SFA1 or SFG1) under the control of the phosphoglycerate kinase gene (PGK1) promoter and terminator, while the second set comprised two single cassettes containing SFA1 and SFG1 linked to their respective native promoters and terminators. The third set of constructs consisted of two double-gene cassettes, one containing LKA1 plus LKA2 under the control of the PGK1 promoter and terminator, and the other SFA1 plus SFG1 controlled by their respective native promoters and terminators. These constructs were transformed into a laboratory strain Saccharomyces cerevisiae (Sigma1278b). Southern-blot analysis confirmed the stable integration of the different gene constructs into the S. cerevisiae genome and plate assays revealed amylolytic activity. The strain expressing LKA1 and LKA2 resulted in the highest levels of alpha-amylase activity in liquid media. This strain was also the most efficient at starch utilization in batch fermentations, utilizing 80% of the available starch and producing 0.61g/100 mL of ethanol after 6 days of fermentation. The strain expressing SFG1 under the control of the PGK1 expression cassette gave the highest levels of glucoamylase activity. It was shown that the co-expression of these heterologous alpha-amylase and glucoamylase genes enhance starch degradation additively in S. cerevisiae. This study has resulted in progress towards laying the foundation for the possible development of efficient starch-degrading S. cerevisiae strains that could eventually be used in consolidated bioprocessing, and in the brewing, whisky, and biofuel industries.

Three xylose isomerase enzymes (XI) [Eur. J. Biochem. 269 (2002) 157], encoded by mutated xylA genes from Thermus thermophilus, were produced at two different levels in Saccharomyces cerevisiae; xylA genes were chromosomally integrated and expressed from multicopy plasmids, respectively. An extra copy of the endogenous xylulokinase gene (XKS1) was chromosomally integrated and the aldose reductase (AR) GRE3 gene was deleted. Ethanol was formed from xylose only when xylA was expressed from multicopy plasmids and when the specific XI activity was higher than 30 mU/mg protein. Deletion of the GRE3 gene was crucial for ethanol formation, possibly because reduced xylitol formation caused less inhibition of XI.

A haploid laboratory strain and four industrial (baking, brewing, wine, ATCC) strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae were transformed with the Lipomyces kononenkoae α-amylase-encoding gene (LKA1). These transformants displayed significant differences in terms of the level of secretory expression of LKA1 under control of the PGK1 promoter and terminator, as well as their ability to produce and secrete the LKA1-encoded rawstarch-degrading α-amylase and to ferment starch. These results demonstrate the importance of the selection of appropriate host strains for yeast development pursuant to starch conversion into commercially important commodities via consolidated bioprocessing.

Aims: To improve a method for determining β-glucosidase activity and to apply it in yeasts isolated from wine ecosystems from ‘La Mancha’ region and to know its cellular location. Methods and Results: A total of 82 wine yeasts were identified (PCR/RFLP) and evaluated for their β-glucosidase activity. First, they were qualitatively evaluated by growth on YNB cellobiose, the activity was quantified using different culture media, under aerobic and anaerobic conditions and cells after 24–72 h of growth. To study the location activity, five fractions were obtained (supernatant, whole cell, cell wall, cytosol and cell membrane). The enzymatic assays were optimized, being: growth in YP cellobiose for 72 h in aeration conditions and, after cell removing, enzyme analysis with 128 g l−1 of cellobiose as substrate, for 30 min at 30°C. The genus that displayed the greatest activity were Pichia, Hanseniaspora and Rhodotorula, and the activity was intracellular. Conclusions: The study showed that β-glucosidase activity was induced by the carbon source and was aerobic dependent. The non-Saccharomyces species displayed the greatest activity, which was intracellular and strain-dependent. Significance and Impact of the Study: This study developed a reliable method for screening β-glucosidase activity in yeasts isolated from wine ecosystems. This activity is very important in the release of monoterpenols from glycoside precursors for the enhancement of wine aromas.

A pectinolytic industrial yeast strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae was generated containing the S. cerevisiae endopolygalacturonase gene (PGU1) constitutively expressed under the control of the 3-phosphoglycerate kinase gene (PGK1) promoter. The new strain contains DNA derived exclusively from yeast and expresses a high polygalacturonic acid hydrolyzing activity. Yeast transformation was carried out by an integrative process targeting a dispensable upstream region of the acetolactate synthase locus (ILV2), which determines sulfometuron methyl resistance. Microvinification assays were performed on white and red musts with the transformed UCLMS-1M strain and with the same strain untransformed. It was found that the changes in the pectic polysaccharide contents did not directly affect the taste or flavor of the wine. From the data reported, it is deduced that the chief advantage of using the modified strain is that it improves the yield of must/wine extraction, while it also positively affects some variables relating to appearance.

There is a growing consumer demand for wines containing lower levels of alcohol and chemical preservatives. The objectives of this study were to express the Aspergillus niger gene encoding a glucose oxidase (GOX; beta- d-glucose:oxygen oxidoreductase, EC 1.1.3.4) in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and to evaluate the transformants for lower alcohol production and inhibition of wine spoilage organisms, such as acetic acid bacteria and lactic acid bacteria, during fermentation. The A. niger structural glucose oxidase (gox) gene was cloned into an integration vector (YIp5) containing the yeast mating pheromone alpha-factor secretion signal (MFalpha1(S)) and the phosphoglycerate-kinase-1 gene promoter (PGK1(P)) and terminator (PGK1(T)). The PGK1(P)- MFalpha1(S)- gox- PGK1(T) cassette (designated GOX1) was introduced into a laboratory strain (Sigma1278) of S. cerevisiae. Yeast transformants were analysed for the production of biologically active glucose oxidase on selective agar plates and in liquid assays. The results indicated that the recombinant glucose oxidase was active and was produced beginning early in the exponential growth phase, leading to a stable level in the stationary phase. The yeast transformants also displayed antimicrobial activity in a plate assay against lactic acid bacteria and acetic acid bacteria. This might be explained by the fact that a final product of the GOX enzymatic reaction is hydrogen peroxide, a known antimicrobial agent. Microvinification with the laboratory yeast transformants resulted in wines containing 1.8-2.0% less alcohol. This was probably due to the production of d-glucono-delta-lactone and gluconic acid from glucose by GOX. These results pave the way for the development of wine yeast starter culture strains for the production of wine with reduced levels of chemical preservatives and alcohol.