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Dr. Gemma Beltran
Departament de Bioquímica i Biotecnologia, Facultat d'Enologia, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Marcel·lí Domingo, 1, 43007 Tarragona, Spain

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0 Wine
0 Yeast
0 Saccharomyces cerevisiae
0 Alcoholic Fermentation
0 non-Saccharomyces

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Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Alcoholic Fermentation
non-Saccharomyces

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Journal article
Published: 15 March 2021 in Foods
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Microbiological strategies are currently being considered as methods for reducing the ethanol content of wine. Fermentations started with a multistarter of three non-Saccharomyces yeasts (Metschnikowia pulcherrima (Mp), Torulaspora delbrueckii (Td) and Zygosaccharomyces bailii (Zb)) at different inoculum concentrations. S. cerevisiae (Sc) was inoculated into fermentations at 0 h (coinoculation), 48 h or 72 h (sequential fermentations). The microbial populations were analyzed by a culture-dependent approach (Wallerstein Laboratory Nutrient (WLN) culture medium) and a culture-independent method (PMA-qPCR). The results showed that among these three non-Saccharomyces yeasts, Td became the dominant non-Saccharomyces yeast in all fermentations, and Mp was the minority yeast. Sc was able to grow in all fermentations where it was involved, being the dominant yeast at the end of fermentation. We obtained a significant ethanol reduction of 0.48 to 0.77% (v/v) in sequential fermentations, with increased concentrations of lactic and acetic acids. The highest reduction was achieved when the inoculum concentration of non-Saccharomyces yeast was 10 times higher (107 cells/mL) than that of S. cerevisiae. However, this reduction was lower than that obtained when these strains were used as single non-Saccharomyces species in the starter, indicating that interactions between them affected their performance. Therefore, more combinations of yeast species should be tested to achieve greater ethanol reductions.

ACS Style

Xiaolin Zhu; María-Jesús Torija; Albert Mas; Gemma Beltran; Yurena Navarro. Effect of a Multistarter Yeast Inoculum on Ethanol Reduction and Population Dynamics in Wine Fermentation. Foods 2021, 10, 623 .

AMA Style

Xiaolin Zhu, María-Jesús Torija, Albert Mas, Gemma Beltran, Yurena Navarro. Effect of a Multistarter Yeast Inoculum on Ethanol Reduction and Population Dynamics in Wine Fermentation. Foods. 2021; 10 (3):623.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Xiaolin Zhu; María-Jesús Torija; Albert Mas; Gemma Beltran; Yurena Navarro. 2021. "Effect of a Multistarter Yeast Inoculum on Ethanol Reduction and Population Dynamics in Wine Fermentation." Foods 10, no. 3: 623.

Review article
Published: 16 October 2020 in International Journal of Food Microbiology
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Traditionally, beer has been recognised as a beverage with high microbiological stability because of the hostile growth environment posed by beer and increasing attention being paid to brewery hygiene. However, the microbiological risk has increased in recent years because of technological advances toward reducing oxygen in beers, besides the increase in novel beer styles production, such as non-pasteurised, flash pasteurised, cold sterilised, mid-strength, and alcoholic-free beer, that are more prone to spoilage bacteria. Moreover, using innovative beer ingredients like fruits and vegetables is an added cause of microbial spoilage. To maintain quality and good brand image, beer spoilage microorganisms are a critical concern for breweries worldwide. Pectinatus and Megasphaera are Gram-negative bacteria mostly found in improper brewing environments, leading to consumer complaints and financial losses. Because of the lack of compiled scientific knowledge on Pectinatus spoilage ability, this review provides a comprehensive overview of the occurrence, survival mechanisms, and the factors affecting beer spoilage Pectinatus species in the brewing process.

ACS Style

Magaly Rodríguez-Saavedra; Dolores González de Llano; Gemma Beltran; María-Jesús Torija; M. Victoria Moreno-Arribas. Pectinatus spp. – Unpleasant and recurrent brewing spoilage bacteria. International Journal of Food Microbiology 2020, 336, 108900 .

AMA Style

Magaly Rodríguez-Saavedra, Dolores González de Llano, Gemma Beltran, María-Jesús Torija, M. Victoria Moreno-Arribas. Pectinatus spp. – Unpleasant and recurrent brewing spoilage bacteria. International Journal of Food Microbiology. 2020; 336 ():108900.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Magaly Rodríguez-Saavedra; Dolores González de Llano; Gemma Beltran; María-Jesús Torija; M. Victoria Moreno-Arribas. 2020. "Pectinatus spp. – Unpleasant and recurrent brewing spoilage bacteria." International Journal of Food Microbiology 336, no. : 108900.

Journal article
Published: 01 October 2020 in Antioxidants
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Melatonin is a ubiquitous indolamine that plays important roles in various aspects of biological processes in mammals. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, melatonin has been reported to exhibit antioxidant properties and to modulate the expression of some genes involved in endogenous defense systems. The aim of this study was to elucidate the role of supplemented melatonin at the transcriptional level in S. cerevisiae in the presence and absence of oxidative stress. This was achieved by exposing yeast cells pretreated with different melatonin concentrations to hydrogen peroxide and assessing the entry of melatonin into the cell and the yeast response at the transcriptional level (by microarray and qPCR analyses) and the physiological level (by analyzing changes in the lipid composition and mitochondrial activity). We found that exogenous melatonin crossed cellular membranes at nanomolar concentrations and modulated the expression of many genes, mainly downregulating the expression of mitochondrial genes in the absence of oxidative stress, triggering a hypoxia-like response, and upregulating them under stress, mainly the cytochrome complex and electron transport chain. Other categories that were enriched by the effect of melatonin were related to transport, antioxidant activity, signaling, and carbohydrate and lipid metabolism. The overall results suggest that melatonin is able to reprogram the cellular machinery to achieve tolerance to oxidative stress.

ACS Style

Mercè Sunyer-Figueres; Jennifer Vázquez; Albert Mas; María-Jesús Torija; Gemma Beltran. Transcriptomic Insights into the Effect of Melatonin in Saccharomyces cerevisiae in the Presence and Absence of Oxidative Stress. Antioxidants 2020, 9, 947 .

AMA Style

Mercè Sunyer-Figueres, Jennifer Vázquez, Albert Mas, María-Jesús Torija, Gemma Beltran. Transcriptomic Insights into the Effect of Melatonin in Saccharomyces cerevisiae in the Presence and Absence of Oxidative Stress. Antioxidants. 2020; 9 (10):947.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Mercè Sunyer-Figueres; Jennifer Vázquez; Albert Mas; María-Jesús Torija; Gemma Beltran. 2020. "Transcriptomic Insights into the Effect of Melatonin in Saccharomyces cerevisiae in the Presence and Absence of Oxidative Stress." Antioxidants 9, no. 10: 947.

Journal article
Published: 27 September 2020 in Foods
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The use of controlled mixed inocula of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and non-Saccharomyces yeasts is a common practice in winemaking, with Torulaspora delbrueckii, Lachancea thermotolerans and Metschnikowia pulcherrima being the most commonly used non-Saccharomyces species. Although S. cerevisiae is usually the dominant yeast at the end of mixed fermentations, some non-Saccharomyces species are also able to reach the late stages; such species may not grow in culture media, which is a status known as viable but non-culturable (VBNC). Thus, an accurate methodology to properly monitor viable yeast population dynamics during alcoholic fermentation is required to understand microbial interactions and the contribution of each species to the final product. Quantitative PCR (qPCR) has been found to be a good and sensitive method for determining the identity of the cell population, but it cannot distinguish the DNA from living and dead cells, which can overestimate the final population results. To address this shortcoming, viability dyes can be used to avoid the amplification and, therefore, the quantification of DNA from non-viable cells. In this study, we validated the use of PMAxx dye (an optimized version of propidium monoazide (PMA) dye) coupled with qPCR (PMAxx-qPCR), as a tool to monitor the viable population dynamics of the most common yeast species used in wine mixed fermentations (S. cerevisiae, T. delbrueckii, L. thermotolerans and M. pulcherrima), comparing the results with non-dyed qPCR and colony counting on differential medium. Our results showed that the PMAxx-qPCR assay used in this study is a reliable, specific and fast method for quantifying these four yeast species during the alcoholic fermentation process, being able to distinguish between living and dead yeast populations. Moreover, the entry into VBNC status was observed for the first time in L. thermotolerans and S. cerevisiae during alcoholic fermentation. Further studies are needed to unravel which compounds trigger this VBNC state during alcoholic fermentation in these species, which would help to better understand yeast interactions.

ACS Style

Yurena Navarro; María-Jesús Torija; Albert Mas; Gemma Beltran. Viability-PCR Allows Monitoring Yeast Population Dynamics in Mixed Fermentations Including Viable but Non-Culturable Yeasts. Foods 2020, 9, 1373 .

AMA Style

Yurena Navarro, María-Jesús Torija, Albert Mas, Gemma Beltran. Viability-PCR Allows Monitoring Yeast Population Dynamics in Mixed Fermentations Including Viable but Non-Culturable Yeasts. Foods. 2020; 9 (10):1373.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Yurena Navarro; María-Jesús Torija; Albert Mas; Gemma Beltran. 2020. "Viability-PCR Allows Monitoring Yeast Population Dynamics in Mixed Fermentations Including Viable but Non-Culturable Yeasts." Foods 9, no. 10: 1373.

Special issue article
Published: 07 July 2020 in Yeast
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Benzenoids are compounds associated with floral and fruity flavours in flowers, fruits and leaves and present a role in hormonal signalling in plants. These molecules are produced by the phenyl ammonia lyase pathway. However, some yeasts can also synthesize them from aromatic amino acids using an alternative pathway that remains unknown. Hanseniaspora vineae can produce benzenoids at levels up to two orders of magnitude higher than Saccharomyces species, so it is a model microorganism for studying benzenoid biosynthesis pathways in yeast. According to their genomes, several enzymes have been proposed to be involved in a mandelate pathway similar to that described for some prokaryotic cells. Among them, the ARO10 gene product could present benzoylformate decarboxylase activity. This enzyme catalyses the decarboxylation of benzoylformate into benzaldehyde at the end of the mandelate pathway in benzyl alcohol formation. Two homologous genes of ARO10 were found in the two sequenced H. vineae strains. In this study, nine other H. vineae strains were analysed to detect the presence and percent homology of ARO10 sequences by PCR using specific primers designed for this species. Also, the copy number of the genes was estimated by quantitative PCR. To verify the relation of ARO10 with the production of benzyl alcohol during fermentation, a deletion mutant in the ARO10 gene of S. cerevisiae was used. The two HvARO10 paralogues were analysed and compared with other α‐ketoacid decarboxylases at the sequence and structural level.

ACS Style

Maria Jose Valera; Ari Zeida; Eduardo Boido; Gemma Beltran; María Jesús Torija; Albert Mas; Rafael Radi; Eduardo Dellacassa; Francisco Carrau. Genetic and transcriptomic evidences suggest ARO10 genes are involved in benzenoid biosynthesis by yeast. Yeast 2020, 37, 427 -435.

AMA Style

Maria Jose Valera, Ari Zeida, Eduardo Boido, Gemma Beltran, María Jesús Torija, Albert Mas, Rafael Radi, Eduardo Dellacassa, Francisco Carrau. Genetic and transcriptomic evidences suggest ARO10 genes are involved in benzenoid biosynthesis by yeast. Yeast. 2020; 37 (9-10):427-435.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Maria Jose Valera; Ari Zeida; Eduardo Boido; Gemma Beltran; María Jesús Torija; Albert Mas; Rafael Radi; Eduardo Dellacassa; Francisco Carrau. 2020. "Genetic and transcriptomic evidences suggest ARO10 genes are involved in benzenoid biosynthesis by yeast." Yeast 37, no. 9-10: 427-435.

Journal article
Published: 05 June 2020 in Food Chemistry
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Melatonin and serotonin are bioactive compounds present in foods and beverages and related to neuroprotection and anti-angiogenesis, among other activities. They have been described in wines and the role of yeast in their formation is clear. Thus, this study evaluates the content of these bioactives and other related indolic compounds in beer. For this purpose, commercial beers were analyzed by a validated UHPLC-HRMS method and sample treatment optimized due to the low concentrations expected. Moreover, a wort was fermented with different commercial beer yeast (Abbaye, Diamond, SafAle, SafLager) in order to monitor the formation of these bioactives during the elaboration process. Results show that indolic compounds such as N-acetylserotonin and 3-indoleacetic acid are produced during the alcoholic fermentation of wort. Moreover, the occurrence of four indolic compounds (5-hydroxytryptophan, N-acetylserotonin, 3-indoleacetic acid, l-tryptophan ethyl ester) in commercial beers is reported for the first time.

ACS Style

Edwin Fernandez-Cruz; Fernando Carrasco-Galán; Ana B. Cerezo-López; Eva Valero; M. Ángeles Morcillo-Parra; Gemma Beltran; María-Jesús Torija; Ana M. Troncoso; M. Carmen García-Parrilla. Occurrence of melatonin and indolic compounds derived from -tryptophan yeast metabolism in fermented wort and commercial beers. Food Chemistry 2020, 331, 127192 .

AMA Style

Edwin Fernandez-Cruz, Fernando Carrasco-Galán, Ana B. Cerezo-López, Eva Valero, M. Ángeles Morcillo-Parra, Gemma Beltran, María-Jesús Torija, Ana M. Troncoso, M. Carmen García-Parrilla. Occurrence of melatonin and indolic compounds derived from -tryptophan yeast metabolism in fermented wort and commercial beers. Food Chemistry. 2020; 331 ():127192.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Edwin Fernandez-Cruz; Fernando Carrasco-Galán; Ana B. Cerezo-López; Eva Valero; M. Ángeles Morcillo-Parra; Gemma Beltran; María-Jesús Torija; Ana M. Troncoso; M. Carmen García-Parrilla. 2020. "Occurrence of melatonin and indolic compounds derived from -tryptophan yeast metabolism in fermented wort and commercial beers." Food Chemistry 331, no. : 127192.

Journal article
Published: 05 June 2020 in Microorganisms
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Melatonin is a bioactive compound that is present in fermented beverages and has been described to be synthesized by yeast during alcoholic fermentation. The aim of this study was to assess the capacity of intracellular and extracellular melatonin production by different Saccharomyces strains from diverse food origin and to study the effects of different fermentation parameters, such as sugar and nitrogen concentration, temperature or initial population, on melatonin production using a synthetic grape must medium. Melatonin from fermentation samples was analyzed by liquid chromatography mass spectrometry. Intracellular melatonin synthesis profile did not present differences between yeast strains. However, extracellular melatonin production depended on the yeast origin. Thus, we suggest that melatonin production and secretion during the different yeast growth phases follows a species-specific pattern. Other parameters that affected the fermentation process such as sugar content and low temperature had an impact on intracellular melatonin production profile, as well as the melatonin content within the cell. This study reports the effect of several conditions on the melatonin synthesis profile, highlighting its possible role as a signal molecule.

ACS Style

María Ángeles Morcillo-Parra; Gemma Beltran; Albert Mas; María-Jesús Torija. Effect of Several Nutrients and Environmental Conditions on Intracellular Melatonin Synthesis in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Microorganisms 2020, 8, 1 .

AMA Style

María Ángeles Morcillo-Parra, Gemma Beltran, Albert Mas, María-Jesús Torija. Effect of Several Nutrients and Environmental Conditions on Intracellular Melatonin Synthesis in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Microorganisms. 2020; 8 (6):1.

Chicago/Turabian Style

María Ángeles Morcillo-Parra; Gemma Beltran; Albert Mas; María-Jesús Torija. 2020. "Effect of Several Nutrients and Environmental Conditions on Intracellular Melatonin Synthesis in Saccharomyces cerevisiae." Microorganisms 8, no. 6: 1.

Journal article
Published: 01 May 2020 in Microorganisms
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The alcohol content in wine has increased due to external factors in recent decades. In recent reports, some non-Saccharomyces yeast species have been confirmed to reduce ethanol during the alcoholic fermentation process. Thus, an efficient screening of non-Saccharomyces yeasts with low ethanol yield is required due to the broad diversity of these yeasts. In this study, we proposed a rapid method for selecting strains with a low ethanol yield from forty-five non-Saccharomyces yeasts belonging to eighteen species. Single fermentations were carried out for this rapid selection. Then, sequential fermentations in synthetic and natural must were conducted with the selected strains to confirm their capacity to reduce ethanol compared with that of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The results showed that ten non-Saccharomyces strains were able to reduce the ethanol content, namely, Hanseniaspora uvarum (2), Issatchenkia terricola (1), Metschnikowia pulcherrima (2), Lachancea thermotolerans (1), Saccharomycodes ludwigii (1), Torulaspora delbrueckii (2), and Zygosaccharomyces bailii (1). Compared with S. cerevisiae, the ethanol reduction of the selected strains ranged from 0.29 to 1.39% (v/v). Sequential inoculations of M. pulcherrima (Mp51 and Mp FA) and S. cerevisiae reduced the highest concentration of ethanol by 1.17 to 1.39% (v/v) in synthetic or natural must. Second, sequential fermentations with Z. bailii (Zb43) and T. delbrueckii (Td Pt) performed in natural must yielded ethanol reductions of 1.02 and 0.84% (v/v), respectively.

ACS Style

Xiaolin Zhu; Yurena Navarro; Albert Mas; María-Jesús Torija; Gemma Beltran. A Rapid Method for Selecting Non-Saccharomyces Strains with a Low Ethanol Yield. Microorganisms 2020, 8, 658 .

AMA Style

Xiaolin Zhu, Yurena Navarro, Albert Mas, María-Jesús Torija, Gemma Beltran. A Rapid Method for Selecting Non-Saccharomyces Strains with a Low Ethanol Yield. Microorganisms. 2020; 8 (5):658.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Xiaolin Zhu; Yurena Navarro; Albert Mas; María-Jesús Torija; Gemma Beltran. 2020. "A Rapid Method for Selecting Non-Saccharomyces Strains with a Low Ethanol Yield." Microorganisms 8, no. 5: 658.

Journal article
Published: 22 January 2020 in Microorganisms
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Non-Saccharomyces yeasts have long been considered spoilage microorganisms. Currently, oenological interest in those species is increasing, mostly due to their positive contribution to wine quality. In this work, the fermentative capacity and nitrogen consumption of several non-Saccharomyces wine yeast (Torulaspora delbrueckii, Lachancea thermotolerans, Starmerella bacillaris, Hanseniaspora uvarum, and Metschnikowia pulcherrima) were analyzed. For this purpose, synthetic must with three different nitrogen compositions was used: a mixture of amino acids and ammonium, only organic or inorganic nitrogen. The fermentation kinetics, nitrogen consumption, and yeast growth were measured over time. Our results showed that the good fermentative strains, T. delbrueckii and L. thermotolerans, had high similarities with Saccharomyces cerevisiae in terms of growth, fermentation profile, and nitrogen assimilation preferences, although L. thermotolerans presented an impaired behavior when only amino acids or ammonia were used, being strain-specific. M. pulcherrima was the non-Saccharomyces strain least affected by the nitrogen composition of the medium. The other two poor fermentative strains, H. uvarum and S. bacillaris, behaved similarly regarding amino acid uptake, which occurred earlier than that of the good fermentative species in the absence of ammonia. The results obtained in single non-Saccharomyces fermentations highlighted the importance of controlling nitrogen requirements of the wine yeasts, mainly in sequential fermentations, in order to manage a proper nitrogen supplementation, when needed.

ACS Style

Helena Roca-Mesa; Sonia Sendra; Albert Mas; Gemma Beltran; María-Jesús Torija. Nitrogen Preferences during Alcoholic Fermentation of Different Non-Saccharomyces Yeasts of Oenological Interest. Microorganisms 2020, 8, 157 .

AMA Style

Helena Roca-Mesa, Sonia Sendra, Albert Mas, Gemma Beltran, María-Jesús Torija. Nitrogen Preferences during Alcoholic Fermentation of Different Non-Saccharomyces Yeasts of Oenological Interest. Microorganisms. 2020; 8 (2):157.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Helena Roca-Mesa; Sonia Sendra; Albert Mas; Gemma Beltran; María-Jesús Torija. 2020. "Nitrogen Preferences during Alcoholic Fermentation of Different Non-Saccharomyces Yeasts of Oenological Interest." Microorganisms 8, no. 2: 157.

Journal article
Published: 06 December 2019 in Food Microbiology
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Melatonin is an indole amine that interacts with some proteins in mammals, such as calreticulin, calmodulin or sirtuins. In yeast, melatonin is synthetized and interacts with glycolytic proteins during alcoholic fermentation in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Due to its importance as an antioxidant molecule in both Saccharomyces and non-Saccharomyces yeasts, the aim of this study was to determine the intracellular and extracellular synthesis profiles of melatonin in four non-Saccharomyces strains (Torulaspora delbrueckii, Hanseniaspora uvarum, Starmeralla bacillaris and Metschnikowia pulcherrima) and to confirm whether glycolytic enzymes can also interact with this molecule in non-conventional yeast cells. Melatonin from fermentation samples was analyzed by liquid chromatography mass spectrometry, and proteins bound to melatonin were immunopurified by melatonin-IgG-Dynabeads. Melatonin was produced in a similar pattern in all non-Saccharomyces yeast, with M. pulcherrima and S. bacillaris being the highest producers. However, melatonin only bound to proteins in two non-conventional yeasts, S. bacillaris and T. delbrueckii, which specifically had higher fermentative capacities. Sequence analysis showed that most proteins shared high levels of homology with glycolytic enzymes, but an RNA-binding protein, the elongation alpha factor, which is related to mitochondria, was also identified. This study reports for the first time the interaction of melatonin with proteins inside non-Saccharomyces yeast cells. These results reinforce the possible role of melatonin as a signal molecule, likely related to fermentation metabolism and provide a new perspective for understanding its role in yeast.

ACS Style

Maria Angeles Morcillo Parra; Beatriz González; Gemma Beltran; Albert Mas; María-Jesús Torija. Melatonin and glycolytic protein interactions are related to yeast fermentative capacity. Food Microbiology 2019, 87, 103398 .

AMA Style

Maria Angeles Morcillo Parra, Beatriz González, Gemma Beltran, Albert Mas, María-Jesús Torija. Melatonin and glycolytic protein interactions are related to yeast fermentative capacity. Food Microbiology. 2019; 87 ():103398.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Maria Angeles Morcillo Parra; Beatriz González; Gemma Beltran; Albert Mas; María-Jesús Torija. 2019. "Melatonin and glycolytic protein interactions are related to yeast fermentative capacity." Food Microbiology 87, no. : 103398.

Original research article
Published: 24 October 2019 in Frontiers in Microbiology
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Melatonin is a bioactive compound that is present in fermented beverages and synthesized by yeast during alcoholic fermentation. Many studies have shown that melatonin interacts with some mammalian proteins, such as sirtuins or orphan receptor family proteins. The aim of this study was to determine the intracellular synthesis profile of melatonin in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and to identify the proteins that may interact with this molecule in yeast cells. Melatonin from fermentation samples was analyzed by liquid chromatography mass spectrometry, and proteins bound to melatonin were immunopurified by melatonin-IgG-Dynabeads. Melatonin was produced intracellularly in the lag phase of yeast growth and was exported to the extracellular media during the stationary phase. During this period, melatonin was bound to six proteins with molecular weights from 55 to 35 kDa. Sequence analysis showed that most proteins shared high levels of homology with glycolytic enzymes. An RNA-binding protein was also identified, the elongation alpha factor, which is related to mitochondria. This study reports for the first time the interaction of melatonin and proteins inside yeast cells. These results highlight the possible role of melatonin as a signal molecule and provide a new perspective for understanding its role in yeast.

ACS Style

Maria Angeles Morcillo Parra; María José Valera; Gemma Beltran; Albert Mas; María-Jesús Torija. Glycolytic Proteins Interact With Intracellular Melatonin in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Frontiers in Microbiology 2019, 10, 2424 .

AMA Style

Maria Angeles Morcillo Parra, María José Valera, Gemma Beltran, Albert Mas, María-Jesús Torija. Glycolytic Proteins Interact With Intracellular Melatonin in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Frontiers in Microbiology. 2019; 10 ():2424.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Maria Angeles Morcillo Parra; María José Valera; Gemma Beltran; Albert Mas; María-Jesús Torija. 2019. "Glycolytic Proteins Interact With Intracellular Melatonin in Saccharomyces cerevisiae." Frontiers in Microbiology 10, no. : 2424.

Journal article
Published: 24 June 2019 in Scientific Reports
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Melatonin is a bioactive compound that is present in fermented beverages, such as wine and beer, at concentrations ranging from picograms to nanograms per mL of product. The purpose of this study was to optimize a novel fluorescent bioassay for detecting melatonin based on a cell line that contains the human melatonin receptor 1B gene and to compare these results with LC-MS/MS as a reference method. Conditions that could affect cell growth and detection (cell number per well, stimulation time, presence or absence of fetal bovine serum and adhesion of cells) were tested in the TANGO® cell line. Food matrices (wine and grape must) could not be directly used for the cell line due to low response. Therefore, for the determination of melatonin in food samples, an extraction procedure was required before conducting the assay. We demonstrated an improvement in melatonin determination by the cell-based bioassay due to increased sensitivity and specificity and improved quantification in complex matrices. Therefore, this method is a good alternative to determine melatonin content in some food samples, especially for those containing very low melatonin levels.

ACS Style

Maria Angeles Morcillo Parra; Gemma Beltran; Albert Mas; María-Jesús Torija. Determination of melatonin by a whole cell bioassay in fermented beverages. Scientific Reports 2019, 9, 1 -8.

AMA Style

Maria Angeles Morcillo Parra, Gemma Beltran, Albert Mas, María-Jesús Torija. Determination of melatonin by a whole cell bioassay in fermented beverages. Scientific Reports. 2019; 9 (1):1-8.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Maria Angeles Morcillo Parra; Gemma Beltran; Albert Mas; María-Jesús Torija. 2019. "Determination of melatonin by a whole cell bioassay in fermented beverages." Scientific Reports 9, no. 1: 1-8.

Mini review
Published: 24 April 2019 in Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology
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Aromatic amino acid metabolism in yeast is an important source of secondary compounds that influence the aroma and flavour of alcoholic beverages and foods. Examples are the higher alcohol 2-phenylethanol, and its acetate ester, 2-phenylethyl acetate, which impart desirable floral aromas in wine, beer and baker’s products. Beyond this well-known influence on the organoleptic properties of alcoholic beverages and foods, there is a growing interest in understanding and modulating yeast aromatic amino acid metabolism. The tryptophan derivatives melatonin and serotonin have bioactive properties and exert positive effects on human health, and aromatic amino acids are also the precursors of products of industrial interest, such as nutraceuticals, fragrances, and opium-derived drugs. This mini-review presents current knowledge on the formation of compounds from aromatic amino acids by Saccharomyces cerevisiae, from genetic and environmental influences on their flavour impacts in alcoholic beverages to their potential as bioactive compounds, and the use of yeast as microbial factories for the production of commercially relevant aromatic compounds.

ACS Style

Antonio G. Cordente; Simon Schmidt; Gemma Beltran; María-Jesús Torija; Christopher D. Curtin. Harnessing yeast metabolism of aromatic amino acids for fermented beverage bioflavouring and bioproduction. Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology 2019, 103, 4325 -4336.

AMA Style

Antonio G. Cordente, Simon Schmidt, Gemma Beltran, María-Jesús Torija, Christopher D. Curtin. Harnessing yeast metabolism of aromatic amino acids for fermented beverage bioflavouring and bioproduction. Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology. 2019; 103 (11):4325-4336.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Antonio G. Cordente; Simon Schmidt; Gemma Beltran; María-Jesús Torija; Christopher D. Curtin. 2019. "Harnessing yeast metabolism of aromatic amino acids for fermented beverage bioflavouring and bioproduction." Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology 103, no. 11: 4325-4336.

Original research article
Published: 11 January 2019 in Frontiers in Genetics
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There is increasing interest in the use of non-Saccharomyces yeasts in winemaking due to their positive attributes. The non-Saccharomyces yeast Hanseniaspora vineae is an apiculate yeast that has been associated with the production of wine with good fermentation capacity and an increase in aromatic properties. However, this yeast represents a concern in mixed culture fermentation because of its nutrient consumption, especially nitrogen, as its mechanisms of regulation and consumption are still unknown. In this study, we analyzed the nitrogen consumption, as well as the nitrogen catabolism repression (NCR) mechanism, in two genome-sequenced H. vineae strains, using synthetic must fermentations. The use of synthetic must with an established nitrogen content allowed us to study the NCR mechanism in H. vineae, following the amino acid and ammonia consumption, and the expression of genes known to be regulated by the NCR mechanism in S. cerevisiae, AGP1, GAP1, MEP2, and PUT2. H. vineae exhibited a similar amino acid consumption and gene expression profile to S. cerevisiae. However, the wine strain of S. cerevisiae QA23 consumed ammonia and valine more quickly and, in contrast, tyrosine and tryptophan more slowly, than the H. vineae strains. Our results showed a similar behavior of nitrogen regulation in H. vineae and S. cerevisiae, indicating the presence of the NCR mechanism in this Hanseniaspora yeast differentiated before the whole genome duplication event of the Saccharomyces complex. Future study will elucidate if the NCR mechanism is the only strategy used by H. vineae to optimize nitrogen consumption.

ACS Style

Jessica Lleixà; Valentina Martín; Facundo Giorello; Maria C. Portillo; Francisco Carrau; Gemma Beltran; Albert Mas. Analysis of the NCR Mechanisms in Hanseniaspora vineae and Saccharomyces cerevisiae During Winemaking. Frontiers in Genetics 2019, 9, 747 .

AMA Style

Jessica Lleixà, Valentina Martín, Facundo Giorello, Maria C. Portillo, Francisco Carrau, Gemma Beltran, Albert Mas. Analysis of the NCR Mechanisms in Hanseniaspora vineae and Saccharomyces cerevisiae During Winemaking. Frontiers in Genetics. 2019; 9 ():747.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Jessica Lleixà; Valentina Martín; Facundo Giorello; Maria C. Portillo; Francisco Carrau; Gemma Beltran; Albert Mas. 2019. "Analysis of the NCR Mechanisms in Hanseniaspora vineae and Saccharomyces cerevisiae During Winemaking." Frontiers in Genetics 9, no. : 747.

Journal article
Published: 12 October 2018 in Food Microbiology
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Oxidative stress is a common stress in yeasts during the stages of the winemaking process in which aerobic growth occurs, and it can modify the cellular lipid composition. The aim of this study was to evaluate the oxidative stress tolerance of two non-conventional yeasts (Torulaspora delbrueckii and Metschnikowia pulcherrima) compared to Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Therefore, their resistance against H2O2, the ROS production and the cellular lipid composition were assessed. The results showed that the non-Saccharomyces yeasts used in this study exhibited higher resistance to H2O2 stress and lower ROS accumulation than Saccharomyces. Regarding the cellular lipid composition, the two non-Saccharomyces species studied here displayed a high percentage of polyunsaturated fatty acids, which resulted in more fluid membranes. This result could indicate that these yeasts have been evolutionarily adapted to have better resistance against the oxidative stress. Furthermore, under external oxidative stress, non-Saccharomyces yeasts were better able to adapt their lipid composition as a defense mechanism by decreasing their percentage of polyunsaturated fatty acids and squalene and increasing their monounsaturated fatty acids.

ACS Style

Jennifer Vázquez; Karlheinz Grillitsch; Günther Daum; Albert Mas; Gemma Beltran; María Jesús Torija. The role of the membrane lipid composition in the oxidative stress tolerance of different wine yeasts. Food Microbiology 2018, 78, 143 -154.

AMA Style

Jennifer Vázquez, Karlheinz Grillitsch, Günther Daum, Albert Mas, Gemma Beltran, María Jesús Torija. The role of the membrane lipid composition in the oxidative stress tolerance of different wine yeasts. Food Microbiology. 2018; 78 ():143-154.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Jennifer Vázquez; Karlheinz Grillitsch; Günther Daum; Albert Mas; Gemma Beltran; María Jesús Torija. 2018. "The role of the membrane lipid composition in the oxidative stress tolerance of different wine yeasts." Food Microbiology 78, no. : 143-154.

Journal article
Published: 17 September 2018 in International Journal of Food Microbiology
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During wine fermentation, yeasts produce metabolites that are known growth regulators. The relationship between certain higher alcohols derived from aromatic amino acid metabolism and yeast signalling has previously been reported. In the present work, tryptophol (TrpOH) or melatonin (MEL), which are putative growth regulators, were added to alcoholic fermentations. Fermentations were performed with three different inocula, combining Saccharomyces cerevisiae and four non-Saccharomyces yeast species, under two nitrogen conditions. The combinations tested were: (i) only S. cerevisiae; (ii) the mixture of four non-Saccharomyces species; and (iii) the combination of all five species together. The results revealed that the TrpOH and MEL addition caused changes in fermentation kinetics, viability and species distribution during fermentation, but it was dependent on the nitrogen present in the media and the composition of the inocula. Low nitrogen condition seemed to favour the presence of non-Saccharomyces species until mid-fermentation, although at the end of fermentation the imposition of Saccharomyces was higher in this condition. The presence of high concentrations of TrpOH resulted in limited growth and a delay in fermentation, noticeably significant in fermentations performed with S. cerevisiae inocula. These effects were reversed by the presence of non-Saccharomyces yeast in the medium. Low TrpOH concentration allowed faster fermentation with mixed non-Saccharomyces and Saccharomyces inocula. Moreover, in the absence of S. cerevisiae, a low concentration of TrpOH increased the presence of Torulaspora delbrueckii during fermentation with high nitrogen availability but not under low nitrogen conditions, when the population of S. bacillaris was higher than that in the control. The effects of MEL were particularly evident at the beginning and end of the process, primarily favouring the growth of non-Saccharomyces strains, especially the first hours after inoculation.

ACS Style

María José Valera; Maria Angeles Morcillo Parra; Izabela Zagórska; Albert Mas; Gemma Beltran; María Jesús Torija. Effects of melatonin and tryptophol addition on fermentations carried out by Saccharomyces cerevisiae and non-Saccharomyces yeast species under different nitrogen conditions. International Journal of Food Microbiology 2018, 289, 174 -181.

AMA Style

María José Valera, Maria Angeles Morcillo Parra, Izabela Zagórska, Albert Mas, Gemma Beltran, María Jesús Torija. Effects of melatonin and tryptophol addition on fermentations carried out by Saccharomyces cerevisiae and non-Saccharomyces yeast species under different nitrogen conditions. International Journal of Food Microbiology. 2018; 289 ():174-181.

Chicago/Turabian Style

María José Valera; Maria Angeles Morcillo Parra; Izabela Zagórska; Albert Mas; Gemma Beltran; María Jesús Torija. 2018. "Effects of melatonin and tryptophol addition on fermentations carried out by Saccharomyces cerevisiae and non-Saccharomyces yeast species under different nitrogen conditions." International Journal of Food Microbiology 289, no. : 174-181.

Journal article
Published: 01 September 2018 in Food Microbiology
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Aromatic alcohols (tryptophol, phenylethanol, tyrosol) positively contribute to organoleptic characteristics of wines, and are also described as bioactive compounds and quorum sensing molecules. These alcohols are produced by yeast during alcoholic fermentation via the Erhlich pathway, although in non-Saccharomyces this production has been poorly studied. We studied how different wine yeast species modulate the synthesis patterns of aromatic alcohol production depending on glucose, nitrogen and aromatic amino acid availability. Nitrogen limitation strongly promoted the production of aromatic alcohols in all strains, whereas low glucose generally inhibited it. Increased aromatic amino acid concentrations stimulated the production of aromatic alcohols in all of the strains and conditions tested. Thus, there was a clear association between the nutrient conditions and production of aromatic alcohols in most of the wine yeast species analysed. Additionally, the synthesis pattern of these alcohols has been evaluated for the first time in Torulaspora delbrueckii, Metschnikowia pulcherrima and Starmellera bacillaris.

ACS Style

Beatriz González; Jennifer Vázquez; Maria Angeles Morcillo Parra; Albert Mas; María Jesús Torija; Gemma Beltran. The production of aromatic alcohols in non-Saccharomyces wine yeast is modulated by nutrient availability. Food Microbiology 2018, 74, 64 -74.

AMA Style

Beatriz González, Jennifer Vázquez, Maria Angeles Morcillo Parra, Albert Mas, María Jesús Torija, Gemma Beltran. The production of aromatic alcohols in non-Saccharomyces wine yeast is modulated by nutrient availability. Food Microbiology. 2018; 74 ():64-74.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Beatriz González; Jennifer Vázquez; Maria Angeles Morcillo Parra; Albert Mas; María Jesús Torija; Gemma Beltran. 2018. "The production of aromatic alcohols in non-Saccharomyces wine yeast is modulated by nutrient availability." Food Microbiology 74, no. : 64-74.

Original research article
Published: 20 August 2018 in Frontiers in Microbiology
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Melatonin (N-acetyl-5-methoxytryptamine) is synthesized from tryptophan by Saccharomyces cerevisiae and non-conventional yeast species. Antioxidant properties have been suggested as a possible role of melatonin in a S. cerevisiae wine strain. However, the possible antioxidant melatonin effect on non-Saccharomyces species and other strains of S. cerevisiae must be evaluated. The aim of this study was to determine the antioxidant capacity of melatonin in eight S. cerevisiae strains and four non-conventional yeasts (Torulaspora delbrueckii, Metschnikowia pulcherrima, Starmerella bacillaris, and Hanseniaspora uvarum). Therefore, the ROS formation, lipid peroxidation, catalase activity, fatty acid composition, and peroxisome proliferation were investigated. The results showed that the presence of melatonin increases peroxisome accumulation and slightly increases the catalase activity. When cells grown in the presence of melatonin were exposed to oxidative stress induced by H2O2, lower ROS accumulation and lipid peroxidation were observed in all tested strains. Therefore, the increased catalase activity that was a consequence of oxidative stress was lower in the presence of melatonin. Moreover, the presence of MEL modulates cell FA composition, increasing oleic and palmitoleic acids and leading to higher UFA/SFA ratios, which have been previously related to a higher tolerance to H2O2. These findings demonstrate that melatonin can act as an antioxidant compound in both S. cerevisiae and non-Saccharomyces yeasts.

ACS Style

Jennifer Vázquez; Karlheinz Grillitsch; Günther Daum; Albert Mas; María-Jesús Torija; Gemma Beltran. Melatonin Minimizes the Impact of Oxidative Stress Induced by Hydrogen Peroxide in Saccharomyces and Non-conventional Yeast. Frontiers in Microbiology 2018, 9, 1933 .

AMA Style

Jennifer Vázquez, Karlheinz Grillitsch, Günther Daum, Albert Mas, María-Jesús Torija, Gemma Beltran. Melatonin Minimizes the Impact of Oxidative Stress Induced by Hydrogen Peroxide in Saccharomyces and Non-conventional Yeast. Frontiers in Microbiology. 2018; 9 ():1933.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Jennifer Vázquez; Karlheinz Grillitsch; Günther Daum; Albert Mas; María-Jesús Torija; Gemma Beltran. 2018. "Melatonin Minimizes the Impact of Oxidative Stress Induced by Hydrogen Peroxide in Saccharomyces and Non-conventional Yeast." Frontiers in Microbiology 9, no. : 1933.

Original research article
Published: 11 April 2018 in Frontiers in Microbiology
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Yeasts secrete a large diversity of compounds during alcoholic fermentation, which affect growth rates and developmental processes, like filamentous growth. Several compounds are produced during aromatic amino acid metabolism, including aromatic alcohols, serotonin, melatonin, and tryptamine. We evaluated the effects of these compounds on growth parameters in 16 different wine yeasts, including non-Saccharomyces wine strains, for which the effects of these compounds have not been well-defined. Serotonin, tryptamine, and tryptophol negatively influenced yeast growth, whereas phenylethanol and tyrosol specifically affected non-Saccharomyces strains. The effects of the aromatic alcohols were observed at concentrations commonly found in wines, suggesting a possible role in microbial interaction during wine fermentation. Additionally, we demonstrated that aromatic alcohols and ethanol are able to affect invasive and pseudohyphal growth in a manner dependent on nutrient availability. Some of these compounds showed strain-specific effects. These findings add to the understanding of the fermentation process and illustrate the diversity of metabolic communication that may occur among related species during metabolic processes.

ACS Style

Beatriz González; Jennifer Vázquez; Paul J. Cullen; Albert Mas; Gemma Beltran; María-Jesús Torija. Aromatic Amino Acid-Derived Compounds Induce Morphological Changes and Modulate the Cell Growth of Wine Yeast Species. Frontiers in Microbiology 2018, 9, 670 .

AMA Style

Beatriz González, Jennifer Vázquez, Paul J. Cullen, Albert Mas, Gemma Beltran, María-Jesús Torija. Aromatic Amino Acid-Derived Compounds Induce Morphological Changes and Modulate the Cell Growth of Wine Yeast Species. Frontiers in Microbiology. 2018; 9 ():670.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Beatriz González; Jennifer Vázquez; Paul J. Cullen; Albert Mas; Gemma Beltran; María-Jesús Torija. 2018. "Aromatic Amino Acid-Derived Compounds Induce Morphological Changes and Modulate the Cell Growth of Wine Yeast Species." Frontiers in Microbiology 9, no. : 670.

Journal article
Published: 01 October 2017 in International Journal of Food Microbiology
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Three vineyard strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, P301.4, P304.4 and P254.12, were assayed in comparison with a commercial industrial strain, QA23. The aim was to understand if nitrogen availability could influence strain competition ability during must fermentation. Pairwise-strain fermentations and co-fermentations with the simultaneous presence of the four strains were performed in synthetic musts at two nitrogen levels: control nitrogen condition (CNC) that assured the suitable assimilable nitrogen amount required by the yeast strains to complete the fermentation and low nitrogen condition (LNC) where nitrogen is present at very low level. Results suggested a strong involvement of nitrogen availability, as the frequency in must of the vineyard strains, respect to QA23, in LNC was always higher than that found in CNC. Moreover, in CNC only strain P304.4 reached the same strain frequency as QA23. P304.4 competition ability increased during the fermentation, indicating better performance when nitrogen availability was dropping down. P301.4 was the only strain sensitive to QA23 killer toxin. In CNC, when it was co-inoculated with the industrial strain QA23, P301.4 was never detected. In LNC, P301.4 after 12h accounted for 10% of the total population. This percentage increased after 48h (20%). Single-strain fermentations were also run in both conditions and the nitrogen metabolism further analyzed. Fermentation kinetics, ammonium and amino-acid consumptions and the expression of genes under nitrogen catabolite repression evidenced that vineyard yeasts, and particularly strain P304.4, had higher nitrogen assimilation rate than the commercial control. In conclusion, the high nitrogen assimilation rate seems to be an additional strategy that allowed vineyard yeasts successful competition during the growth in grape musts.

ACS Style

Chiara Vendramini; Gemma Beltran; Chiara Nadai; Alessio Giacomini; Albert Mas; Viviana Corich. The role of nitrogen uptake on the competition ability of three vineyard Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains. International Journal of Food Microbiology 2017, 258, 1 -11.

AMA Style

Chiara Vendramini, Gemma Beltran, Chiara Nadai, Alessio Giacomini, Albert Mas, Viviana Corich. The role of nitrogen uptake on the competition ability of three vineyard Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains. International Journal of Food Microbiology. 2017; 258 ():1-11.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Chiara Vendramini; Gemma Beltran; Chiara Nadai; Alessio Giacomini; Albert Mas; Viviana Corich. 2017. "The role of nitrogen uptake on the competition ability of three vineyard Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains." International Journal of Food Microbiology 258, no. : 1-11.