Metabolic and biotechnological insights on the analysis of the Pdh bypass and acetate production in the yeast Dekkera bruxellensis.

The advancement of knowledge about the physiology of Dekkera bruxellensis has shown its potential for the production of fuel ethanol very close to the conventional fermenting yeast S. cerevisiae. However, some aspects of its metabolism remain uncovered. In the present study, the respiro-fermentative parameters of D. bruxellensis GDB 248 were evaluated under different cultivation conditions. The results showed that sucrose was more efficiently converted to ethanol than glucose, regardless the nitrogen source, which points out for the industrial efficiency of this yeast in sucrose-based substrate. The blockage of the cytosolic acetate production incremented the yeast fermentative efficiency by 27% (in glucose) and 14% (in sucrose). On the other hand, the presence of nitrate as inducer of acetate production reducing the production of ethanol. Altogether, these results settled the hypothesis that acetate metabolism is the main constraint for ethanol production. Besides, this acetate-generating pathway seems to exert some regulatory action on the flux and distribution of the carbon flowing through the central metabolism. These physiological aspects were corroborated by the relative expression analysis of key genes in the crossroad to ethanol, acetate and biomass formation. All the results were discussed in the light of the industrial potential of this yeast.

Influence of Brettanomyces custersianus upon the activity of Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains during the tumultuous phase of vinification

The aim of this work was to evaluate the influence of Brettanomyces custersianus on the metabolic activity of Saccharomyces cerevisiae during the tumultuous stage of wine production. The Cabernet Sauvignon grape must with the skin was inoculated with individual cultures of Sacch. cerevisiae and with mixed cultures of Sacch. cerevisiae and Br. custersianus. During the 6-day tumultuous phase of fermentation, the highest ethanol production and the highest sugar consumption were obtained with the strains without B. custersianus. Fermentations carried out with the addition of Brettanomyces metabolites, acetic acid and 4-ethylphenol, showed that only the former inhibited the growth of both Sacch. cerevisiae strains used. In some cases, Br. custersianus could affect the rate higher alcohols production and their final concentrations during the tumultuous phase of vinification.