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Techniques for the Evolution of Robust Pentose-fermenting Yeast for Bioconversion of Lignocellulose to Ethanol
Published on: October 24, 2016
Breeding strategies for combining fermentative qualities and reducing off-flavor production in a wine yeast model
Philippe Marullo1, Marina Bely, Isabelle Masneuf-Pomarède
1UMR1219, Faculté d'oenologie de Bordeaux, Talence, France. phillippe.marullo@etud.u-bordeaux2.fr
Abstract:
In agricultural sciences, breeding strategies have historically been used to select new, optimized plant varieties or animal breeds. Similar strategies are possible for genetic improvement of wine yeasts. We optimized 11 relevant enological traits in a single clone using successive hybridization and segregation steps. A hybrid obtained by crossing two parent strains derived from commercial wine yeasts showed that some of the traits were readily optimized. Dominance/recessivity, heterosis and transgression were observed among 51 segregating progeny. On the basis of this information, all the optimal characters from both parents were combined in a single strain following two targeted sexual crosses. This article presents a powerful methodology for obtaining a single wine strain with numerous fermentative qualities that does not produce off-flavors.
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