Study on the Effect of Key Genes ME2 and adhE during Luzhou-Flavor Baijiu Brewing

Luzhou-flavor baijiu (LFB) is brewed by the combined action of various microorganisms, and its flavor is affected by the microbial community and the genes they express, but which genes are the key ones during LFB brewing is less clear. Based on our previous studies the genes ME2 and adhE were identified as key genes, but which role they play was also unknown. In this study functional microorganisms were screened based on the key genes ME2 and adhE, and they were identified to be Rummeliibacillus suwonensis, Clostridium tyrobutyricum and Lactobacillus buchneri. Then simulated fermentation experiments were carried out with the functional microorganisms, and during the fermentation process expression of the key genes and the amounts of the main flavors were detected to analyze the role of the key genes. The results showed that the key gene ME2 was significantly positively correlated with the contents of the main acids, however the key gene adhE and the formation of the main esters in the LFB brewing process was a significant positive correlation. This study verified the two key genes ME2 and adhE complement each other in the LFB brewing process, playing an important role in promoting the formation of flavor substances, and are very beneficial to improve the quality of LFB.