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Copper-based grape pest management has impacted wine aroma
Irene De Guidi1, Virginie Galeote1, Bruno Blondin1
1SPO, INRAE, Institut Agro, Université de Montpellier, 34060, Montpellier, France.
Scientific Reports
|May 2, 2024
Summary
Wine yeast strains produce excess hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) due to copper resistance adaptations. This adaptation, driven by copper in vineyards, negatively impacts wine quality by increasing H₂S during fermentation.
Area of Science:
- Enology
- Microbiology
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Sulfate reduction to hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) is essential for sulfur-containing amino acids but can negatively impact wine quality.
- Wine Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains exhibit higher H₂S production than wild strains, especially in the presence of sulfite.
- Wine strains possess copper resistance due to CUP1 gene amplification, a trait potentially linked to H₂S metabolism.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between copper resistance mechanisms and H₂S production in wine yeast.
- To understand how vineyard copper management influences yeast adaptation and wine spoilage.
- To elucidate the metabolic trade-offs associated with copper resistance in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of H₂S production in 51 Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains under varying copper and sulfite conditions.
- Correlation analysis between CUP1 gene copy number and H₂S levels during alcoholic fermentation.
- Experimental validation using a multicopy plasmid carrying CUP1 to mimic gene amplification effects.
Main Results:
- Increased copper concentration in grape must directly correlated with higher H₂S production.
- Sulfur dioxide (SO₂) enhanced yeast resistance to copper.
- A complex relationship was observed between CUP1 copy number and H₂S production, with an initial increase followed by a decrease.
- Overexpression of CUP1 using a plasmid confirmed its role in modulating H₂S production.
Conclusions:
- Copper resistance, selected by vineyard copper treatments, leads to increased H₂S production in wine yeast.
- This metabolic trade-off compromises wine quality through excessive H₂S generation.
- Understanding this link is crucial for managing yeast fermentation and preventing wine spoilage.
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