Differentiation of Indigenous Saccharomyces cerevisiae Wine Strains by Oenological and Proteomic Characterization
5 affiliations
- 1Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy (DBCF), University of Siena, Via Aldo Moro 2, 53100 Siena, Italy
- 2Department of Agriculture, Food, Environment and Forestry (DAGRI), University of Florence, Via San Bonaventura, 13-50145 Florence, Italy
- 3Department of Molecular Medicine and Development, University of Siena, 53100 Siena, Italy
- 4Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology, Department of Medical Biotechnologies, University of Siena, 53100 Siena, Italy
- 5FoodMicroTeam s.r.l., ex Academic Spin-Off of the University of Florence, Via Santo Spirito,14-50125 Florence, Italy
Abstract
Indigenous Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains persist within individual cellars and contribute to the character of spontaneously fermented wines, yet the molecular basis of their oenological differences remains largely unknown. In this work, eight predominant strains isolated from spontaneous fermentations in four Tuscan wineries were characterized by technological traits of oenological relevance and laboratory-scale fermentations of both a synthetic must and Sangiovese grape must. In each must, the strains reached similar final ethanol concentrations, although lag phase and maximum fermentation rate differed significantly, whereas the resulting wines differed significantly in glycerol, acetic acid and phenolic alcohol content and in the scores assigned by a trained sensory panel. Four strains spanning the observed range of behaviors were hence analyzed by two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (2D-PAGE) and Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Time-Of-Flight Mass Spectrometry (MALDI-ToF MS) at an early and a mid-fermentation stage, yielding 30–46 differentially abundant proteins identified per strain. Strain-specific abundance of proteins involved in glycerol formation, acetaldehyde oxidation and sulfur amino acid metabolism paralleled the corresponding differences in glycerol, acetic acid and hydrogen sulfide production, whereas glycolytic enzyme abundance varied without any corresponding variation in ethanol. Proteomic analysis thus identified candidate molecular correlates of the traits that distinguish strains, suggesting that it could complement traditional screening in the selection of indigenous starter cultures.
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BibTeX
@article{braconi2026differentiation,
title = {{Differentiation of Indigenous Saccharomyces cerevisiae Wine Strains by Oenological and Proteomic Characterization}},
author = {Daniela Braconi and Simona Guerrini and Francesca Girolamo and Simone Costagli and Alessandro Paffetti and Alessandro Armini and Sara Draghi and Gabriella Jacomelli and Andrea Bernini and Daniela Grasso and Viola Galli and Donatella Ganucci and Lisa Granchi and Annalisa Santucci},
journal = {International Journal of Molecular Sciences},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3390/ijms27219419},
url = {https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/27/21/9419},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Differentiation of Indigenous Saccharomyces cerevisiae Wine Strains by Oenological and Proteomic Characterization
AU - Daniela Braconi
AU - Simona Guerrini
AU - Francesca Girolamo
AU - Simone Costagli
AU - Alessandro Paffetti
AU - Alessandro Armini
AU - Sara Draghi
AU - Gabriella Jacomelli
AU - Andrea Bernini
AU - Daniela Grasso
AU - Viola Galli
AU - Donatella Ganucci
AU - Lisa Granchi
AU - Annalisa Santucci
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/22
JO - International Journal of Molecular Sciences
DO - 10.3390/ijms27219419
UR - https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/27/21/9419
AB - Indigenous Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains persist within individual cellars and contribute to the character of spontaneously fermented wines, yet the molecular basis of their oenological differences remains largely unknown. In this work, eight predominant strains isolated from spontaneous fermentations in four Tuscan wineries were characterized by technological traits of oenological relevance and laboratory-scale fermentations of both a synthetic must and Sangiovese grape must. In each must, the strains reached similar final ethanol concentrations, although lag phase and maximum fermentation rate differed significantly, whereas the resulting wines differed significantly in glycerol, acetic acid and phenolic alcohol content and in the scores assigned by a trained sensory panel. Four strains spanning the observed range of behaviors were hence analyzed by two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (2D-PAGE) and Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Time-Of-Flight Mass Spectrometry (MALDI-ToF MS) at an early and a mid-fermentation stage, yielding 30–46 differentially abundant proteins identified per strain. Strain-specific abundance of proteins involved in glycerol formation, acetaldehyde oxidation and sulfur amino acid metabolism paralleled the corresponding differences in glycerol, acetic acid and hydrogen sulfide production, whereas glycolytic enzyme abundance varied without any corresponding variation in ethanol. Proteomic analysis thus identified candidate molecular correlates of the traits that distinguish strains, suggesting that it could complement traditional screening in the selection of indigenous starter cultures.
SN - 1422-0067
ER -