Enrichment in methanol-containing broth — A simple method for the isolation ofSaccharomycesfrom grapes

Abstract

In this study a simple and effective method was developed for the isolation of Saccharomyces strains from grapes. Aseptically collected grape samples were processed by enrichment in a nutritive basal medium supplemented with 10% (v/v) methanol followed by isolation of yeast strains. Sixteen of the 18 grape samples yielded Saccharomyces strain(s). More than 70% of the isolates belonged to the genus Saccharomyces. Based on phenotype and electrophoretic karyotyping, all strains of Saccharomyces were identified as S. cerevisiae. For several grape samples, varying physiological characters, the number of spores per asci, and the observed chromosome length polymorphisms provided evidence for diversity of S. cerevisiae strains obtained by this enrichment in methanol-containing broth. Results indicated that enrichment in methanol-containing broth is an effective alternative method to facilitate isolation of Saccharomyces strains from grapes. The enrichment method described in this work provides a simple and effective tool for isolation of Saccharomyces strains from grapes. The method may be applied in studying wine fermentation ecology, as well as for the isolation of potential starter strains from grapes.