Impact of serine and serine synthesis genes on H2S release in Saccharomyces cerevisiae during wine fermentation

Abstract

Excessive hydrogen sulfide (H2S) during fermentation causes undesirable sensory properties in wine. In yeast, serine functions as a precursor in the biosynthesis of S-containing compounds, which facilitates H2S consumption. To investigate the effect of serine on H2S release and the underlying mechanism, extracellular and intracellular serine levels were separately increased under fermentation conditions. The results show that, although the abundance of extracellular serine was ineffective in decreasing H2S levels, increased levels of intracellular serine levels from SER1 and SER2 overexpression reduced H2S release through increased consumption of sulfur metabolites. In contrast, SER33 overexpression significantly increased H2S release, and the metabolites and gene expression profile of the sulfur assimilation pathway indicates that SER33 regulated MET17, which mediated H2S release. Our study revealed valuable insights on the relationship between serine levels and H2S release, and may be helpful in understanding the H2S regulation mechanism in yeast during fermentation.