ZNF1 up-regulation improves aroma profile by activating carbohydrate metabolism-associated pathways in Saccharomyces cerevisiae WFC-SC-071

Abstract

Aroma is a crucial organoleptic characteristic that determines cider's overall success and appeal. Elucidating aroma compound composition and its formation mechanism are critical for aroma improvement. In this study, strains WFC-SC-071 and CK were used to ferment ciders. Strain WFC-SC-071 showed improved fermentation capacity and higher aroma compound production than the CK strain. Moreover, the higher alcohol content in cider fermented by the WFC-SC-071 strain was around twice that of cider fermented by the CK strain. Transcriptomic analyses show that the fermentation process altered the gene expression, and strains CK and WFC-SC-071 exhibited different transcriptional profiles after fermentation. The significantly overexpressed genes in strain WFC-SC-071 were enriched in carbohydrate and amino acid metabolisms. ZNF1 up-regulation in strain WFC-SC-071 activated carbohydrate metabolism-associated pathways, including starch and sucrose metabolism and glycolysis/gluconeogenesis pathway, and provided more energy and precursors for aroma synthesis. Furthermore, the overrepresentation of amino acid metabolism in strain WFC-SC-071 also supplied more precursors for aroma production, generating increased aroma metabolites. This work provides a theoretical basis for further aroma improvement and serves as a reference for analyzing aroma production mechanisms of other fermented products.