Reduction Of Diacetyl Research Articles

Breeding of high-tolerance yeast by adaptive evolution and high gravity brewing of mutant.

Ethanol and osmotic stresses are the major limiting factors for brewing strong-beer with high-gravity wort. Breeding of yeast strains with high osmotic and ethanol tolerance and studying very high gravity (VHG) brewing technology is of great significance for brewing strong-beer. This study used an optimized microbial microdroplet culture (MMC) system for adaptive laboratory evolution (ALE) of Saccharomyces cerevisiae YN81 to improve its tolerance to osmotic and ethanol stress. Meanwhile, we investigated the VHG and VHG with added ethanol (VHGAE) brewing processes for the evolved mutants in brewing strong-beer. The results showed that three evolved mutants were obtained; among them, the growth performance of YN81mc-8.3 under 300, 340, 380, 420, and 460 g·L-1 sucrose stresses was greater than that of the other strains. The ethanol tolerance of YN81mc-8.3 was 12%, which was 20% higher than that of YN81. During strong-beer brewing in a 100 L cylindrical cone-bottom tank, the sugar utilization and ethanol yield of YN81mc-8.3 outperformed those of YN81 in both the VHG and VHGAE brewing processes. Measurement of the diacetyl concentration showed that YN81mc-8.3 had a stronger diacetyl reduction ability; in particular, the real degree of fermentation of beers brewed by YN81mc-8.3 in VHG and VHGAE brewing processes was 75.35% and 66.71%, respectively, higher than those of the 2 samples brewed by YN81. Meanwhile, the visual, olfactive, and gustative properties of the strong-beer produced by YN81mc-8.3 were better than those of the other beers. In this study, the mutant YN81mc-8.3 and the VHGAE brewing process were optimal and represented a better alternative strong-beer brewing process. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Optimisation of yeast vitality measurement to better predict fermentation performance

Brewers are increasingly aware of the importance of yeast health and need appropriate methods to measure its vitality. Many of the current methods are time consuming, expensive or impractical at an industrial scale. Here, the measurement of CO2 production using the ANKOM RF Gas Production Measurement System was optimised. Using response surface methodology, the optimal temperature, yeast biomass and media composition were established. The performance of the method was assessed by measuring the vitality of yeast from laboratory (20 L) and brewery (400-600 hL) fermentations. The drop in pH in early fermentation, diacetyl reduction and fermentation rate were correlated to measurement of yeast vitality. It was shown that the method can be used to assess yeast health and to predict its performance in brewery fermentation. The measurement time was 20 minutes and a minimum vitality of approximately 200 mbar was found to be sufficient for brewery fermentations. The method can be used to optimise yeast propagation processes or to determine the optimal harvesting/cropping time to improve yeast quality, fermentation consistency and beer quality together with reducing cycle time and time in fermenter. © 2020 The Institute of Brewing & Distilling

Reducing diacetyl production of wine by overexpressing BDH1 and BDH2 in Saccharomyces uvarum.

As a byproduct of yeast valine metabolism during fermentation, diacetyl can produce a buttery aroma in wine. However, high diacetyl concentrations generate an aromatic off-flavor and poor quality in wine. 2,3-Butanediol dehydrogenase encoded by BDH1 can catalyze the two reactions of acetoin from diacetyl and 2,3-butanediol from acetoin. BDH2 is a gene adjacent to BDH1, and these genes are regulated reciprocally. In this study, BDH1 and BDH2 were overexpressed in Saccharomyces uvarum to reduce the diacetyl production of wine either individually or in combination. Compared with those in the host strain WY1, the diacetyl concentrations in the recombinant strains WY1-1 with overexpressed BDH1, WY1-2 with overexpressed BDH2 alone, and WY1-12 with co-overexpressed BDH1 and BDH2 were decreased by 39.87, 33.42, and 46.71%, respectively. BDH2 was only responsible for converting diacetyl into acetoin, but not for the metabolic pathway of acetoin to 2,3-butanediol in S. uvarum. This study provided valuable insights into diacetyl reduction in wine.

Diacetyl/l-Xylulose Reductase Mediates Chemical Redox Cycling in Lung Epithelial Cells.

Reactive carbonyls such as diacetyl (2,3-butanedione) and 2,3-pentanedione in tobacco and many food and consumer products are known to cause severe respiratory diseases. Many of these chemicals are detoxified by carbonyl reductases in the lung, in particular, dicarbonyl/l-xylulose reductase (DCXR), a multifunctional enzyme important in glucose metabolism. DCXR is a member of the short-chain dehydrogenase/reductase (SDR) superfamily. Using recombinant human enzyme, we discovered that DCXR mediates redox cycling of a variety of quinones generating superoxide anion, hydrogen peroxide, and, in the presence of transition metals, hydroxyl radicals. Redox cycling activity preferentially utilized NADH as a cosubstrate and was greatest for 9,10-phenanthrenequinone and 1,2-naphthoquinone, followed by 1,4-naphthoquinone and 2-methyl-1,4-naphthoquinone (menadione). Using 9,10-phenanthrenequinone as the substrate, quinone redox cycling was found to inhibit DCXR reduction of l-xylulose and diacetyl. Competitive inhibition of enzyme activity by the quinone was observed with respect to diacetyl (Ki = 190 μM) and l-xylulose (Ki = 940 μM). Abundant DCXR activity was identified in A549 lung epithelial cells when diacetyl was used as a substrate. Quinones inhibited reduction of this dicarbonyl, causing an accumulation of diacetyl in the cells and culture medium and a decrease in acetoin, the reduced product of diacetyl. The identification of DCXR as an enzyme activity mediating chemical redox cycling suggests that it may be important in generating cytotoxic reactive oxygen species in the lung. These activities, together with the inhibition of dicarbonyl/l-xylulose metabolism by redox-active chemicals, as well as consequent deficiencies in pentose metabolism, are likely to contribute to lung injury following exposure to dicarbonyls and quinones.

Selection of an endogenous 2,3-butanediol pathway in Escherichia coli by fermentative redox balance

Fermentative redox balance has long been utilized as a metabolic evolution platform to improve efficiency of NADH-dependent pathways. However, such system relies on the complete recycling of NADH and may become limited when the target pathway results in excess NADH stoichiometrically. In this study, endogenous capability of Escherichia coli for 2,3-butanediol (2,3-BD) synthesis was explored using the anaerobic selection platform based on redox balance. To address the issue of NADH excess associated with the 2,3-BD pathway, we devised a substrate-decoupled system where a pathway intermediate is externally supplied in addition to the carbon source to decouple NADH recycling ratio from the intrinsic pathway stoichiometry. In this case, feeding of the 2,3-BD precursor acetoin effectively restored anaerobic growth of the mixed-acid fermentation mutant that remained otherwise inhibited even in the presence of a functional 2,3-BD pathway. Using established 2,3-BD dehydrogenases as model enzyme, we verified that the redox-based selection system is responsive to NADPH-dependent reactions but with lower sensitivity. Based on this substrate-decoupled selection scheme, we successfully identified the glycerol/1,2-propanediol dehydrogenase (Ec-GldA) as the major enzyme responsible for the acetoin reducing activity (kcat/Km≈0.4mM−1s−1) observed in E. coli. Significant shift of 2,3-BD configuration upon withdrawal of the heterologous acetolactate decarboxylase revealed that the endogenous synthesis of acetoin occurs via diacetyl. Among the predicted diacetyl reductase in E. coli, Ec-UcpA displayed the most significant activity towards diacetyl reduction into acetoin (Vmax≈6U/mg). The final strain demonstrated a meso-2,3-BD production titer of 3g/L without introduction of foreign genes. The substrate-decoupled selection system allows redox balance regardless of the pathway stoichiometry thus enables segmented optimization of different reductive pathways through enzyme bioprospecting and metabolic evolution.

Diacetyl content reduction in industrial brewer’s yeast through ILV2 disruption and BDH1 expression

Diacetyl is crucial to beer maturation because of its characteristic buttery taste. New industrial brewer’s yeast strains, including single ILV2 allele disruption (QI2), single ILV2 allele disruption and BDH1 overexpression (QI2GB1), and BDH1 overexpression (B1Y), were constructed by disrupting the gene (ILV2) involved in a-acetolactate synthesis and introducing the diacetyl reductase gene (BDH1). The diacetyl content and fermentation performance of the three recombinant strains were examined and compared. Results showed that the diacetyl concentration in QI2, QI2GB1, and B1Y decreased by 17.83, 28.26, and 9.57 %, respectively, compared with that in the host strain S2. The fermentation ability in terms of fermentation degree and major flavors yield of the three recombinant strains was similar to that of the host. This study may serve as a reference for the brewing industry and for research on diacetyl reduction.

Cloning, Expression, and Characterization of budC Gene Encoding meso-2,3-Butanediol Dehydrogenase from Bacillus licheniformis.

The budC gene encoding a meso-2,3-butanediol dehydrogenase (BlBDH) from Bacillus licheniformis was cloned and overexpressed in Escherichia coli BL21(DE3). Sequence analysis reveals that this BlBDH belongs to short-chain dehydrogenase/reductase (SDR) superfamily. In the presence of NADH, BlBDH catalyzes the reduction of diacetyl to (3S)-acetoin (97.3% ee), and further to (2S,3S)-2,3-butanediol (97.3% ee and 96.5% de). Similar to other meso-2,3-BDHs, it shows oxidative activity to racemic 2,3-butanediol whereas no activity toward racemic acetoin in the presence of NAD(+). For diacetyl reduction and 2,3-butanediol oxidation, the pH optimum of BlBDH is 5.0 and 10.0, respectively. Unusually, it shows relatively high activity over a wide pH range from 5.0 to 8.0 for racemic acetoin reduction. BlBDH shows lower K m and higher catalytic efficiency toward racemic acetoin (K m = 0.47 mM, k cat /K m = 432 s(-1)·mM(-1)) when compared with 2,3-butanediol (K m = 7.25 mM, k cat /K m = 81.5 s(-1)·mM(-1)), indicating its physiological role in favor of reducing racemic acetoin into 2,3-butanediol. The enzymatic characterization of BlBDH provides evidence for the directed engineering of B. licheniformis for producing enantiopure 2,3-butanediol.

Characterization of a (2R,3R)-2,3-Butanediol Dehydrogenase from Rhodococcus erythropolis WZ010.

The gene encoding a (2R,3R)-2,3-butanediol dehydrogenase from Rhodococcus erythropolis WZ010 (ReBDH) was over-expressed in Escherichia coli and the resulting recombinant ReBDH was successfully purified by Ni-affinity chromatography. The purified ReBDH in the native form was found to exist as a monomer with a calculated subunit size of 37180, belonging to the family of the zinc-containing alcohol dehydrogenases. The enzyme was NAD(H)-specific and its optimal activity for acetoin reduction was observed at pH 6.5 and 55 °C. The optimal pH and temperature for 2,3-butanediol oxidation were pH 10 and 45 °C, respectively. The enzyme activity was inhibited by ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) or metal ions Al3+, Zn2+, Fe2+, Cu2+ and Ag+, while the addition of 10% (v/v) dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) in the reaction mixture increased the activity by 161.2%. Kinetic parameters of the enzyme showed lower Km values and higher catalytic efficiency for diacetyl and NADH in comparison to those for (2R,3R)-2,3-butanediol and NAD+. The activity of acetoin reduction was 7.7 times higher than that of (2R,3R)-2,3-butanediol oxidation when ReBDH was assayed at pH 7.0, suggesting that ReBDH-catalyzed reaction in vivo might favor (2R,3R)-2,3-butanediol formation rather than (2R,3R)-2,3-butanediol oxidation. The enzyme displayed absolute stereospecificity in the reduction of diacetyl to (2R,3R)-2,3-butanediol via (R)-acetoin, demonstrating its potential application on the synthesis of (R)-chiral alcohols.

Production of diacetyl by metabolically engineered Enterobacter cloacae.

Diacetyl, a high value product that can be extensively used as a food ingredient, could be produced from the non-enzymatic oxidative decarboxylation of α-acetolactate during 2,3-butanediol fermentation. In this study, the 2,3-butanediol biosynthetic pathway in Enterobacter cloacae subsp. dissolvens strain SDM, a good candidate for microbial 2,3-butanediol production, was reconstructed for diacetyl production. To enhance the accumulation of the precursor of diacetyl, the α-acetolactate decarboxylase encoding gene (budA) was knocked out in strain SDM. Subsequently, the two diacetyl reductases DR-I (gdh) and DR-II (budC) encoding genes were inactivated in strain SDM individually or in combination to decrease the reduction of diacetyl. Although the engineered strain E. cloacae SDM (ΔbudAΔbudC) was found to have a good ability for diacetyl production, more α-acetolactate than diacetyl was produced simultaneously. In order to enhance the nonenzymatic oxidative decarboxylation of α-acetolactate to diacetyl, 20 mM Fe3+ was added to the fermentation broth at the optimal time. In the end, by using the metabolically engineered strain E. cloacae SDM (ΔbudAΔbudC), diacetyl at a concentration of 1.45 g/L was obtained with a high productivity (0.13 g/(L·h)). The method developed here may be a promising process for biotechnological production of diacetyl.

Identification and characterization of a mycobacterial NAD⁺-dependent alcohol dehydrogenase with superior reduction of diacetyl to (S)-acetoin.

An enzyme capable of reducing acetoin in the presence of NADH was purified from Mycobacterium sp. B-009, a non-clinical bacterial strain of soil origin. The enzyme is a homotetramer and can be classified as a medium-chain alcohol dehydrogenase/reductase based on the molecular weight of the monomer. Identification of the structural gene revealed a limited distribution of homologous genes only among actinomycetes. In addition to its activity as a reductase specific for (S)-acetoin (EC 1.1.1.76), the enzyme showed both diacetyl reductase (EC 1.1.1.304) and NAD(+)-dependent alcohol dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.1) activities. (S)-Acetoin and diacetyl reductases belong to a group of short-chain alcohol dehydrogenase/reductases but do not have superior abilities to dehydrogenate monoalcohols. Thus, the purified enzyme can be readily distinguished from other enzymes. We used the dual functionality of the enzyme to effectively reduce diacetyl to (S)-acetoin, coupled with the oxidation of 1-butanol.

Cloning, expression and characterization of glycerol dehydrogenase involved in 2,3-butanediol formation in Serratia marcescens H30.

The meso-2,3-butanediol dehydrogenase (meso-BDH) from S. marcescens H30 is responsible for converting acetoin into 2,3-butanediol during sugar fermentation. Inactivation of the meso-BDH encoded by budC gene does not completely abolish 2,3-butanediol production, which suggests that another similar enzyme involved in 2,3-butanediol formation exists in S. marcescens H30. In the present study, a glycerol dehydrogenase (GDH) encoded by gldA gene from S. marcescens H30 was expressed in Escherichia coli BL21(DE3), purified and characterized for its properties. In vitro conversion indicated that the purified GDH could catalyze the interconversion of (3S)-acetoin/meso-2,3-butanediol and (3R)-acetoin/(2R,3R)-2,3-butanediol. (2S,3S)-2,3-Butanediol was not a substrate for the GDH at all. Kinetic parameters of the GDH enzyme showed lower K m value and higher catalytic efficiency for (3S/3R)-acetoin in comparison to those for (2R,3R)-2,3-butanediol and meso-2,3-butanediol, implying its physiological role in favor of 2,3-butanediol formation. Maximum activity for reduction of (3S/3R)-acetoin and oxidations of meso-2,3-butanediol and glycerol was observed at pH 8.0, while it was pH 7.0 for diacetyl reduction. The enzyme exhibited relative high thermotolerance with optimum temperature of 60°C in the oxidation-reduction reactions. Over 60% of maximum activity was retained at 70°C. Additionally, the GDH activity was significantly enhanced for meso-2,3-BD oxidation in the presence of Fe(2+) and for (3S/3R)-acetoin reduction in the presence of Mn(2+), while several cations inhibited its activity, particularly Fe(2+) and Fe(3+) for (3S/3R)-acetoin reduction. The properties provided potential application for single configuration production of acetoin and 2,3-butanediol .

Diacetyl reduction by commercialSaccharomyces cerevisiaestrains during vinification

Microbially derived diacetyl accumulation during vinification imparts a buttery wine aroma, which has stylistic implications. However, at higher concentrations diacetyl induces an aromatic off-flavour. Saccharomyces cerevisiae is able to reduce diacetyl to below the sensory threshold. Therefore, characterization of the diacetyl reduction in commercial wine yeasts creates new opportunities to manage the risk of wine associated off-flavours. Diacetyl reduction by two commercial S. cerevisiae strains was characterized in Pinot blanc grape must of the vintage 2012 with different initial diacetyl concentrations (0–50 mg/L). Highest diacetyl reduction was found in the first two days after wine yeasts were inoculated. No further decrease in diacetyl content was observed after the fourth day. All assays in which diacetyl was added showed the same final diacetyl concentration of approximately 2 mg/L. However, a significantly lower amount of diacetyl was found in grape must without adding diacetyl. The present results indicate that commercial wine yeasts are able to reduce much higher amounts of diacetyl than normally expected during the vinification procedure. However, the constant final diacetyl concentration indicates that diacetyl accumulation may be the result of wine matrix binding effects, which prevent a complete reduction by active wine yeasts. Copyright © 2013 The Institute of Brewing & Distilling.

125thAnniversary Review: Diacetyl and its control during brewery fermentation

Diacetyl is a butter-tasting vicinal diketone produced as a by-product of yeast valine metabolism during fermentation. Concentration is dependent on a number of factors including rate of formation of the precursor α-acetolactate by yeast, spontaneous decarboxylation of this acetohydroxy acid to diacetyl and removal of diacetyl by yeast via the action of various reductase enzymes. Lowering concentrations of diacetyl in green beer represents an expensive and time-consuming part of the brewing process and strategies to minimize diacetyl formation or hasten its reduction have potential for improving overall efficiency of the lager brewing system. Here we review the processes that determine diacetyl levels in green beer as well as the various ways in which diacetyl levels can be controlled. The amount of diacetyl produced during fermentation can be affected by modifying process conditions, wort composition or fermentation technique, or by yeast strain development through genetic engineering or adaptive evolution. The process of diacetyl reduction by yeast is not as well understood as the process of formation, but is dependent on factors such as physiological condition, cell membrane composition, temperature and pH. The process of diacetyl removal is typically rate-limited by the reaction rate for the spontaneous decarboxylation of α-acetolactate to diacetyl. Copyright © 2013 The Institute of Brewing & Distilling

A new NAD(H)-dependent meso-2,3-butanediol dehydrogenase from an industrially potential strain Serratia marcescens H30

The budC gene coding for a new meso-2,3-butanediol dehydrogenase (BDH) from Serratia marcescens H30 was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli BL21(DE3), purified, and characterized for its properties. The recombinant BDH with a molecular weight of 27.4 kDa exhibited a reversible transformation between acetoin and 2,3-butanediol. In the presence of NADH, BDH could catalyze the reduction of diacetyl and (3R)-acetoin to (3S)-acetoin and meso-2,3-butanediol, respectively, while (3S)-acetoin as a substrate could be further transformed into (2S, 3S)-2,3-butanediol at pH 9.0. For diol oxidation reactions, (3R)-acetoin and (3S)-acetoin were obtained when meso-2,3-butanediol and (2S,3S)-2,3-butanediol were used as the substrates with BDH and NAD(+). (2R,3R)-2,3-butanediol was not a substrate for the BDH at all. The low K m value (4.1 mM) in meso-2,3-butanediol oxidation reaction and no activity for diacetyl, acetoin, and 2,3-butanediol as the substrates with NADP(+)/NADPH suggested that the budC gene product belongs to a NAD(H)-dependent meso-2,3-BDH. Maximum activities for diacetyl and (3S/3R)-acetoin reduction were observed at pH 8.0 and pH 5.0 while for meso-2,3-butanediol oxidation it was pH 8.0. However, the optimum temperature for oxidation and reduction reactions was about 40 °C. In addition, the BDH activity for meso-2,3-butanediol oxidation was enhanced in the presence of Fe(2+) and for diacetyl and (3S/3R)-acetoin reduction in the presence of Mg(2+) and Mn(2+), while several metal ions inhibited its activity, particularly Fe(3+) for reduction of diacetyl and acetoin. Sequence analysis showed that the BDH from S. marcescens H30 possessed two conserved sequences including the coenzyme binding motif (GxxxGxG) and the active-site motif (YxxxK), which are present in the short-chain dehydrogenase/reductase superfamily.

Characterization of a stereospecific acetoin(diacetyl) reductase from Rhodococcus erythropolis WZ010 and its application for the synthesis of (2S,3S)-2,3-butanediol

Rhodococcus erythropolis WZ010 was capable of producing optically pure (2S,3S)-2,3-butanediol in alcoholic fermentation. The gene encoding an acetoin(diacetyl) reductase from R. erythropolis WZ010 (ReADR) was cloned, overexpressed in Escherichia coli, and subsequently purified by Ni-affinity chromatography. ReADR in the native form appeared to be a homodimer with a calculated subunit size of 26,864, belonging to the family of the short-chain dehydrogenase/reductases. The enzyme accepted a broad range of substrates including aliphatic and aryl alcohols, aldehydes, and ketones. It exhibited remarkable tolerance to dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and retained 53.6 % of the initial activity after 4 h incubation with 30 % (v/v) DMSO. The enzyme displayed absolute stereospecificity in the reduction of diacetyl to (2S,3S)-2,3-butanediol via (S)-acetoin. The optimal pH and temperature for diacetyl reduction were pH 7.0 and 30 °C, whereas those for (2S,3S)-2,3-butanediol oxidation were pH 9.5 and 25 °C. Under the optimized conditions, the activity of diacetyl reduction was 11.9-fold higher than that of (2S,3S)-2,3-butanediol oxidation. Kinetic parameters of the enzyme showed lower K(m) values and higher catalytic efficiency for diacetyl and NADH in comparison to those for (2S,3S)-2,3-butanediol and NAD⁺, suggesting its physiological role in favor of (2S,3S)-2,3-butanediol formation. Interestingly, the enzyme showed higher catalytic efficiency for (S)-1-phenylethanol oxidation than that for acetophenone reduction. ReADR-catalyzed asymmetric reduction of diacetyl was coupled with stereoselective oxidation of 1-phenylethanol, which simultaneously formed both (2S,3S)-2,3-butanediol and (R)-1-phenylethanol in great conversions and enantiomeric excess values.

Creation of a New Beer Brand: Methodological Approach

JRC Baltika Breweries is the leader of Russian beer market and one of the biggest beer producers in Europe. Creation of new beer brands is based not only on effective business processes, but also on operational perfection of all technological phases for the purpose of stable production quality, taking into account requirements of consumers. Quality function deployment (QFD) is the flexible decision-making method used in new products creation. QFD transforms requirements of clients (a voice of clients) to engineering characteristics of technology, places priorities for each product / services and simultaneously defines problems in the field of production or service development. Yeast basically defines taste and aroma properties of beer. As a result of auxotrofic segregant crossing with the parental strain lacking, mitochondrial DNA we selected the new hi-tech yeast strain, possessing a number of distinctive characteristics: good technological properties, decrease of sulfur substances production, efficient diacetyl reduction, high colloidal stability of beer. This strain was used to produce new sort of beer, serving for client requirements. The newly designed sort of beer got several International prices and brought 250 million dollars in 2007 for JRC Baltika Breweries.

Construction of recombinant industrial brewer’s yeast with lower diacetyl production and proteinase A activity

The characteristic buttery taste of diacetyl has long been a major problem in the brewing industry, and the foam stability of unpasteurized beer is often influenced by proteinase A (PrA), which is encoded by PEP4 and released from yeast cells into beer during brewing. A recombinant industrial brewer’s yeast strain that reduces the diacetyl content of beer and improves foam stability was constructed. We constructed a PGK1p-ILV5-PGK1t expression cassette, which was introduced into one of the PEP4 alleles via PCR-mediated homologous recombination. Then, the second PEP4 allele was disrupted using the Cre-loxP recombination system, and the recombinant strain was designated as S-CSIK12. The results show that the diacetyl production of S-CSIK12 is always lower than that of the host strain at all stages of beer fermentation. In addition, brewing with S-CSIK12 reduced the PrA activity of the final beer by 44 % compared with that using the wild-type strain. The head retention of the beer brewed with S-CSIK12 (260 ± 2 s) was better than that of the host strain S-6 (212 ± 3 s). Considering that more PrA is released from yeast cells during the final stage of main fermentation and that the timing of yeast cropping is determined by diacetyl reduction, brewing with strains that have low diacetyl production also reduced the PrA activity of the beer and improved its head retention. The present study provides reference for the brewing industry as well as research on the diacetyl reduction and foam stability of beer.

A new yeast strain for brewery: Properties and advantages

Beer is a natural product and is a multicomponent system that has both positive and negative consumer properties. Organoleptical off-flavors of beer are difficult to eliminate. Yeasts are the main active component of the system. The relationship between beer quality and yeast usage is well known. New industrial strains for brewery are continuously developed. An industrial yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain was obtained and showed high technological properties, including efficient fermentation, a reduced production of sulfur hydrate, and a high diacetyl reduction rate. The advantages made it possible to develop new brands of beer and nonalcoholic products. The commercial use of the strain was patented. The strain was deposited in the Russian Collection of Industrial Microorganisms.

Decrease of Aged Beer Aroma by the Reducing Activity of Brewing Yeast

The flavor profile of beer is subject to changes during storage. Since, possibly, yeast has an influence on flavor stability, the aim of this study was to examine if there is a direct impact of brewing yeast on aged aroma. This was achieved by refermentation of aged beers. It was shown that several aged aroma notes, such as cardboard, ribes, Maillard and Madeira, were removed almost entirely by brewing yeast, independently of the yeast or the beer type. This was explained by the reduction of aldehydes, mainly (E)-2-nonenal, Strecker aldehydes, 5-hydroxymethylfurfural and diacetyl, to their corresponding alcohols. Furthermore, it became evident that the reducing capacity of brewing yeast is high, but that yeast strain and compound specific residual concentrations remained in the refermented beer independently of the initial concentration. Finally, it appeared that aldehydes were not only reduced but also formed during refermentation.

α,β-dicarbonyl reduction by Saccharomycesd-arabinose dehydrogenase

An α,β-dicarbonyl reductase activity was purified from Saccharomyces cerevisiae and identified as the cytosolic enzyme d-Arabinose dehydrogenase ( ARA1) by MALDI-TOF/TOF. Size exclusion chromatography analysis of recombinant Ara1p revealed that this protein formed a homodimer. Ara1p catalyzed the reduction of the reactive α,β-dicarbonyl compounds methylglyoxal, diacetyl, and pentanedione in a NADPH dependant manner. Ara1p had apparent K m values of ∼ 14 mM, 7 mM and 4 mM for methylglyoxal, diacetyl and pentanedione respectively, with corresponding turnover rates of 4.4, 6.9 and 5.9 s − 1 at pH 7.0. pH profiling showed that Ara1p had a pH optimum of 4.5 for the diacetyl reduction reaction. Ara1p also catalyzed the NADP + dependant oxidation of acetoin; however this back reaction only occurred at alkaline pH values. That Ara1p was important for degradation of α,β-dicarbonyl substrates was further supported by the observation that ara1-Δ knockout yeast mutants exhibited a decreased growth rate phenotype in media containing diacetyl.