L. De Vero

Molecular assessment of indigenous yeast population from traditional balsamic vinegar

Aims:  To identify and describe the indigenous yeast population involved in traditional balsamic vinegar (TBV) fermentation.

Occurrence and dominance of yeast species in sourdough.

Aims:  The aim of this work is to identify the dominant yeast species in homemade sourdoughs.

Evolution-based strategy to generate non-genetically modified organisms Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains impaired in sulfate assimilation pathway

Aims:  An evolution‐based strategy was designed to screen novel yeast strains impaired in sulfate assimilation. Specifically, molybdate and chromate resistance was used as selectable phenotype to select sulfate permease–deficient variants that unable to produce sulfites and hydrogen sulfide (H2S).

Qualitative and quantitative screening of the β-glucosidase activity in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Saccharomyces uvarum strains isolated from refrigerated must

The aim of the present work was to screen a pool of 75 yeasts belonging to the species Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Saccharomyces uvarum in order to select the strains endowed with β‐glucosidase activity. The first screening was a qualitative assay based on chromogenic substrates (arbutin and esculin). The second screening was the quantitative evaluation of the β‐glucosidase activity via a p‐nitrophenyl‐β‐d‐glucopyranoside assay. The measurement was performed on three different cell preparations, including the extracellular compartment, the cell lysates and the whole cells. This study pointed out the high frequency of β‐glucosidase activity in S. uvarum strains. In particular, we retrieved three promising S. uvarum strains, CRY14, VA42 and GRAS14, featuring a high enzymatic activity, exploitable for winemaking.