Shota Tanimoto

Whole-Genome Sequencing of Sake Yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae Kyokai no. 7

The term ‘sake yeast’ is generally used to indicate the Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains that possess characteristics distinct from others including the laboratory strain S288C and are well suited for sake brewery. Here, we report the draft whole-genome shotgun sequence of a commonly used diploid sake yeast strain, Kyokai no. 7 (K7). The assembled sequence of K7 was nearly identical to that of the S288C, except for several subtelomeric polymorphisms and two large inversions in K7. A survey of heterozygous bases between the homologous chromosomes revealed the presence of mosaic-like uneven distribution of heterozygosity in K7. The distribution patterns appeared to have resulted from repeated losses of heterozygosity in the ancestral lineage of K7. Analysis of genes revealed the presence of both K7-acquired and K7-lost genes, in addition to numerous others with segmentations and terminal discrepancies in comparison with those of S288C. The distribution of Ty element also largely differed in the two strains. Interestingly, two regions in chromosomes I and VII of S288C have apparently been replaced by Ty elements in K7. Sequence comparisons suggest that these gene conversions were caused by cDNA-mediated recombination of Ty elements. The present study advances our understanding of the functional and evolutionary genomics of the sake yeast.

Levels of Glutathione and Related Enzymes in Yellowtail Fish Muscle Subjected to Ice Storage in a Modified Atmosphere

UNLABELLED We investigated the effects of ice storage in a modified atmosphere on levels of glutathione (GSH) and its related enzyme activities, the metmyoglobin to total myoglobin ratio (metMb%), and the K value (a freshness index) of yellowtail fish muscle. GSH in ordinary muscle (fast skeletal muscle) as well as in dark muscle (slow skeletal muscle) stored in air decreased. GSH in those muscles was almost unchanged during storage when packaged with an oxygen absorber or with an oxygen absorber-CO(2) generator. Glutathione disulfide in each type of packaging remained at low concentrations during storage. The GSH peroxidase activities of ordinary muscle and of dark muscle after 7 d of storage in air were lower than when packaged with the oxygen absorber or with the oxygen absorber-CO(2) generator. The GSH reductase (GR) activities of ordinary muscle at the 4th and 7th day of storage when packaged with the oxygen absorber showed a tendency to be lower than when stored in air. The GR activity of dark muscle in each type of packaging method was unchanged during storage. The packaging method did not influence the K values of either the ordinary muscle or the dark muscle during storage. The metMb% of dark muscle when packaged with the oxygen absorber was lower than in the other types of packaging during storage. Therefore, packaging with the oxygen absorber is an effective method to prevent the loss of GSH in fish meat as well as to reduce the discoloration during storage. PRACTICAL APPLICATION This study examined whether modified atmosphere packaging preserves the level of GSH, which is unstable to oxidative stress, in fish muscle. The use of an oxygen absorber for packaging can allow us to take in a sufficient amount of the bioactive compound from fish meat after storage as well as fresh fish.

Changes in Volatile Compounds of Dark and Ordinary Muscles of Yellowtail (Seriola quinqueradiata) During Short-Term Cold Storage

ABSTRACT Changes in volatile compounds in dark and ordinary muscle of yellowtail during 2 days of refrigerated storage at 5°C were investigated. Twenty-seven compounds were identified in ordinary muscle and 39 in dark muscle during 2 days of storage at 5°C. Thirteen compounds at Day 0 of storage and 29 compounds at Day 2—such as 2,3-pentadione, 1-penten-3-ol, (Z)-2-penten-1-ol, and (E,Z)-2,4-heptadienal—identified in the dark muscle showed significantly higher values compared to ordinary muscle. Levels of thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) in dark muscle were significantly higher than those in ordinary muscle throughout 2 days of storage period, and a significant increase in TBARS occurred in just dark muscle at Day 2 of storage. In ordinary muscle, viable cells remained at the same order of magnitude as their initial values for 2 days. Eight aldehydes in ordinary muscle and 25 volatile compounds in dark muscle increased significantly without microbial action prior to increase in TBARS during short-term cold storage. Principal component analysis of the volatile compounds in dark and ordinary muscle was able to differentiate between different storage time samples of same muscle type as well as different muscle samples of same storage time.

Changes in the Free Amino Acid Content of the Shucked Oyster Crassostrea gigas Stored in Salt Water at 3

Shucked oysters were soaked in an equal weight of salt water and stored at 3°C for 7 days. Changes in the free amino acid content of the whole body and in the adductor muscle were evaluated by a practical distribution method. With the exception of aspartic acid and tyrosine, no significant changes in free amino acids or ammonia were observed in whole-body shucked oysters during the storage period. In contrast, the majority of free amino acids in the adductor muscle decreased significantly. Most of these free amino acids were detected in considerable amounts in the surrounding salt water after 7 days of storage. Both the weight of the whole body and the salinity of the surrounding salt water decreased significantly during the storage period. These results suggest that free amino acids were eluted from the cutting surface of the adductor muscle and indicate that the free amino acid content per shucked oyster and in the adductor muscle, decreases during cold storage.

Effect of nitrogen gas packaging on odor development in yellowtail Seriola quinqueradiata muscle during ice storage

We investigated the effect of nitrogen gas packaging (NGP) on the odor, lipid oxidation, and browning of yellowtail fish meat during cold storage. NGP decreased the browning of yellowtail dark muscle (DM) and prevented lipid oxidation in DM during storage. NGP also suppressed the increase in volatile compounds, mainly generated from DM, in yellowtail fish meat during storage. Principal component analysis (PCA) of volatiles showed that the samples of DM after storage in air were clearly separated from the other samples by PC1. Many volatiles such as (E, E)-2,4-hexadienal had higher PC1 factor loadings and their increases in stored DM were repressed by NGP. As determined by gas chromatography–olfactometry, the number of odors sensed from DM after storage in nitrogen gas decreased compared to those before storage. Although, the sensory scores of all evaluated items of DM after storage in air increased significantly, those of DM stored in nitrogen gas showed no significant increase after storage. These findings indicate that NGP is effective for preventing the quality deterioration (odor change, lipid oxidation, and browning) of yellowtail fish meat during cold storage.