Genome sequence of the non-conventional wine yeastHanseniaspora guilliermondiiUTAD222 unveils relevant traits of this species and of theHanseniasporagenus in the context of wine fermentation

Abstract

Hanseanispora species, including H. guilliermondii, are long known to be abundant in wine grape-musts and to play a critical role in vinification by modulating, among other aspects, the wine sensory profile. Despite this, the genetics and physiology of Hanseniaspora species remains poorly understood. The first genomic sequence of a H. guilliermondii strain (UTAD222) and the discussion of its potential significance are presented in this work. Metabolic reconstruction revealed that H. guilliermondii is not equipped with a functional gluconeogenesis or glyoxylate cycle, nor does it harbours key enzymes for glycerol or galactose catabolism or for biosynthesis of biotin and thiamine. Also, no fructose-specific transporter could also be predicted from the analysis of H. guilliermondii genome leaving open the mechanisms underlying the fructophilic character of this yeast. Comparative analysis involving H. guilliermondii, H. uvarum, H. opuntiae and S. cerevisiae revealed 14 H. guilliermondii-specific genes (including five viral proteins and one β-glucosidase). Furthermore, 870 proteins were only found within the Hanseniaspora proteomes including several β-glucosidases and decarboxylases required for catabolism of biogenic amines. The release of H. guilliermondii genomic sequence and the comparative genomics/proteomics analyses performed, is expected to accelerate research focused on Hanseniaspora species and to broaden their application in the wine industry and in other bio-industries in which they could be explored as cell factories.

Genome Sequencing and Comparative Analysis of Three Hanseniaspora uvarum Indigenous Wine Strains Reveal Remarkable Biotechnological Potential

“…Among these yeasts, the genus Hanseniaspora, which can play a critical role in the modulation of the wine sensory profile by increasing its complexity and organoleptic richness, is attracting a significant interest (Fleet, 2003). So far, the knowledge on genetics and physiology of Hanseniaspora species remains limited, notwithstanding some recent significant studies open new perspectives in the field, revealing speciesspecific properties to be explored (Langenberg et al, 2017;Seixas et al, 2019). In this context, genomics analysis may enable a correlation between genetics and useful traits, which could provide a roadmap for biotechnological exploitations (Hittinger et al, 2015;Riley et al, 2016).…”

Nitrogen Preferences during Alcoholic Fermentation of Different Non-Saccharomyces Yeasts of Oenological Interest

“…For S. cerevisiae, the assimilation of preferred nitrogen sources can be explained mainly by the regulation of nitrogen transport, including the Ssy1p-Ptr3p-Ssy5 (SPS) system [53] and the nitrogen catabolism repression (NCR) system [43,54]. These mechanisms have been scarcely explored in NS wine yeasts, as only recent studies had been done in the Hanseniaspora genus [52,55]. In fact, Lleixa et al [52] demonstrated that the NCR mechanism could also be present in some NS species, specifically in H. vineae [52].…”

“…In fact, Lleixa et al [52] demonstrated that the NCR mechanism could also be present in some NS species, specifically in H. vineae [52]. However, Seixas et al [55] evidenced that almost all S. cerevisiae amino acid-specific permeases were absent in Hanseniaspora guilliermondii, Hanseniaspora opuntiae, or H. uvarum, suggesting that Hanseniaspora species might favor the utilization of general nitrogen permeases instead of specific ones. Another recent study performed in Kluyveromyces marxianus [37] evidenced that the nitrogen regulation in this species was dissimilar to the one in S. cerevisiae, lacking some key ammonium permeases, such as Mep1 and Mep2.…”

Formation of Aromatic and Flavor Compounds in Wine: A Perspective of Positive and Negative Contributions of Non-SaccharomycesYeasts

“…Seixas et al [99] reported the reconstruction of the metabolic network for H. guilliermondii UTAD222, noting that this strain of yeast contains four genes that code for β-glucosidases, as well as the genes necessary for the synthesis of acetaldehyde, ethyl esters and higher alcohols. Surprisingly, no S. cerevisiae acetyl transferase-like proteins, involved in the synthesis of acetate esters, were found in the ORFeome of H. guilliermondii UTAD222.…”