Proline accumulation in baker's yeast enhances high-sucrose stress tolerance and fermentation ability in sweet dough

During bread-making processes, yeast cells are exposed to various baking-associated stresses. High-sucrose concentrations exert severe osmotic stress that seriously damages cellular components by generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Previously, we found that the accumulation of proline conferred freeze–thaw stress tolerance and the baker's yeast strain that accumulated proline retained higher-level fermentation abilities in frozen doughs than the wild-type strain. In this study, we constructed self-cloning diploid baker's yeast strains that accumulate proline. These resultant strains showed higher cell viability and lower intracellular oxidation levels than that observed in the wild-type strain under high-sucrose stress condition. Proline accumulation also enhanced the fermentation ability in high-sucrose-containing dough. These results demonstrate the usefulness of proline-accumulating baker's yeast for sweet dough baking.

► We constructed self-cloning diploid baker's yeast strains that accumulate proline.
► The strains showed higher cell viability and lower intracellular oxidation level than those in the wild-type strain under high-sucrose condition.
► Proline accumulation also enhanced the fermentation ability in high-sucrose-containing dough.
► Proline-accumulating baker's yeast is useful for sweet dough baking.