Increased mannoprotein content in wines produced by Saccharomyces kudriavzevii × Saccharomyces cerevisiae hybrids

Several wine quality aspects are influenced by yeast mannoproteins on account of aroma compounds retention, lactic-acid bacterial growth stimulation, protection against protein haze and astringency reduction. Thus selecting a yeast strain that produces high levels of mannoproteins is important for the winemaking industry. In this work, we observed increased levels of mannoproteins in S. cerevisiae × S. kudriavzevii hybrids, compared to the S. cerevisiae strain, in wine fermentations. Furthermore, the expression of a key gene related to mannoproteins biosynthesis, PMT1, increased in the S. cerevisiae × S. kudriavzevii hybrid. We showed that artificially constructed S. cerevisiae × S. kudriavzevii hybrids also increased the levels of mannoproteins. This work demonstrates that either natural or artificial S. cerevisiae × S. kudriavzevii hybrids present mannoprotein overproducing capacity under winemaking conditions, a desirable physiological feature for this industry. These results suggest that genome interaction in hybrids generates a physiological environment that enhances the release of mannoproteins.