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Appl. Environ. Microbiol. doi:10.1128/AEM.02754-06
Copyright (c) 2007, American Society for Microbiology and/or the Listed Authors/Institutions. All Rights Reserved.

TRANSCRIPTIONAL RESPONSE OF SACCHAROMYCES CEREVISIAE TO DIFFERENT NITROGEN CONCENTRATIONS DURING ALCOHOLIC FERMENTATION

Centro de Genética e Biotecnologia - IBB, Universidade de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, Vila Real, Portugal; Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular, Universitat de València, València, Spain; Servicio de Chips de DNA, Universitat de València, València, Spain; Instituto de Investigação em Ciências da Vida e Saúde (ICVS), Escola de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade do Minho, Braga, Portugal

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed. Email: afaia{at}utad.pt.

	Abstract

Gene expression profiles of a wine strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae PYCC4072 were monitored during alcoholic fermentations with three different nitrogen supplies: i) control fermentation (with enough nitrogen to complete sugar fermentation), ii) nitrogen limiting fermentation, and iii) addition of nitrogen to the nitrogen limiting fermentation (re-fed fermentation). Approximately 70% of the yeast transcriptome was altered in at least one of the fermentation stages studied, revealing the continuous adjustment of yeast cells to stressful conditions. Nitrogen concentration had a decisive effect on gene expression during fermentation. The largest changes in transcription profiles were observed when comparing the early time points of the N-limiting and control fermentations. Despite the high levels of glucose present in the media, the early responses of yeast cells to low nitrogen was characterized by the induction of genes involved in oxidative glucose metabolism, including a significant number of mitochondrial associated genes resembling the yeast cell response to glucose starvation. As the N-limiting fermentation progressed, a general down-regulation of genes associated with catabolism was observed. Surprisingly, genes encoding ribosomal proteins and involved in ribosome biogenesis showed a slight increase during N-starvation; besides genes that comprise the RiBi regulon did not behave coordinately during the different experimental conditions. Here for the first time the global response of nitrogen depleted cells to nitrogen addition under enological conditions is described. An important gene expression reprogramming occurred after nitrogen addition which affected genes involved in glycolysis, thiamine metabolism and energy pathways, which enabled the yeast strain to overcome the previous nitrogen starvation stress and restart alcoholic fermentation.

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• Mendes-Ferreira, A., del Olmo, M., Garcia-Martinez, J., Jimenez-Marti, E., Leao, C., Mendes-Faia, A., Perez-Ortin, J. E. (2007). Saccharomyces cerevisiae Signature Genes for Predicting Nitrogen Deficiency during Alcoholic Fermentation. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 73: 5363-5369 [Abstract] [Full Text]