Doctoral Degrees (Institute for Wine Biotechnology)

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Browsing Doctoral Degrees (Institute for Wine Biotechnology) by Subject "Dissertations -- Wine biotechnology"

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    Carnitine metabolism and biosynthesis in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae
    (Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch, 2009-12) Franken, Jaco; Bauer, Florian; Strauss, Erick; University of Stellenbosch. Faculty of Agrisciences. Dept. of Viticulture and Oenology. Institute for Wine Biotechnology.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Carnitine plays an essential role in eukaryotic metabolism by mediating the shuttling of activated acyl residues between intracellular compartments. This function of carnitine, referred to as the carnitine shuttle, is supported by the activities of carnitine acyltransferases and carnitine/acylcarnitine transporters, and is reasonably well studied and understood. While this function remains the only metabolically well established role of carnitine, several studies have been reporting beneficial effects associated with dietary carnitine supplementation, and some of those beneficial impacts appear not to be directly linked to shuttle activity. This study makes use of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a cellular model system in order to study the impact of carnitine and of the carnitine shuttle on cellular physiology, and also investigates the eukaryotic carnitine biosynthesis pathway. The carnitine shuttle of S. cerevisiae relies on the activity of three carnitine acetyltransferases (CATs), namely Cat2p (located in the peroxisome and mitochondria), Yat1p (on the outer mitochondrial membrane) and Yat2p (in the cytosol), which catalyze the reversible transfer of activated acetyl units between CoA and carnitine. The acetylcarnitine moieties can be transferred across the intracellular membranes of the peroxisomes and mitochondria by the activity of the carnitine/acetylcarnitine translocases. The activated acetyl groups can be transferred back to free CoA-SH and further metabolised. In addition to the carnitine shuttle, yeast can also utilize the glyoxylate cycle for further metabolisation of in particular peroxisomally generated acetyl-CoA. This cycle results in the net production of succinate from two molecules of acetyl-CoA. This dicarboxylic acid can then enter the mitochondria for further metabolism. Partial disruption of the glyoxylate cycle, by deletion of the citrate synthase 2 (CIT2) gene, generates a yeast strain that is completely dependent on the activity of the carnitine shuttle and, as a consequence, on carnitine supplementation for growth on fatty acids and other non-fermentable carbon sources. In this study, we show that all three CATs are required for the function of the carnitine shuttle. Furthermore, overexpression of any of the three enzymes is unable to crosscomplement deletion of any one of the remaining two, suggesting a highly specific role for each CAT in the function of the shuttle. In addition, a role for carnitine that is independent of the carnitine shuttle is described. The data show that carnitine can influence the cellular response to oxidative stresses. Interestingly, carnitine supplementation has a protective effect against certain ROS generating oxidants, but detrimentally impacts cellular survival when combined with thiol modifying agents. Although carnitine is shown to behave like an antioxidant within a cellular context, the molecule is unable to scavenge free radicals. The protective and detrimental impacts are dependent on the general regulators of the cells protection against oxidative stress such as Yap1p and Skn7p. Furthermore, from the results of a microarray based screen, a role for the cytochrome c heme lyase (Cyc3p) in both the protective and detrimental effects of carnitine is described. The requirement of cytochrome c is suggestive of an involvement in apoptotic processes, a hypothesis that is supported by the analysis of the impact of carnitine on genome wide transcription levels. A separate aim of this project involved the cloning and expression in S. cerevisiae of the four genes encoding the enzymes from the eukaryotic carnitine biosynthesis pathway. The cloned genes, expressed from the constitutive PGK1 promoter, were sequentially integrated into the yeast genome, thereby reconstituting the pathway. The results of a plate based screen for carnitine production indicate that the engineered laboratory strains of S. cerevisiae are able to convert trimethyllysine to L-carnitine. This work forms the basis for a larger study that aims to generate carnitine producing industrial yeast strains, which could be used in commercial applications.
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    Maltotriose transport in yeast
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2007-12) Smit, Annel; Cordero Otero, Ricardo R.; Pretorius, Isak S.; Du Toit, Maret; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Agrisciences. Dept. of Viticulture and Oenology. Institute for Wine Biotechnology.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The conversion of sugar into ethanol and carbon dioxide is a process that has been intertwined with human culture and long as civilized man has existed. This fermentation process has been dominated by the micro-organism Saccharomyces cerevisiae and from providing ancient seafaring explorers of a non perishable beverage to equipping bakers with a raising agent to turn flour into bread; this organism with its fermentative potential, has formed an essential part of most societies. In more recent times, many industries still rely on this basic principle. The complexities and efficiencies of the conversion of sugar into its various fermentative byproducts have been studied and optimised extensively to meet the specific demands of industries. Depending on the raw material used as starting point, the major beneficiaries of the useful characteristics have been alcoholic beverage producers (wine, beer, and whiskey amongst others), bakers (bread leavening) and biofuel producers. One of the obstacles in fermentation optimisation is the sugar consumption preferences displayed by the organism used. S. cerevisiae can consume a wide variety of sugars. Depending on the complexities of its structures, it shows a preference for the simpler saccharides. The fermentation of certain more complex sugars is delayed and runs the risk of being left residually after fermentation. Many of the crops utilised in fermentation-based products contain large amounts of starch. During the starch degradation process many different forms of sugars are made available for fermentation. Improved fermentation of starch and its dextrin products would benefit the brewing, whiskey, and biofuel industries. Most strains of Saccharomyces ferment glucose and maltose, and partially ferment maltotriose, but are unable to utilise the larger dextrin products of starch. This utilisation pattern is partly attributed to the ability of yeast cells to transport the aforementioned mono-, di- and trisaccharides into the cytosol. The inefficiency of maltotriose transport has been identified as the main cause for residual maltotriose. The maltotriose transporting efficiency also varies between different Saccharomyces strains. By advancing the understanding of maltotriose transport in yeast, efforts can be made to minimise incomplete fermentation. This aim can be reached by investigating the existing transporters in the yeast cell membrane that show affinity for maltotriose. This study focuses on optimising maltotriose transport through the comparison of the alpha glucoside transporter obtained from different strains of Saccharomyces. Through specific genetic manipulations the areas important for maltotriose transport could be identified and characterised. This study offers prospects for the development of yeast strains with improved maltose and maltotriose uptake capabilities that, in turn, could increase the overall fermentation efficiencies in the beer, whiskey, and biofuel industries.
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    Strategies for the control of malolactic fermentation : characterisation of Pediocin PD-1 and the gene for the malolactic enzyme from Pediococcus damnosus NCFB 1832
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2004-12) Bauer, Rolene; Dicks, Leon Milner Theodore; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of AgriSciences. Dept. of Viticulture and Oenology. Institute for Wine Biotechnology.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Malolactic fermentation (MLF) is conducted by lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and entails the decarboxylation of L-malate to L-Iactate through a reaction catalysed by the malolactic enzyme (MLE). The consequence of this conversion is a decrease in total acidity. MLF plays a part in microbial stabilisation and due to the metabolic activity of the bacteria the organoleptic profile of the wine is modified. In some wines MLF is considered as spoilage, especially in warm viticultural regions with grapes containing less malic acid. In addition to undesirable organoleptic changes, MLF can alter wine colour, and biogenic amines may be produced. To induce MLF we provided s. cerevisiae with the enzymatic activities required for MLF, which is then conducted by the yeast during alcoholic fermentation. The malolactic enzyme-encoding gene (mieD) was cloned from Pediococcus damnosus NCFB 1832, characterised and expressed in S. cerevisiae. The activity of this enzyme was compared to two other malolactic genes, mieS from Lactococcus lactis MG1363 and mleA from Oenococcus oeni La11, expressed in the same yeast strain. All three recombinant strains of S. cerevisiae converted L-malate to L-Iactate in synthetic grape must, reaching L-malate concentrations of below 0.3 gIL within 3 days. However, a lower conversion rate and a significant lower final L-Iactate level were observed with the yeast expressing mieD. In order to inhibit MLF, we show that the growth of O. oeni, the main organism responsible for MLF, could be safely repressed with a ribosomaly synthesised antimicrobial peptide, pediocin PD-1, produced by P. damnosus NCFB 1832, without effecting yeast growth. Pediocin PD-1 is stable in wine at 4°C-100°C, and ethanol or S02 does not affect its activity. The peptide was purified to homogeneity and sequence analysis suggests that the peptide is a member of the lantibiotic family of bacteriocins. The molecular mass was estimated by mass spectroscopy to be 2866.7 ± 0.4 Da. Pediocin PD-1 forms pores in sensitive cells, as indicated by the efflux of K+ from O. oeni, combined with inhibition of cell wall biosynthesis, leading to cell lysis. Loss of cell K+was reduced at low temperatures, presumably as a result of the increased ordering of the lipid hydrocarbon chains in the cytoplasmic membrane. Although pediocin PD-1 is active over a broad pH range, optimal activity was recorded at pH 5.0. The petide is, however, more stable between pH 2.0 and 5.0, with the best stability observed between pH 3.0 and 4.0. Pediocin PD-1 provides a safer biological alternative than chemical preservatives such as S02.