A genomic search approach to identify esterases in Propionibacterium freudenreichii involved in the formation of flavour in Emmental cheese

Julien Dherbecourt (1) , Hélène Falentin (1) , Stéphane Canaan (2) , Anne Thierry (1)

1 STLO - Science et Technologie du Lait et de l'Oeuf
2 EIPL - Laboratoire Enzymologie Interfaciale et de Physiologie de la Lipolyse - UPR9025

Background: Lipolysis is an important process of cheese ripening that contributes to the formation of flavour. Propionibacterium freudenreichii is the main agent of lipolysis in Emmental cheese; however, the enzymes involved produced by this species have not yet been identified. Lipolysis is performed by esterases (carboxylic ester hydrolases, EC 3.1.1.-) which are able to hydrolyse acylglycerols bearing short, medium and long chain fatty acids. The genome sequence of P. freudenreichii type strain CIP103027T was recently obtained in our laboratory. The aim of this study was to identify as exhaustively as possible the potential esterases in P. freudenreichii that could be involved in the hydrolysis of acylglycerols in Emmental cheese. The proteins identified were produced in a soluble and active form by heterologous expression in Escherichia coli for further study their activity and specificity of hydrolysed substrates.

Mots clés: PROPIONIBACTERIUM FREUDENREICHII; EMMENTAL; CHEESE; GENOMIC; ESTERASES; GENOMIQUE; propionic acid bacteria; bacterium; flavour

Mots clés: bactérie propionique; bactérie; fromage; flaveur

Domaines: Microbiologie et Parasitologie

Julien Dherbecourt, Hélène Falentin, Stéphane Canaan, Anne Thierry. A genomic search approach to identify esterases in Propionibacterium freudenreichii involved in the formation of flavour in Emmental cheese. Microbial Cell Factories, 2008, 7, pp.1-14. ⟨10.1186/1475-2859-7-16⟩. ⟨hal-01454100⟩