Characterization and Role of Sterols in Saccharomyces cerevisiae during White Wine Alcoholic Fermentation

Giovana Girardi Piva (1) , Erick Casalta (1) , Jean-Luc Legras (1) , Catherine Tesnière (1) , Jean-Marie Sablayrolles (1) , David Ferreira (2) , Anne Ortiz-Julien (2) , Virginie Galeote (1) , Jean-Roch Mouret (1)

1 SPO - Sciences Pour l'Oenologie
2 Lallemand SAS

Responsible for plasma membrane structure maintenance in eukaryotic organisms, sterols are essential for yeast development. The role of two sterol sources in Saccharomyces cerevisiae during wine fermentation is highlighted in this review: ergosterol (yeast sterol produced by yeast cells under aerobic conditions) and phytosterols (plant sterols imported by yeast cells from grape musts in the absence of oxygen). These compounds are responsible for the maintenance of yeast cell viability during white wine fermentation under stress conditions, such as ethanol stress and sterol starvation, to avoid sluggish and stuck fermentations.

Mots clés: ergosterol; phytosterols; sterol starvation; wine yeast; yeast membrane; oenology

Domaines: Ingénierie des aliments; Biotechnologies

Giovana Girardi Piva, Erick Casalta, Jean-Luc Legras, Catherine Tesnière, Jean-Marie Sablayrolles, et al.. Characterization and Role of Sterols in Saccharomyces cerevisiae during White Wine Alcoholic Fermentation. Fermentation, 2022, 8, ⟨10.3390/fermentation8020090⟩. ⟨hal-03661693⟩