Use of a polymerase chain reaction for specific detection of the malolactic fermentation bacterium Oenococcus oeni (formerly Leuconostoc oenos) in grape juice and wine samples

A PCR method has been developed that enables rapid and direct identification of the malolactic bacterium Oenococcus oeni from grape must or wine samples. Two primers, based on unique, highly conserved regions within the 16S rRNA gene of O. oeni , were used to amplify a 995 bp fragment which is specific for O. oeni . Other species of bacteria from Lactobacillus, Pediococcus and Acetobacter which may be found in grape must or wine were not detected using this technique. This diagnostic test is able to specifically detect in the order of 10³colony forming units per mL of O. oeni in a wine sample, and can be used for monitoring bacterial growth during malolactic fermentation.     

中国葡萄酒产区酒酒球菌种质资源遗传多样性分析

为了解我国葡萄酒产区酒酒球菌种质资源遗传多样性,对22 株筛选自我国不同葡萄酒产区的乳酸细菌进行了种特异性聚合酶链式反应（species-specific polymerase chain reaction,PCR）分析、16S rRNA序列分析和扩增片段长度多态性分析（amplified fragment length polymorphism,AFLP）基因分型。种特异性PCR和16S rRNA序列分析表明22 株分离株为酒酒球菌（Oenococcus oeni）。建立了O. oeni基于HindⅢ和MseⅠ为内切酶的AFLP分析体系,对16 对引物组合进行了筛选,结果表明HT-MA、HT-MT、HT-MC、HG-MA、HG-MT、HC-MT为O. oeni AFLP分析的最佳引物组合,且实验重复性在98%以上。对O. oeni的AFLP分析结果显示：22 株O. oeni分为3 个簇群,且簇群间遗传相似性系数较小。所以,以HindⅢ和MseⅠ为内切酶的AFLP技术是研究O. oeni基因分型的有效方法,我国葡萄酒产区的O. oeni具有丰富的遗传多样性,O. oeni菌株间的遗传相似性系数不仅仅与其生态地理分布有关,可能还与其所处的微生态和其他因素有关。     

Genotyping by Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism and malate metabolism performances of indigenous Oenococcus oeni strains isolated from Primitivo wine

The Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism (AFLP) technique was applied for the first time to investigate the genotyping of Oenococcus oeni, the most important species involved in malolactic fermentation (MLF) in wine. A total of 87 out of 220 lactic acid bacteria, isolates from "Primitivo" wine (Apulia, Italy) undergoing MLF, identified as O. oeni by species-specific PCR and 16S rRNA sequence analysis, were studied by AFLP analysis. Four main clusters were distinguished and three of them showed intraspecific homology higher than 60%. A total of 28 strains, representative of AFLP clusters, were tested for malate metabolism in order to gain information on their malolactic performances. Significant differences were observed among strains for malic acid consumed, biomass produced and specific malic acid consumption rate. These findings indicated that AFLP technique is reliable for typing O. oeni strains and that, together with metabolism studies it may be used to individuate possible candidates as industrial malolactic starters.     

Identification of lactic acid bacteria isolated from South African brandy base wines

In brandy base wines, no sulphur dioxide is used and it therefore is ideal for the proliferation of lactic acid bacteria. As part of an extensive taxonomic survey within the ecological framework of South African vineyards and wineries, and the influence of naturally occurring lactic acid bacteria on the quality of wine and brandy, a total of 54 strains were isolated from grape juice and at different stages of brandy base wine production. The strains were identified using numerical analysis of total soluble cell protein patterns, 16S rRNA sequence analyses and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using species-specific primers. The predominant species was Oenococcus oeni (22 strains), but Lactobacillus brevis (8 strains), Lactobacillus paracasei (8 strains) and Lactobacillus plantarum (6 strains) were also isolated frequently. Many of the O. oeni strains were isolated from brandy base wines after completion of spontaneous malolactic fermentation (MLF). The Lactobacillus spp. were isolated from all the different stages of brandy base wine production. Lb. plantarum was the dominant species in the juice, but disappeared during the later stages of production. However, Lactobacillus hilgardii, Lb. brevis and Lb. paracasei were also isolated from base wine after spontaneous MLF. Strains identified as Lactobacillus vermiforme were isolated during the alcoholic fermentation and after MLF have been completed. Total soluble cell protein patterns grouped O. oeni strains into two phenotypic groups. Two phenotypic clusters have also been identified for the Lb. brevis isolates. The Lb. paracasei isolates all grouped in one cluster. This is the first report of the presence of Lb. paracasei and Lb. vermiforme in brandy base wines. The presence of the Lactobacillus spp. could be correlated to the decrease in quality of the base wine and distillate, while O. oeni strains were found to have a more favourable influence on the quality of base wine and distillates. These results shed some light on the ecology and oenological influence of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) on the quality of South African brandy.     

Does Oenococcus oeni produce histamine?

The presence of histamine in wine and other fermented foods may pose a toxicological risk for consumers. Production of histamine by Oenococcus oeni, which is the main agent of malolactic fermentation in wine and thus very important for the wine industry, has been extensively analyzed with contradictory results. If histamine production by O. oeni strains is a widespread trait, enological practices will be affected and the use of non-producing commercial O. oeni starters should be strongly recommended to avoid histamine production during winemaking. However, a review of published data showed that most evidence strongly supports the view that O. oeni is not responsible for histamine production in wine. We therefore propose the adoption of common analytical methods and the introduction of publicly-available validated histamine-producing O. oeni reference strains as a common positive control in assays to resolve this important issue.     

Inhibition of malolactic fermentation by Saccharomyces during alcoholic fermentation under low- and high-nitrogen conditions: a study in synthetic media

The ability of different wine yeast ( Saccharomyces cerevisiae ) to inhibit malolactic bacteria ( Oenococcus oeni ) and the influence of nitrogen were studied using a synthetic grape juice. Malolactic fermentation was induced in fermenting synthetic grape juice or synthetic wines inoculated with different commercial strains of S. cerevisiae. O. oeni was generally inhibited in wines that contained higher concentrations of total SO₂ although many yeast strains only inhibited the bacteria during fermentation under high nitrogen conditions. Yeast produced higher amounts of SO₂ during fermentation under high nitrogen conditions suggesting that nitrogen affected the malolactic fermentation by influencing yeast SO₂ production. However, the production of SO₂ by yeast did not always account for the inhibition of O. oeni , suggesting the presence of other inhibitory mechanisms.     

Inhibition of malolactic fermentation by a peptide produced by Saccharomyces cerevisiae during alcoholic fermentation

The ability of Saccharomyces to inhibit Oenococcus oeni during the alcoholic fermentation by mechanisms other than SO(2) production was investigated. During fermentation in synthetic grape juice, S. cerevisiae strain RUBY.ferm inhibited the malolactic fermentation by O. oeni while strain EC1118 did not despite both strains producing similar amounts of SO(2). The bacterial inhibition exerted by RUBY.ferm was diminished when the wine was treated with proteases but not through the addition of nutrients. Wine fermented by RUBY.ferm was fractionated based on molecular weight and each fraction tested for the ability to inhibit the growth of O. oeni. The fraction containing compounds larger than 3 kDa was the sole inhibitory fraction. The inhibitory fraction was analyzed by SDS PAGE and showed a 5.9 kDa protein band present in wine fermented by RUBY.ferm that was not present in wine fermented by a non-antagonistic yeast, S. cerevisiae strain Saint Georges S101. The ability of the peptide to inhibit O. oeni seemed to be dependent on the presence of SO(2).     

Exploration of phenomena contributing to the diversity of Oenococcus oeni exopolysaccharides

Many food-grade bacteria produce exopolysaccharides (EPS) that may modify the food texture or affect their survival rate during food processing. This is the case of O. oeni, a bacterial species who drives malolactic fermentation in wine. The five strains analyzed in the present study all display both isolated genes dedicated to homopolysaccharide synthesis and gene clusters potentially associated with heteropolysaccharide synthesis. The number of isolated glycosyltransferase gene present and the gene composition of one of the operons change from one strain to the other. The soluble EPS yields and the EPS monomer composition vary depending on the strain and or the medium composition. O. oeni appears as a bacterium able to synthesize both homo and heteropolysaccharides. This unique property has rarely been described. Moreover, the abundance of the genetic determinants associated with EPS metabolism suggests that it is very important for the adaptation of the bacteria to wine.     

酒类酒球菌β-葡萄糖苷酶研究进展

酒类酒球菌（Oenococcus oeni）是葡萄酒苹果酸乳酸发酵（MLF）中的主要微生物,糖苷物质是葡萄酒中的重要香气前体物,β-葡萄糖苷酶是降解糖苷物质的关键酶。酒类酒球菌β-葡萄糖苷酶对增加葡萄酒香气,提升葡萄酒整体品质具有重要作用。该文介绍了β-葡萄糖苷酶的定义、分类、作用机制和测定方法,阐述了酒类酒球菌β-葡萄糖苷酶活,探讨了pH值、发酵温度、乙醇浓度、糖含量和二氧化硫含量对酶活的影响,在分子生物学水平上研究了酒类酒球菌β-葡萄糖苷酶基因,并对酒类酒球菌葡萄糖苷酶未来的研究热点和研究方向进行了展望。这对深入认识葡萄酒生物增香机理和提高葡萄酒整体品质具有重要意义。     

A new approach for selection of Oenococcus oeni strains in order to produce malolactic starters

The lactic acid bacterium Oenococcus oeni, mainly responsible for malolactic fermentation (MLF), is used in new winery process as starter culture for direct inoculation. The difficulty to master MLF according to the wine led us to search a new approach to select effective O. oeni strains. Biochemical and molecular tests were performed in order to characterize three strains of O. oeni selected for malolactic starter elaboration. Malolactic and ATPase activities that appeared as a great interest in MLF were measured and the expression of a small heat shock protein Lo18 was evaluated by immunoblotting and real-time PCR. These results were correlated with the performances of strains in two red wines. Physiological and molecular characteristics of the three strains showed significant differences for the global malolactic activity on intact cell at pH 3.0 and at the level of induction of the small heat shock protein Lo18. These two parameters appeared of interest to evaluate in the ability of O. oeni strains to survive into wine after direct inoculation and to perform MLF. Indeed, a tested strain that presented the highest malolactic activity on intact cells at pH 3.0 and a high level of Lo18 induction showed a high growth rate and a high specific kinetic of malate consumption. The techniques used in this work carry out more quickly and more reliable than usual for the selection of effective strains intended for direct inoculation in wines.     

The effects of freezing and freeze-drying of Oenococcus oeni upon induction of malolactic fermentation in red wine

Summary The use of Oenococcus oeni starter cultures for the induction of malolactic fermentation (MLF) in wine permits control over the timing of the process and the quality of the wine. Successful inoculation of bacterial starter cultures into wine depends on the selection of suitable strains and on the preparation and conservation of those cultures. Medium for Leuconostoc oenos (MLO) is the best medium for easy and rapid growth of O. oeni cultures under laboratory controlled conditions for isolation and identification. However, this study showed that O. oeni cells inoculated in MLO failed to induce MLF in wine while cells grown in Medium of Preculture (MP) or wine, stored at −20 °C or freeze-dried retained the ability to induce MLF when inoculated in wine. Our results suggest that the use of freeze-dried cultures of O. oeni previously grown in MP is the best choice for industrial application.     

Molecular cloning, heterologous expression, and characterization of Ornithine decarboxylase from Oenococcus oeni

Ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) is responsible for the production of putrescine, the major biogenic amine found in wine. Oenococcus oeni is the most important lactic acid bacterium in the winemaking process and is involved in malolactic fermentation. We report here the characterization of ODC from an O. oeni strain isolated from wine. Screening of 263 strains isolated from wine and cider from all over the world revealed that the presence of the odc gene appears to be strain specific in O. oeni. After cloning, heterologous expression in Escherichia coli, and characterization, the enzyme was found to have a molecular mass of 85 kDa and a pI of 6.2 and revealed maximal activity at pH 5.5 and an optimum temperature of 35°C. Kinetic studies showed that O. oeni ODC is specific for L-ornithine with a K(m) value of 1 mM and a V(max) of 0.57 U·mg(-1). The hypothesis that cadaverine, which results from lysine decarboxylation, may be linked to putrescine production is not valid since O. oeni ODC cannot decarboxylate L-lysine. As no lysine decarboxylase was detected in any of the O. oeni genomes sequenced, cadaverine synthesis may result from another metabolic pathway. This work is the first characterization of an ODC from a lactic acid bacterium isolated from a fermented product.     

Saccharomyces cerevisiae-Oenococcus oeni interactions in wine: current knowledge and perspectives

Winemaking can be summarized as the biotransformation of must into wine, which is performed principally by Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains during the primary or alcoholic fermentation. A secondary fermentation, the so-called malolactic fermentation (MLF) is a biodeacidification that is often encouraged, since it improves wine stability and quality. Malolactic fermentation usually occurs either spontaneously or after inoculation with selected bacteria after alcoholic fermentation. The main organism responsible for MLF, the lactic acid bacterium Oenococcus oeni, develops in physicochemically harsh conditions, which may lead to MLF failure. Furthermore, yeast that ferment must before or together with O. oeni can prevent or stimulate the progress of MLF. These phenomena are part of the interactions observed between yeast and bacteria. The mechanisms that govern yeast bacteria interaction are reviewed and the consequences for winemaking are discussed. In the light of recent advances, future prospects are also presented.     

苹果酒苹果酸乳酸发酵乳酸菌的筛选

首先根据乳酸菌对苹果酒风味的贡献情况筛选出 3株乳酸菌 ,再从微生物角度对乳酸菌的生理特征以及环境因素对乳酸菌生长的影响进行了研究和比较 ,发现OenococcusoeniL4能够在SO2 和乙醇体积分数分别为 5 0mg/L和 6% ,pH 3 .2时良好的生长 ;该菌具有良好的苹果酸降解能力 ,达到 2 2 8 5 2mg/(L·d) ,表明O oeniL4能够适应于我国起泡苹果酒的酿造 ,是 1株优良的苹果酒苹果酸乳酸发酵菌株。     

Characterization and amino acid metabolism performances of indigenous Oenococcus oeni isolated from Chinese wines

Oenococcus oeni is a multiple physical stress-tolerant lactic acid bacterium that plays an important role in wine making. It is often added as a starter culture to carry out malolactic fermentation (MLF). In this study, a total of 22 out of 127 lactic acid bacteria, isolated from Chinese wines undergoing MLF, were identified as O. oeni by species-specific PCR and 16S rRNA sequencing. Single-enzyme amplified fragment length polymorphism (SE-AFLP) analysis showed that all strains could be typed under these conditions, and three main groups were determined by cluster analysis, which showed intraspecific homology higher than 69 %. Eight strains, representative of SE-AFLP clusters, were tested for malolactic activity. Significant differences were observed among strains with regard to the amount of malic acid consumed. Seventeen amino acids in different wines that were inoculated by 4 O. oeni strains, respectively, were analyzed before and after MLF. The results indicated that the amino acid metabolism of the 4 strains was significantly different between each strain.     

Potential formation of ethyl carbamate in simulated wine inoculated with Oenococcus oeni and Lactobacillus plantarum

The production of ethyl carbamate (EC) and its precursor citrulline by two strains of Oenococcus oeni and one of Lactobacillus plantarum during malolactic fermentation (MLF) was studied in different conditions of pH, temperature, and ethanol and l -malic acid concentrations. The potential EC, defined as the concentration of EC after wine is heated at 80 °C for 48 h, was also investigated. The O. oeni strains were able to degrade arginine in the conditions studied and to excrete some citrulline. In these strains, the conditions that led to a slight increase in EC were a high ethanol concentration, low pH and a high l -malic acid concentration. However, the potential EC increased with higher pH. In the case of L. plantarum , arginine was not degraded and citrulline was not produced, although the potential EC was comparable with that of the O. oeni strains studied.     

Yeast viability during fermentation and sur lie ageing of a defined medium and subsequent growth of Oenococcus oeni

Interactions between the yeast strain used for primary oenological fermentation and the bacterium used to conduct subsequent malolactic fermentation were studied under model winemaking conditions. A commercial Saccharomyces cerevisiae wine yeast (strains, EC 1118, AWRI 835 and CY-3079) was grown in a defined medium whose composition approximated grape juice. Fermentations by all strains reached dryness, and retained a cell viability of greater than 90% upon completion of fermentation. Highest total viable cell number and percentage of viable cells were recorded for EC 1118. A sur lie ageing of the fermented medium over a 12 week period revealed a bi-phasic decay of culture viability for all strains. Thus 99% of cells had died within 2 weeks post-fermentation. Viabilities were then stable for the subsequent 4–6 week period before a second decline phase ensued and ended in either a minimal ( ca 100 CFU/mL, EC 1118) or no viable cells being detected at 12 weeks of ageing. The growth response of an Oenococcus oeni inoculum to yeast culture supernatants, previously aged for up to 12 weeks in the presence or absence of yeast lees, was evaluated in a bio-assay. In this way, yeast strains could be designated as being either inhibitory, neutral or stimulatory to the growth of O. oeni (strain Lc5p). Inhibition by supernatants of strain EC 1118 was evident, but found to be reduced by ageing the supernatant (with or without lees). Conversely, longer ageing on yeast lees increased the magnitude of the stimulatory response in O. oeni (strain Lc5p) to the supernatant from the wine yeast (strain CY-3079).     

Biogenic amine production by Oenococcus oeni during malolactic fermentation of wines obtained using different strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Twenty-six wild Oenococcus oeni strains were investigated for their ability to form biogenic amines during malolactic fermentation in synthetic medium and in wine. Eight strains produced histamine and tyramine in screening broth at concentrations of 2.6-5.6 mg/L and 1.2-5.3 mg/L, respectively. Based on their ability to form biogenic amines, five strains were selected to inoculate three wines obtained by the fermentation of three different Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains (A, B, and C). All bacterial strains could perform malolactic fermentation for short periods in wine C, whereas only one strain performed complete malolactic fermentation in wines A and B. Two O. oeni strains (261 and 351) produced histamine and tyramine in wine C. Time-course analysis of these compounds showed that for both strains, histamine and tyramine production began at day 10 and finished on day 25, after the end of malolactic fermentation. These results indicate that the ability of O. oeni to produce histamine and tyramine is dependent on the bacterial strain and on the wine composition, which in turn depends on the yeast strain used for fermentation, and on the length of bacteria-yeast contact time after the completion of malolactic fermentation.     

不同酒类酒球菌苹果酸—乳酸发酵对葡萄酒中氨基酸的影响

不同酒类酒球菌茵株完成MLF后,葡萄酒中氨基酸均发生显著变化:种类增多,诸多氨基酸含量提高。SD-2a发酵酒样中的丙氨酸和谷氨酸、SD-1b发酵酒样中甘氨酸、丝氨酸和脯氨酸、SD-2h酒样中谷氨酸、甘氨酸、丝氨酸、脯氨酸含量明显增加;含量呈极显著增加的氨基酸为:在SD-2h发酵酒样中的丙氨酸、在SD-1b发酵酒样中的丙氨酸、缬氨酸和谷氨酸;对照菌株31DH发酵酒样中各种氨基酸的增减没有达到显著水平。葡萄酒学院分离筛选的3个菌株发酵酒样中的精氨酸含量增加,而对照菌株31DH则有所降低。因此,3个菌株代谢特性良好,在葡萄酒中不会导致致癌物质——氨基甲酸乙酯的前体物脲、瓜氨酸等的过多合成。鉴于各种氨基酸独特的生化和生理特性,3株酒类酒球菌菌株完成MLF后,氨基酸种类、含量的增加可以提高葡萄酒的营养价值和保健功能。     

酒酒球菌（Oenococcus oeni）耐酸突变株苹果酸-乳酸发酵能力分析

目的：研究酒酒球菌（Oenococcus oeni）耐酸突变菌株的抗胁迫能力和苹果酸-乳酸发酵能力,为耐酸突变菌株开发为商业发酵剂提供参考。方法：以采用离子注入诱变,分离纯化后筛选出耐酸突变菌株b1为研究对象,酒酒球菌SX-1b和商业菌株31-DH为对照,探究单因素胁迫环境、复合因素胁迫条件及模拟酒环境对菌株b1生长能力、L-苹果酸降解速率和β-葡萄糖苷酶活性的影响,评价菌株b1的苹果酸-乳酸发酵能力。结果：单因素试验结果显示,当pH?3.0、乙醇体积分数14%、L-苹果酸质量浓度3?g/L时,菌株b1的L-苹果酸降解速率和β-葡萄糖苷酶活性均高于其余菌株;正交试验进一步确定各因素对菌株生长能力、L-苹果酸降解速率和β-葡萄糖苷酶活性的影响程度为：pH值＞乙醇体积分数＞L-苹果酸质量浓度;当模拟酒的乙醇体积分数为14%时,菌株b1的累积L-苹果酸降解量为1.493?2?g/L,分别为SX-1b与31-DH的1.41?倍和1.26?倍,且菌株b1的β-葡萄糖苷酶活性最高。结论：耐酸突变菌株b1表现出良好抗胁迫能力和苹果酸-乳酸发酵能力。因此,菌株?b1具有成为商业发酵剂的潜能。