Survival of inoculated Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain on wine grapes during two vintages.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the influence of a specific ecological niche, the wine grape, on the survival and development of Saccharomyces cerevisiae.


RESULTS
A strain with a rare phenotype was sprayed onto the grape surfaces and monitored through two vintages using a specific indicative medium and analysing the internal transcribed spacer regions in the 5.8S rDNA. During the ripening process, there was a progressive colonization of the surface of the undamaged and damaged grapes by epiphytic yeasts, up to the time of harvest. The damaged wine grapes showed a much greater epiphytic yeast population. However, the inoculated S. cerevisiae strain showed a scarce persistence on both undamaged and damaged wine grapes, and the damaged grapes did not appear to improve the grape surface colonization of this strain.


CONCLUSIONS
Results indicated that wine grape is not a favourable ecological niche for the development and colonization of S. cerevisiae species.


CONCLUSIONS
Results of this work are further evidence that S. cerevisiae is not specifically associated with natural environments such as damaged and undamaged wine grapes.
Dipartimento di Scienze degli Alimenti, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Ancona, Italy.
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Ciani
D021903:DNA, Ribosomal Spacer; D017753:Ecosystem; D005516:Food Microbiology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012331:RNA, Fungal / Q000235:genetics; D012340:RNA, Ribosomal, 5.8S / Q000235:genetics; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development*; D027843:Vitis / Q000382:microbiology*; D014920:Wine / Q000382:microbiology*
D021903:DNA, Ribosomal Spacer; D012331:RNA, Fungal; D012340:RNA, Ribosomal, 5.8S