title: PGU1 gene natural deletion is responsible for the absence of endo-polygalacturonase activity in some wine strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
abstract: The PGU1 gene encodes an endo-polygalacturonase enzyme in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The literature reports that most S. cerevisiae strains possess this gene, despite a wide range of enzyme activity levels. Nevertheless, a few wine strains lack the PGU1 gene. We investigated the PGU1 locus sequence in these strains. The results indicated that the gene had been replaced by a partial Ty mobile element, whereas the gene promoter was still at the expected location. As all the strains lacking the PGU1 gene experienced the same phenomenon, it was tempting to hypothesize a common phylogenetic origin. However, fingerprints only allowed grouping of a few of them within one cluster.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Wine Biotechnology, Stellenbosch University, Matieland, South Africa.
authors.forename: Benoit
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Divol
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: van Rensburg
mesh_terms: D016000:Cluster Analysis; D016172:DNA Fingerprinting; D004271:DNA, Fungal / Q000235:genetics; D020071:Interspersed Repetitive Sequences; D010802:Phylogeny; D011096:Polygalacturonase / Q000235:genetics*; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D011995:Recombination, Genetic; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000145:classification / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D014920:Wine / Q000382:microbiology*
chemical_list: D004271:DNA, Fungal; C493097:PGU1 protein, S cerevisiae; D011096:Polygalacturonase