0000000000452445
AUTHOR
María Teresa Fernández-espinar
Molecular evolution in yeast of biotechnological interest
The importance of yeast in the food and beverage industries was only realized about 1860, when the role of these organisms in food manufacture became evident. Since they grow on a wide range of substrates and can tolerate extreme physicochemical conditions, yeasts, especially the genera Saccharomyces and Kluyveromyces, have been applied to many industrial processes, Industrial strains of these genera are highly specialized organisms that have evolved to utilize a range of environments and ecological niches to their full potential. This adaptation is called "domestication". This review describes the phylogenetic relationships among Saccharomyces and Kluyveromyces species and the different me…
Evaluation of the Ability of Polyphenol Extracts of Cocoa and Red Grape to Promote the Antioxidant Response in Yeast Using a Rapid Multiwell Assay
Saccharomyces cerevisiae has been used as a model organism to study the capacity of cocoa and red grape extracts to trigger an antioxidant response. A methodology adapted to microtiter plates has been developed to monitor yeast growth after culture preincubation with food ingredients and exposure to oxidative stress by hydrogen peroxide and menadione. This methodology proved effective in measuring the ability of cocoa and red grape extracts to promote an antioxidant response in yeast, and also the prospect of conducting dose-response studies. Additionally, the method has proven useful to perform studies with mutant strains lacking genes that may be related to the mechanism of action underly…
Quinoa wet-milling: Effect of steeping conditions on starch recovery and quality
Cereal starches play an important role in the food and non-food industries because of their low cost, availability, and ability to impart a wide range of techno-functional properties. The main objective of this research was to isolate starch, germ, protein, and fiber components from quinoa by a wet-milling procedure. The effect of steeping time and temperature on starch recovery and its quality was investigated. The quinoa steeping conditions, such as time (1, 5, and 9 h) and temperature (30, 40, and 50 °C), in SO2 solution with lactic acid were investigated using a 32 factorial design in order to optimize the starch separation and its quality. The effect of steeping conditions on starch wa…
Differences in activation of MAP kinases and variability in the polyglutamine tract of Slt2 in clinical and non-clinical isolates of Saccharomyces cerevisiae
The concept of Saccharomyces cerevisiae as an emerging opportunistic pathogen is relatively new and it is due to an increasing number of human infections during the past 20 years. There are still few studies addressing the mechanisms of infection of this yeast species. Moreover, little is known about how S. cerevisiae cells sense and respond to the harsh conditions imposed by the host, and whether this response is different between clinical isolates and non-pathogenic strains. In this regard, mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways constitute one of the major mechanisms for controlling transcriptional responses and, in some cases, virulence in fungi. Here we show differences among …
Proteomic Analysis of Saccharomyces cerevisiae Response to Oxidative Stress Mediated by Cocoa Polyphenols Extract
The present study addressed the protective effects against oxidative stress (OS) of a cocoa powder extract (CPEX) on the protein expression profile of S. cerevisiae. A proteomic analysis was performed after culture preincubation with CPEX either without stress (&minus