Real-time PCR assay for detection and enumeration of Hanseniaspora species from wine and juice

Abstract

Hanseniaspora species (anamorph Kloeckera sp.) are common yeast constituents on grapes and often dominate in the early stages of wine fermentations. Growth of Hanseniaspora sp. in must has been linked to changes in sensory attributes of wine and is proposed as a factor in stuck and sluggish fermentations. A real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay was developed to rapidly profile Hanseniaspora sp. populations. The assay allows direct enumeration of Hanseniaspora sp. populations in either must or wine and is not impacted by high concentrations of Saccharomyces cerevisiae DNA. The development of this assay will enable high throughput surveys of must samples to better explore the relationship between early Hanseniaspora sp. populations and the ensuing wine fermentation or sensory changes. Copyright © 2007 by the American Society for Enology and Viticulture. All rights reserved.