Testing grapes and wines for naturally occurring mutagenic compounds: A Review

Some phenolics, esters, nitro-compounds and mold metabolites that have been shown to be mutagenic or carcinogenic have been detected in musts and wines. The Jow concentrations of these compounds in musts and wines are similar to those found in other fruit juices and fermented products. The occurrence, physiology, dose-response significance and methods for mutagenicity and carcinogenicity screening of musts and wines are discussed

Improved techniques for study of caratenoid intermediates

Improved techniques for study of caratenoid intermediate

Mite control for Neurospora lobs

Mite contro

Some Studies on Loci Associated with Carotenogenesis in Neurospora crassa

This thesis proposed to analyse the recombination, complementation and biosynthetic implications of a series of hitherto unstudied carotenoidless mutant strains of Neurospora crassa and to confirm the reports of previous authors through analysis of a number of their mutant strains. A new selective technique permitted the fine structure analysis of the locus. Complementation studies with an extensive range of mutants including several recently discovered phenotypes permitted the resolution of new cistronic limits within the locus. A speculative model of the gene products was proposed to embrace the recombination, complementation and biochemical paradigms.ThesisDoctor of Philosophy (PhD

Association between Grape Yeast Communities and the Vineyard Ecosystems

The grape yeast biota from several wine-producing areas, with distinct soil types and grapevine training systems, was assessed on five islands of Azores Archipelago, and differences in yeast communities composition associated with the geographic origin of the grapes were explored. Fifty-seven grape samples belonging to the Vitis vinifera grapevine cultivars Verdelho dos Acores (Verdelho), Arinto da Terceira (Arinto) and Terrantez do Pico (Terrantez) were collected in two consecutive years and 40 spontaneous fermentations were achieved. A total of 1710 yeast isolates were obtained from freshly crushed grapes and 1200 from final stage of fermentations. Twenty-eight species were identified, Hanseniaspura uvarum, Pichia terricola and Metschnikowia pulcherrima being the three most representative species isolated. Candida carpophila was encountered for the first time as an inhabitant of grape or wine-associated environments. In both sampling years, a higher proportion of H. uvarum in fresh grapes from Verdelho cultivar was observed, in comparison with Arinto cultivar. Qualitatively significant differences were found among yeast communities from several locations on five islands of the Archipelago, particularly in locations with distinctive agro-ecological compositions. Our results are in agreement with the statement that grape-associated microbial biogeography is non-randomly associated with interactions of climate, soil, cultivar, and vine training systems in vineyard ecosystems. Our observations strongly support a possible linkage between grape yeast and wine typicality, reinforcing the statement that different viti-cultural terroirs harbor distinctive yeast biota, in particular in vineyards with very distinctive environmental conditions.Joao Drumonde Neves is the recipient of a fellowship of the Azorean Government (M321/006/F/2008) and PROEMPREGO. This work was supported by the strategic programme UID/BIA/04050/2013 (POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007569) funded by national funds through the FCT I.P. and by the ERDF through the COMPETE2020 - Programa Operacional Competitividade e Internacionalizacao (POCI), and by national funds through FCT by the projects FCOMP-01-0124-008775, PTDC/AGR-ALI/103392/2008 and PTDC/AGR-ALI/121062/2010.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Polyene antibiotic affinities for the sterols of resistant and sensitive strains of <i>Neurospora crassa</i>

Ergosterol, the principle sterol of many wild-type Neurospora and other Ascomycetes, had a greater affinity for polyene antibiotics than did lichesterol or eburicol, the sterols of some resistant mutant strains. The affinity was demonstrated by comparing the sterols extracted from sensitive and resistant strains of Neurospora crassa and Candida albicans for protection against polyene inhibition of sensitive N. crassa and for their ability to alter specific polyene absorption maxima. </jats:p

Malate transport in Schizosaccharomyces pombe.

The transport of malate was studied in a Schizosaccharomyces pombe wild-type strain and in mutant strains unable to utilize malic acid. Two groups of such mutants, i.e., malic enzyme-deficient and malate transport-defective mutants, were differentiated by a 14C-labeled L-malate transport assay and by starch gel electrophoresis followed by activity staining for malic enzyme (malate dehydrogenase [oxaloacetate decarboxylating] [NAD+]; 1.1.1.38) and malate dehydrogenase (1.1.1.37). Transport of malate in S. pombe was constitutive and strongly inhibited by inhibitors of oxidative phosphorylation and of the formulation of proton gradients. Transport was a saturable function of the malate concentration. The apparent Km and Vmax values for transport by the parent were 3.7 mM and 40 nmol/min per mg of protein, respectively, while those of the malic enzyme-deficient mutant were 5.7 mM and 33 nmol/min per mg of protein, respectively. Malate transport was pH and temperature dependent. The specificity of transport was studied with various substrates, including mono- and dicarboxylic acids, and the possibility of a common transport system for dicarboxylic acids is discussed

Isolation and characterization of <i>Schizosaccharomyces pombe</i> mutants with defective NAD-dependent malic enzyme

To obtain NAD-dependent malic enzyme mutants of Schizosaccharomyces pombe, a colony color indicator screening system was developed. Mutants defective for malic acid utilization (mau mutants) are yellow, while wild-type colonies are blue on the defined bromcresol green based indicator medium. NAD-dependent malic enzyme mutants were distinguished from other mau mutants by subsequent, starch gel electrophoresis, spectrophotometry, complementation tests, and intermediate pool analysis with cell-free extracts. </jats:p