CONSTRUCTION OF A RECOMBINANT WINE YEAST-STRAIN EXPRESSING A FUNGAL PECTATE LYASE GENE

A gene fusion between the Saccharomyces cerevisiae actin gene promoter and the cDNA of the Fusarium solani f. sp. pisi pelA gene has been constructed. This expression cassette has been introduced into the industrial wine yeast strain T-73. The resulting recombinant strain is able to secrete active PELA enzyme into the culture medium. In preliminary microvinification experiments the wine produced by this pectinolytic strain is indistinguishable from wine produced using the non-transformed strain on the basis of the chemical analyses. Large scale fermentations need to be carried out in order to assess the effects on filtrability.