Exploring future applications of the apiculate yeast Hanseniaspora

Abstract

As a metaphor, lemons get a bad rap; however the proverb ‘if life gives you lemons, make lemonade’ is often used in a motivational context. The same could be said of Hanseniaspora in winemaking. Despite its predominance in vineyards and grape must, this lemon-shaped yeast is underappreciated in terms of its contribution to the overall sensory profile of fine wine. Species belonging to this apiculate yeast are known for being common isolates not just on grape berries, but on many other fruits. They play a critical role in the early stages of a fermentation and can influence the quality of the final product. Their deliberate addition within mixed-culture fermentations shows promise in adding to the complexity of a wine and thus provide sensorial benefits. Hanseniaspora species are also key participants in the fermentations of a variety of other foodstuffs ranging from chocolate to apple cider. Outside of their role in fermentation, Hanseniaspora species have attractive biotechnological possibilities as revealed through studies on biocontrol potential, use as a whole-cell biocatalyst and important interactions with Drosophila flies. The growing amount of ‘omics data on Hanseniaspora is revealing interesting features of the genus that sets it apart from the other Ascomycetes. This review collates the fields of research conducted on this apiculate yeast genus.

Keywords:

• Hanseniaspora
• fermentation
• wine
• biocontrol
• whole-cell biocatalyst
• aroma
• Drosophila

Acknowledgements

The authors thank Geisenheim University and Macquarie University for co-funding of the research fellowship of N.V.W. I.S.P. is a team member of the Macquarie-led national Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology funded by the Australian Government thorough its agency, the Australian Research Council. The authors thank the Hessen State Ministry of Higher Education, Research and the Arts for the financial support within the Hessen initiative for scientific and economic excellence (LOEWE) in the framework of AROMAplus (https://www.hs-geisenheim.de/aromaplus/).

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was jointly funded by Geisenheim University and Macquarie University.