Debaryomyces hansenii is traditionally described as a halotolerant non-conventional yeast and has served as a model organism for the study of osmotolerance and salt tolerance mechanisms in eukaryotic systems for the past 30 years. However, unraveling of D. hansenii's biotechnological potential has always been difficult due to the persistent limitations in the availability of efficient molecular tools described for this yeast. Additionally, there is a lack of consensus and contradictory information along the recent years that limits a comprehensive understanding of its central carbon metabolism, mainly due to a lack of physiological studies in controlled and monitored environments. Moreover, there is little consistency in the culture conditions (media composition, temperature, and pH among others) used by different groups,

Yeasts, filamentous fungi, and bacteria colonize the surface of fermented sausages during the ripening process. The source of this microbiota is their surrounding environment, and is influenced by the maturing conditions and starter cultures. Debaryomyces hansenii was previously isolated from several dry-cured meat products and associated with the lipolytic and proteolytic changes that occur in these products, influencing their taste and flavor. Therefore, this study isolated the yeast microbiota present in the casing from different meat products ("lomo," "chorizo," and "salchichón") from the Valle de los Pedroches region in southern Spain. D. hansenii was by far the most abundant species in each product, as all 22 selected isolates were identified as D. hansenii by biochemical and/or molecular methods. In contrast, no yeasts were found in the meat batter. These data constitute the first study of the yeasts present in "lomo" sausages and particularly the highly appreciated Valle de los Pedroches "lomo" sausages. Furthermore, the resistance of these isolates to different pHs, temperatures, and saline stress was studied, together with their catabolic characteristics. Based on the results, certain isolates are proposed as valuable candidate starter cultures that could improve both the manufacture and the flavor of such dry-cured meat products, and provide an understanding of new mechanisms involved in stress tolerance. Applied mediumscale industrial tests are currently in progress.

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Debaryomyces hansenii yeast represents a promising target for basic and applied biotechnological research It is known that D. hansenii is abundant in sausages and dry-meat products, but information regarding its contribution to their characteristics is blurry and contradictory. The main goal in this review was to define the biological contribution of D. hansenii to the final features of these products. Depending on multiple factors, D. hansenii may affect diverse physicochemical characteristics of meat products. However, there is general agreement about the significant generation of volatile and aromatic compounds caused by the metabolic activities of this yeast, which consequently provide a tendency for improved consumer acceptance. We also summarize current evidence highlighting that it is not possible to predict what the results would be after the inoculation of a meat product with a selected D. hansenii strain without a pivotal previous study. The use of D. hansenii as a biocontrol agent and to manufacture new meat products by decreasing preservatives are examples of exploring research lines that will complement current knowledge and contribute to prepare new and more ecological products.