Aspartic proteases are a relatively small group of proteolytic enzymes that are active in acidic environments and are found across all forms of life. Certain microorganisms secrete such proteases as virulence agents and/or in order to break down proteins thereby liberating assimilable sources of nitrogen. Some of the earlier applications of these proteolytic enzymes are found in the manufacturing of cheese where they are used as milk-clotting agents. Over the last decade, they have received tremendous research interest because of their involvement in human diseases. Furthermore, there has also been a growing interest on these enzymes for their applications in several other industries. Recent research suggests in particular that they could be used in the wine industry to prevent the formation of protein haze while preserving the wines' organoleptic properties. In this mini-review, the properties and mechanisms of action of aspartic proteases are summarized. Thereafter, a brief overview of the industrial applications of this specific class of proteases is provided. The use of aspartic proteases as alternatives to clarifying agents in various beverage industries is mentioned, and the potential applications in the wine industry are thoroughly discussed.

ABSTRACTThe extracellular acid proteases of non-Saccharomyceswine yeasts may fulfill a number of roles in winemaking, which include increasing the available nitrogen sources for the growth of fermentative microbes, affecting the aroma profile of the wine, and potentially reducing protein haze formation. These proteases, however, remain poorly characterized, especially at genetic level. In this study, two extracellular aspartic protease-encoding genes were identified and sequenced, from two yeast species of enological origin: one gene fromMetschnikowia pulcherrimaIWBT Y1123, namedMpAPr1, and the other gene fromCandida apicolaIWBT Y1384, namedCaAPr1.In silicoanalysis of these two genes revealed a number of features peculiar to aspartic protease genes, and both the MpAPr1 and CaAPr1 putative proteins showed homology to proteases of yeast genera. Heterologous expression ofMpAPr1inSaccharomyces cerevisiaeYHUM272 confirmed that it encodes an aspartic protease. MpAPr1 production, which was shown to be constitutive, and secretion were confirmed in the presence of bovine serum albumin (BSA), casein, and grape juice proteins. TheMpAPr1gene was found to be present in 12 otherM. pulcherrimastrains; however, plate assays revealed that the intensity of protease activity was strain dependent and unrelated to the gene sequence.

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Overall, the results suggest that MpAPr1 could be applied in food biotechnology processes such as winemaking. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.