γ‐aminobutyric acid production by Kluyveromyces marxianus strains

Abstract

Aims Kluyveromyces marxianus dairy strains were tested for γ‐aminobutyric acid (GABA) production. The genes involved in GABA catabolism (UGA1 and UGA2) and anabolism (GAD1) were found in K. marxianus genome. Their relative expression was evaluated with primer designed ad hoc. Methods and Results Strains were grouped on the basis of GAD1 gene sequence. Representative strains for each group were tested for GABA production by high‐performance liquid chromatography. All strains produced it at low levels. qRT‐PCR showed the absence of a relation between GABA production and GAD1 gene expression. UGA1 and UGA2 genes were not upregulated and low amounts of succinic acid were detected. Conclusions All strains released a low amount of GABA suggesting that probably it was stored within cells. The different behaviour of strains in terms of GABA and succinic acid production as well as gene expression highlighted the genetic and phenotypic biodiversity of this species. Significance and Impact of the Study GABA production and genes involved in its catabolism and anabolism were described in a population of dairy K. marxianus for the first time. The variability observed in terms of genetic and phenotypic biodiversity is important especially to exploit this non‐conventional yeast as microbial platform.

Probiotic Properties, Prebiotic Fermentability, and GABA-Producing Capacity of Microorganisms Isolated from Mexican Milk Kefir Grains: A Clustering Evaluation for Functional Dairy Food Applications

“…The production of GABA for the strains in yeast extract peptone dextrose medium with MSG 10 mm incubated at 27 • C, varied from 2.54 mg/L to 7.78 mg/L (0.025 and 0.075 mM, respectively), which is much lower than the levels found in the two K. lactis isolates in this study: 1.65 mM for BIOTEC009 and 0.31 mM for BIOTEC010. In this respect, polymorphisms in the genes coding for glutamate decarboxylase are responsible for variations in GABA production of strains even between the same species [46]. Finally, note that L. pseudomesenteroides BIOTEC012 was one of the microorganisms that produced the most GABA content (1.18 mM).…”

γ-Aminobutyric acid found in fermented foods and beverages: current trends

“…Glutamic acid decarboxylase has also been identified in yeasts such as Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Kluyveromyces marxianus isolated from fermented product [16,45]. S. cerevisiae had lower activity than L. plantarum, this may be caused by the utilization of GABA by S. cerevisiae as nitrogen source [16,18].…”

The Effect of the Ratio of Gamma Aminobutyric Acid-Producing Saccharomyces cerevisiae DL6–20 and Kluyveromyces marxianus B13–5 Addition on Cheese Quality

“…GABA occurs naturally in many plant foods, and is present at high levels in fermented products, especially fermented dairy products ( Diana et al, 2014 ; Park et al, 2021 ). Since lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are recognized as safe microorganisms, most studies have focused on their GABA production capacity ( Perpetuini et al, 2020 ). However, few studies have focused on yeast, even though these strains play an important role in the production wine, bread, dairy products and many other fermented foods ( Hittinger et al, 2018 ).…”

“…Yeast have ability to metabolize proteins, lipids and organic acids, allowing it to grow on the surface of cheese and promote the formation of cheese flavor and texture ( Perkins et al, 2020 ). Sechi reported that the GABA production of Saccharomyces cerevisiae JBCC-A74 was 0.33 g/L ( Sechi et al, 2014 ), whereas Perpetuini et al (2020) demonstrated that the GABA production of Kluyveromyces marxianus K326 was 7.78 ± 1.88 mg/L.…”