Identifying Esterases in Cheese-Making Bacteria
Author Information
Author(s): Dherbécourt Julien, Falentin Hélène, Canaan Stéphane, Thierry Anne
Primary Institution: INRA, Agrocampus Rennes
Hypothesis
Can we identify the esterases in Propionibacterium freudenreichii that contribute to the flavor of Emmental cheese?
Conclusion
The genomic search approach effectively identified esterases from the genome of Propionibacterium freudenreichii, demonstrating the utility of combining automatic motif searches with manual homology searches.
Supporting Evidence
- Twenty-three putative esterases were identified using four methods.
- Eleven out of the twelve proteins were expressed in a soluble form in E. coli.
- Six of the expressed proteins showed esterase activity on specific substrates.
Takeaway
Scientists looked for special proteins in cheese-making bacteria that help create flavor. They found many of these proteins using a smart search method.
Methodology
A genomic search approach combining automatic and manual searches of homology and motifs was used to identify putative esterases.
Limitations
The study did not test the activity of the identified esterases on actual cheese fat substrates.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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