Comparison of fermentative capacities of industrial baking and wild-type yeasts of the species Saccharomyces cerevisiae in different sugar media

Aims: To compare the fermentative capacity of wild and domesticated isolate s of the genus Saccharomyces. Methods and Results: The fermentative capacity of yeasts from a variety of wild and domesticated sources was tested in synthetic dough media that mimi c major bread dough types. Domesticated yeast strains were found to have be tter maltose-utilizing capacity than wild yeast strains. The capacity to fe rment sugars under high osmotic stress was randomly distributed amongst wil d and baking strains of Saccharomyces. Conclusions: The domestication of bakers' yeast has enhanced the ability of yeasts to ferment maltose, without a similar impact on the fermentative ca pacity under high osmotic conditions. Significance and Impact of the Study: This study, combined with molecular s tudies of both wild and domesticated yeast, showed that domestication of ba kers' yeast has resulted in improved maltose utilization, apparently via th e duplication and mutation of the MAL genes.