Genome sequence of the non-conventional wine yeast Hanseniaspora guilliermondii UTAD222 unveils relevant traits of this species and of the Hanseniaspora genus in the context of wine fermentation

Hanseanispora species, including H. guilliermondii, are long known to be abundant in wine grape-musts and to play a critical role in vinification by modulating, among other aspects, the wine sensory profile. Despite this, the genetics and physiology of Hanseniaspora species remains poorly understood. The first genomic sequence of a H. guilliermondii strain (UTAD222) and the discussion of its potential significance are presented in this work. Metabolic reconstruction revealed that H. guilliermondii is not equipped with a functional gluconeogenesis or glyoxylate cycle, nor does it harbours key enzymes for glycerol or galactose catabolism or for biosynthesis of biotin and thiamine. Also, no fructose-specific transporter could also be predicted from the analysis of H. guilliermondii genome leaving open the mechanisms underlying the fructophilic character of this yeast. Comparative analysis involving H. guilliermondii, H. uvarum, H. opuntiae and S. cerevisiae revealed 14 H. guilliermondii-specific genes (including five viral proteins and one β-glucosidase). Furthermore, 870 proteins were only found within the Hanseniaspora proteomes including several β-glucosidases and decarboxylases required for catabolism of biogenic amines. The release of H. guilliermondii genomic sequence and the comparative genomics/proteomics analyses performed, is expected to accelerate research focused on Hanseniaspora species and to broaden their application in the wine industry and in other bio-industries in which they could be explored as cell factories.