Differentiation of Brewing and Related Yeasts Based on PCR Amplification and Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism of Ribosomal DNA

G. Morakile1, J. L. F. Kock, ¹, ² W. Van Zyl, ¹ C. H. Pohl, ¹ and B. C. Viljoen ^1
1 Department of Microbiology and Biochemistry, University of the Free State, P O Box 339, Bloemfontein, Republic of South Africa
² Corresponding author. E-mail: KockJL@sci.uovs.ac.za

J. Inst. Brew. 108(2), 164-168, 2002  |   VIEW ARTICLE

ABSTRACT
A study to differentiate commercially applied brewing yeasts selected from the culture collection of the University of the Free State from related yeasts of the genus Saccharomyces using PCR amplification and RFLP of the internal transcribed spacers region was conducted. Differentiation was dependent on the restriction enzymes used to digest the amplified rDNA. Digestion with Hae III , Cfo I, Sau 3AI and Msp I divided representatives of the genus Saccharomyces into several unique groups. With Msp I the DNA patterns for the two brewing strains were similar, but could be differentiated from Sacch. cerevisiae and other species tested. It was also possible to distinguish some members of the Saccharomyces sensu stricto group i.e. Sacch. bayanus and Sacch. pastorianus from Sacch. cerevisiae and Sacch. paradoxus using Hae III as well as Sacch. paradoxus from the other sensu stricto members using Msp I digestion.

Key words:
Differentiation, rDNA, RFLP, yeast.

Publication no. G-2002-0610-03R  ^©2002 The Institute & Guild of Brewing