PCR Applications to Brewing: Differentiation of Brewing Yeast Strains by PCR Fingerprinting

The increased use of pure starter cultures in the wine industry has made it necessary to develop a rapid and simple identification system for yeast strains. A method based upon the PCR using oligonucleotide primers that are complementary to intron splice sites has been developed. Since most introns are not essential for gene function, introns have evolved with minimal constraint. By targeting these highly variable sequences, the PCR has proved to be very effective in uncovering polymorphisms in commercial yeast strains. The speed of the method and the ability to analyze many samples in a single day permit the monitoring of specific yeast strains during fermentations. Furthermore, the simplicity of the technique, which does not require the isolation of DNA, makes it accessible to industrial laboratories that have limited molecular expertise and resources.