How does Oenococcus oeni adapt to its environment? A pangenomic oligonucleotide microarray for analysis O. oeni gene expression under wine shock.
Abstract
Oenococcus oeni is a small lactic acid bacterium with a compact genome (~ 2 Mb in size and ca. 1800 genes) that is naturally found in oenological and coder niches, and is the most common agent associated with malolactic fermentation (MLF). The diversity of metabolisms and adaptations to the environment of this species renders MLF quite unpredictable. Until now, the understanding of how O. oeni adapts to its niche has been treated through a classical genomic-phenotypic angle, and has revealed the role of genome plasticity (local mutations; differential gene insertion-deletions) in these adaptations. In this work, we endeavored to elucidate this dialogue between genes and environment, by exploring how the expression system is solicited when O. oeni strains are placed under stress-exposure conditions.