GENETIC HOMOLOGY OF WINE YEASTS WITH SACCHAROMYCES CEREVISIAE

Two wine yeasts (a Montrachet and a Burgundy) were shown to be homothallic diploids, chromosomally homologous to heterothallic, laboratory-bred strains of S. cerevisiae and to a homothallic diploid strain of S. uvarum. Hybrids between the two wine yeasts, and between the two yeasts and selected non-commercial yeasts are stable and produce an abundance of viable ascospores. The strains are amenable to genetic analysis and modification of commercially important characteristics. The five other wine yeasts examined are not immediately amenable to genetic analysis. Two would not sporulate and three sporulated at low frequency and produced few viable ascospores.