Nystatin and osmotica as chemical enhancers of the phenotypic adaptation to freeze–thaw stress in Geotrichum candidum ATCC 204307

Geotrichum candidum is a yeast-like fungus used as ripening starter in cheese making. The present study focused on chemical stress pretreatments affecting survival of G. candidum ATCC 204307 to freeze–thaw stress. Cryotolerance of G. candidum cells was induced by pretreatment with NaCl, CaCl2, or MgCl2, indicating heterologous phenotypic adaptation to freeze–thaw stress (−20 to 25 °C) by osmotic stress. Furthermore, the nystatin, an antifungal compound, was shown to be a cryotolerance inducer.