A new methodology to determine cell wall mannoprotein content and release in wine yeasts

Representing around 40% of the cell wall dry weight, mannoproteins are complex macromolecules structurally composed of polymers of sugar, 98% being mannose, covalently linked to peptides. Along the last two decades, these compounds have gained ground as very relevant molecules in the field of winemaking, mainly due to their positive contributions in the development of appreciated organoleptic features and to their contribution in the chemical stabilization of wine. Several methodologies have been recently proposed to achieve the quantification of these compounds. However, these methodologies are laborious, time consuming and do not allow a global quantification of these macromolecules. In this paper, an easy, reliable and fast forward methodology for the quantification of mannoproteins in model must is proposed and evaluated. Its application in the quantification of mannoproteins content in yeast cell wall is also demonstrated.