Roles of grape thaumatin-like protein and chitinase in white wine haze formation

J Agric Food Chem. 2011 Jan 26;59(2):733-40. doi: 10.1021/jf1038234. Epub 2010 Dec 28.

Abstract

Grape chitinase was found to be the primary cause of heat-induced haze formation in white wines. Chitinase was the dominant protein in a haze induced by treating Sauvignon blanc wine at 30 °C for 22 h. In artificial wines and real wines, chitinase concentration was directly correlated to the turbidity of heat-induced haze formation (50 °C for 3 h). Sulfate was confirmed to have a role in haze formation, likely by converting soluble aggregates into larger visible haze particles. Thaumatin-like protein was detected in the insoluble fraction by SDS-PAGE analysis but had no measurable impact on turbidity. Differential scanning calorimetry demonstrated that the complex mixture of molecules in wine plays a role in thermal instability of wine proteins and contributes additional complexity to the wine haze phenomenon.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Chitinases / chemistry*
  • Chitinases / metabolism
  • Hot Temperature
  • Plant Proteins / chemistry*
  • Plant Proteins / metabolism
  • Protein Stability
  • Vitis / chemistry
  • Vitis / enzymology*
  • Wine / analysis*

Substances

  • Plant Proteins
  • thaumatin protein, plant
  • Chitinases