%0 Journal Article %A Goodey, Andrew R. %A Tubb, Roy S. %T Genetic and Biochemical Analysis of the Ability of Saccharomyces cerevisiae to Decarboxylate Cinnamic Acids %D 1982 %J Microbiology, %V 128 %N 11 %P 2615-2620 %@ 1465-2080 %R https://doi.org/10.1099/00221287-128-11-2615 %I Microbiology Society, %X Decarboxylation of ferulate to 4-vinylguaiacol is associated with the production of a phenolic off-flavour in beer. The ability (Pof+) of non-brewing strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae to carry out this reaction has been assigned, by tetrad analysis, to a single nuclear gene. This gene (POF1) is dominant in heterozygous diploids and segregates independently from MATa/MATĪ±, lys2 and DEX1. Therefore, elimination of the Pof+ phenotype from strains intended for brewing is feasible by either mutation or genetic segregation. Since ferulate was decarboxylated by cell-free supernatants derived from Pof+ strains, but not by similar fractions from Pof- strains, POF1 encodes production of a cellular decarboxylase. Strains carrying POF1 also decarboxylated coumarate and cinnamate in vivo, but with caffeate, 4-hydroxybenzoate, 4-hydroxyphenylacetate, styrylacetate, mandelate or phenylpropionate as substrates, the corresponding decarboxylation products were not detected. POF1 may confer resistance to inhibitory effects of naturally occurring cinnamates on yeast growth. %U https://www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/journal/micro/10.1099/00221287-128-11-2615