Thriving in Adversity: Yeasts in the Agave Fermentation Environment.

ABSTRACT: Agave spirits have gained global recognition and hold a central position within the cultural heritage of Mexico. Traditional distilleries, characterized by open fermentations driven by local microbial communities, persist despite the rise of industrial-scale counterparts. In this review, we explore the environmental conditions and production practices that make the must of cooked agave stems a unique habitat for colonizing microorganisms. Additionally, we review selected studies that have characterized yeast species within these communities, with a focus on their metabolic traits and genomic features. Over 50 fungal species, predominantly Saccharomycetales and few Basidiomycetes, along with a similar number of lactic and acetic acid bacteria, have been identified. Despite variations in the

SUBMITTER: Colon-Gonzalez M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11891984 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature