Multi-Omics Analysis of Stress Responses for Industrial Yeast During Beer Post-Fermentation

Intracellular metabolites markedly change in yeast during fermentation, especially under various stresses in beer post-fermentation. To address the current limitations in understanding the regulatory mechanisms in this complex environment, industrial brewing yeast was analyzed using integrated transcriptomics and proteomics across the post-fermentation phases, dynamically profiling the transcriptional levels and protein abundances of differentially expressed genes. As a result, 6110 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and 3533 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) were identified. Additionally, transcriptomics showed the induced expression of low-pH- and oxidative stress-related genes (HAL1, HAL4, YAP5), gluconeogenesis- and sugar transport-related genes (HXT, MAL, FBP), and mannan synthetic genes (FSK, MNN) during early post-fermentation. Moreover, heat-shock-related genes were upregulated throughout post-fermentation. Furthermore, proteomics revealed the sustained upregulation of glucosidase Scw, mannoprotein Pir, hexose transporter Hxt, and heat-shock proteins (Hsp). These findings indicate that yeast adapts to stress in the wort environment during post-fermentation by enhancing cell wall biosynthesis, activating heat-shock responses, and modulating metabolic pathways. These integrated omics analyses provide guidance for selecting robust, tolerant strains to industrial-scale stresses and improving beer flavor profiles, establishing a theoretical foundation for optimizing brewing and enhancing beer quality.