PCR methods for the detection of biogenic amine-producing bacteria on wine

Biogenic amines are low molecular weight organic bases frequently found in wine. Several toxicological problems resulting from the ingestion of wine containing biogenic amines have been described. In wine, histamine, tyramine, and putrescine are mainly produced by the decarboxylation of the amino acid histidine, tyrosine, and ornithine, respectively, by lactic acid bacteria action. The bacterial ability to decarboxylate amino acids is highly variable, and therefore the detection of bacteria possessing amino acid decarboxylase activity is important to prevent biogenic amine accumulation in wine. Molecular methods for the early and rapid detection of these producer bacteria are becoming an alternative to traditional culture methods. Moreover, quantitative PCR methods are useful to enumerate biogenic amine-producer bacteria on wine. Molecular methods detect potential biogenic amine risk formation in wine before the amine is produced. This review will cover the molecular methods proposed in the literature for the detection of biogenic amine-producing bacteria in wine. These methods could improve winemaking control in order to avoid biogenic amine production
This work was supported by grants RM2008- 00002 (Instituto Nacional de Investigación Agraria y Alimentaría), AGL2008-01052, Consolider INGENIO 2010 CSD2007-00063 FUNC- FOOD (Comisión Interministerial de Ciencia y Tecnología), and S-0505/AGR/000153 and S2009/AGR-1469 (ALIBIRD) (Comunidad de Madrid).