Characterization of Industrial Yeast Strains by Untargeted Lipidomics Using an LC-QTOFMS System

Introduction

This article describes the application of untargeted lipidomics using the LCMS-9030 quadrupole time-of-flight (QTOF) mass spectrometer to characterize industrial yeast strains used in fermented food production. Lipids comprise a diverse range of molecular species that differ in their backbone structures, acyl-chain lengths, and degrees of unsaturation. Cells can adapt to extracellular stress by altering their lipid structures and compositions. Comprehensive profiling of lipid molecular species by untargeted lipidomics therefore enables the classification of cells with different stress tolerances. In this study, untargeted lipidomics was applied to industrial yeast strains used in wine, bread, and sake production, which exhibit tolerance to different types of stress. Taking advantage of the high mass accuracy and stability of the LCMS-9030, we identified 352 lipid molecular species across 28 lipid classes and identified lipid species that varied markedly among the strains. These results demonstrate the potential of untargeted lipidomics as an effective approach for characterizing and classifying microorganisms and foods in which lipids play important roles.

October 25, 2026 GMT