Most of us like cheese, but how much do you know about how cheese comes to be? Geotrichum candidum (G. candidum), is the primary organism in cheese, a fermented milk product. To understand what this organism is, we want to understand the difference between yeasts and molds. They fall under the kingdom fungi, however, a mold grows in the form of a multicellular filament called hyphae, whereas, yeasts grow a single cell. Yeasts are actually descendents of mold. As scientists study this particular mold, we start to see how much we really have to learn about this kingdom of organisms and the possibilities for living with and utilizing them.
What’s interesting about G. candidum, is that it has evolved as a cross between a yeast and a mold. It is not a true yeast, which is rather unique. To the eye, it appears as a mold, but under a microscope, scientist have been able to see it is a yeast with mold tendencies. With comparative genomics, scientists have been able to find a distinguishing trait of this organism. They discovered that chitin, a building block in fungal cell walls, is found in larger quantities in G. candidum, making it appear like a mold. It also makes for an ecologically versatile organism, which can also grow on plants. In addition, scientists found an enzyme that breaks down fats, a useful trait passed down from mold.
This is just the beginning of our understanding between the differences between yeasts and molds, how they evolve and how we may relate to them in the future. As we start to learn more about desirable traits, we may have more leverage when it comes to accessing these traits for desirable affects in fermented foods, flavor profiles and to promote health.
References:
- Wolfe, Benjamin (2015, December 23). Geotrichum candiddum: A yeast holding on to its moldy past [Web log post]. Retrieved June 2, 2016, from http://microbialfoods.org
- Morel, Guillaume, et al. “Differential gene retention as an evolutionary mechanism to generate biodiversity and adaptation in yeasts.” Scientific Reports 5, Article number: 11571 (2015). Web 5 June, 2016.
