Abstract
Summary In the past decade, horizontal gene transfer ( HGT ) has emerged as a major evolutionary process that has shaped the genome of S accharomyces cerevisiae wine yeasts. We recently showed that a large T orulaspora microellipsoides genomic island carrying two oligopeptide transporters encoded by FOT genes increases the fitness of wine yeast during fermentation of grape must. However, the impact of these genes on the metabolic network of S . cerevisiae remained uncharacterized. Here we show that Fot‐mediated peptide uptake substantially affects the glutamate node and the NADPH / NADP + balance, resulting in the delayed uptake of free amino acids and altered profiles of metabolites and volatile compounds. Transcriptome analysis revealed that cells using a higher amount of oligopeptides from grape must are less stressed and display substantial variation in the expression of genes in the central pathways of carbon and nitrogen metabolism, amino acid and protein biosynthesis, and the oxidative stress response. These regulations shed light on the molecular and metabolic mechanisms involved in the higher performance and fitness conferred by the HGT ‐acquired FOT genes, pinpointing metabolic effects that can positively affect the organoleptic balance of wines.