Arginase activity is a useful marker of nitrogen limitation during alcoholic fermentations.

Nitrogen deficiency in musts is one of the causes of sluggish or stuck fermentations. In this work we propose that arginase activity determination can be useful for detecting nitrogen starvation early in vinification. CAR1 and YGP1 genes are not specifically induced under conditions of nitrogen starvation. However, a significant increase in the enzymatic activity of arginase, the product of the CAR1 gene, is detected in vinifications carried out with musts containing limiting amounts of nitrogen. Moreover, on adding ammonia to a nitrogen-deficient vinification, even at late stages, this enzymatic activity is repressed, and growth rate is restored simultaneously. We also investigate the role of ethanol toxicity in nitrogen starvation. The results suggest that ethanol produced during vinification or exogenously added up to 8% (v/v) concentration does not cause nitrogen starvation under the conditions tested because arginase activity is not increased.