Researchers Reveal Secret of Black Périgord Truffle

Dec 6, 2013 by News Staff
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A team of scientists reporting in the Journal of Proteome Research has cracked the secret of the black Périgord truffle’s unique, pungent aroma.

The black Périgord truffle, Tuber melanosporum.

The black Périgord truffle, Tuber melanosporum.

Named after Périgord region in France, the black Périgord truffle (Tuber melanosporum) is the most-valued truffle in French cuisine. It grows with oak and hazelnut trees and is harvested in late autumn and winter.

Paired with an increase in demand from ‘foodies’ seeking exotic flavors, prices for the black Périgord truffle have skyrocketed to more than USD 900 per pound. Though long celebrated in the kitchen, only recently has the black Périgord truffle garnered scientific attention.

In 2010, scientists published the full genome of the truffle, but this raw blueprint remained largely unmined.

In the new study, Dr Mark Baker with colleagues go beyond the genetic code to identify and describe the truffle’s proteins for a better understanding of the culinary delight.

By using techniques in bioinformatics and proteomics, the scientists combed databases to find what proteins make the truffle unique.

They found that more than 2,500 proteins out of the truffle’s nearly 13,000 were similar to existing proteins in other fungi, and identified 9 proteins that contribute to its aroma.

“This study has resulted in the functional characterization of novel proteins to increase our biological understanding of this organism and uncovered biomarkers of authenticity, freshness and perfume maturation,” Dr Baker with colleagues concluded.

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Mohammad Tawhidul Islam et al. 2013. Unlocking the Puzzling Biology of the Black Périgord Truffle Tuber melanosporum. J. Proteome Res. 12 (12), pp. 5349–5356; doi: 10.1021/pr400650c

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