Chromosomal rearrangements (CR) such as translocations, duplications and inversions play a decisive role in the adaptation of microorganisms to specific environments. In enological strains, CR involving the promoter region of the gene lead to a higher sulfite tolerance by enhancing the SO efflux. To date, three different associated CR events have been described, including translocations XV-t-XVI and VIII-t-XVI and inversion inv-XVI. In the present study, we developed a multiplex PCR method ( checkup) that allows a rapid characterization of these three chromosomal configurations in a single experiment. Nearly 600 strains collected from fermented grape juice were genotyped by microsatellite markers. We demonstrated that alleles of the promoter are differently distributed according to the wine environment (cellar versus vineyard) and the nature of the grape juice. Moreover, rearranged promoters are significantly enriched among commercial starters. In addition, the analysis of nearly isogenic strains collected in wine related environments demonstrated that the inheritance of these CR shapes the genetic diversity of clonal populations. Finally, the link between the nature of promoter and the tolerance to sulfite was statistically validated in natural grape juice containing various SO concentrations. The checkup is therefore a convenient new tool for addressing population genetics questions and for selecting yeast strains by using molecular markers.Read less <