Chiral analysis of E-ε-viniferin enantiomers, towards a new chemotaxonomic marker of the vine.

Background: The accurate characterization of grapevine cultivars (Vitis vinifera) is crucial for grape growers, winemakers, wine sellers, consumers and authorities, considering that mistakes could involve significant damage to the wine economic system. To avoid any misunderstanding, morphological, molecular and chemical tools are developed to positively identify grape varieties.

Results: E-ε-viniferin is a stilbene dimer mainly present in the woody part of grapevine and present as a mixture of two enantiomers: (7aR, 8aR)-(-)-E-ε-viniferin (1) and (7aS, 8aS)-(+)-E-ε-viniferin (2).

Adapting Wine Grape Ripening to Global Change Requires a Multi-Trait Approach.

In winegrowing regions around the world increasing temperature associated with climate change is responsible for earlier harvests and is implicated in undesirably high sugar concentrations at harvest. Determining the suitability of grapevine varieties in existing or new winegrowing areas has often been based on temperature, without considering other factors. The purpose of this study was to quantify key berry sugar accumulation traits and characterize their plasticity in response to several climate variables.

A sense of place: transcriptomics identifies environmental signatures in Cabernet Sauvignon berry skins in the late stages of ripening.

Background: Grape berry ripening is influenced by climate, the main component of the "terroir" of a place. Light and temperature are major factors in the vineyard that affect berry development and fruit metabolite composition.

Results: To better understand the effect of "place" on transcript abundance during the late stages of berry ripening, Cabernet Sauvignon berries grown in Bordeaux and Reno were compared at similar sugar levels (19 to 26 °Brix (total soluble solids)).

The grapevine transcription factor WRKY2 influences the lignin pathway and xylem development in tobacco.

Previous work has shown that transgenic tobacco plants constitutively over-expressing the Vitis vinifera L. transcription factor VvWRKY2 exhibit reduced susceptibility to necrotrophic fungal pathogens, suggesting that this transcription factor plays a role in grapevine response to phytopathogens. The work presented here characterizes the modifications in cell wall structure observed in the stems and petioles of these transgenic plants.

A fruit-specific phospho enolpyruvate carboxylase is related to rapid growth of tomato fruit.

Malic and citric acids accumulate in cherry tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) fruit during the period of rapid growth, from the end of cell division to the onset of ripening. The involvement of phospho enolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPCase, EC 4.