Chemical activation of ABA signaling in grapevine through the iSB09 and AMF4 ABA receptor agonists enhances water use efficiency.

Grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) is the world's third most valuable horticultural crop, and the current environmental scenario is massively shifting the grape cultivation landscape. The increase in heatwaves and drought episodes alter fruit ripening, compromise grape yield and vine survival, intensifying the pressure on using limited water resources.

The genetic characterization of grapevines prospected in old Serbian vineyards reveals multiple relationships between traditional varieties of the Balkans.

Serbia preserves a high number of local grape varieties, which have been cultivated across the country for centuries. Now, these ancient varieties are in the spotlight, and there is a global trend towards their recovery and characterization because they can revitalize regional, national and international grape and wine sectors. In addition, their genetic study can be useful to find new pedigree relationships to reveal how local varietal assortment evolved over time.

Diploid genome assembly of the Malbec grapevine cultivar enables haplotype-aware analysis of transcriptomic differences underlying clonal phenotypic variation.

To preserve their varietal attributes, established grapevine cultivars ( L. ssp. ) must be clonally propagated, due to their highly heterozygous genomes.

The flavour of grape colour: anthocyanin content tunes aroma precursor composition by altering the berry microenvironment.

Anthocyaninless (white) instead of black/red (coloured) fruits develop in grapevine cultivars without functional VviMYBA1 and VviMYBA2 genes, and this conditions the colour of wines that can be produced. To evaluate whether this genetic variation has additional consequences on fruit ripening and composition, we performed comparisons of microenvironment, transcriptomics, and metabolomics of developing grapes between near-isogenic white- and black-berried somatic variants of Garnacha and Tempranillo cultivars. Berry temperature was as much as 3.

Grapevine Diversity and Genetic Relationships in Northeast Portugal Old Vineyards.

More than 100 grapevine varieties are registered as suitable for wine production in "Douro" and "Trás-os-Montes" Protected Designations of Origin regions; however, only a few are actually used for winemaking. The identification of varieties cultivated in past times can be an important step to take advantage of all the potential of these regions grape biodiversity. The conservation of the vanishing genetic resources boosts greater product diversification, and it can be considered strategic in the valorisation of these wine regions.

Characterization of Tempranillo negro (VN21), a high phenolic content grapevine Tempranillo clone, through UHPLC-QqQ-MS/MS polyphenol profiling.

Grapevine cultivar and clone genotype is an important factor in the phenolic composition of wine. In this study, a new intense dark black berry color variant of Tempranillo, known as Tempranillo negro or VN21, is described. A targeted chromatographic approach based on UHPLC-QqQ-MS/MS was used to study the anthocyanins and non-colored phenols of the grape berry (skin and seeds) and wine.

Whole genome resequencing and custom genotyping unveil clonal lineages in 'Malbec' grapevines (Vitis vinifera L.).

Grapevine cultivars are clonally propagated to preserve their varietal attributes. However, genetic variations accumulate due to the occurrence of somatic mutations. This process is anthropically influenced through plant transportation, clonal propagation and selection.

Genetic variation and association analyses identify genes linked to fruit set-related traits in grapevine.

Grapevine is one of the most valuable fruit crops in the world. Adverse environmental conditions reduce fruit quality and crop yield, so understanding the genetic and molecular mechanisms determining crop yield components is essential to optimize grape production. The analysis of a diverse collection of grapevine cultivars allowed us to evaluate the relationship between fruit set-related components of yield, including the incidence of reproductive disorders such as coulure and millerandage.

Population genetic analysis in old Montenegrin vineyards reveals ancient ways currently active to generate diversity in Vitis vinifera.

Global viticulture has evolved following market trends, causing loss of cultivar diversity and traditional practices. In Montenegro, modern viticulture co-exists with a traditional viticulture that still maintains ancient practices and exploits local cultivars. As a result, this region provides a unique opportunity to explore processes increasing genetic diversity.

The Major Origin of Seedless Grapes Is Associated with a Missense Mutation in the MADS-Box Gene .

Seedlessness is greatly prized by consumers of fresh grapes. While stenospermocarpic seed abortion determined by the () locus is the usual source of seedlessness in commercial grapevine () cultivars, the underlying mutation remains unknown. Here, we undertook an integrative approach to identify the causal mutation.

The LATERAL ORGAN BOUNDARIES Domain gene family in grapevine: genome-wide characterization and expression analyses during developmental processes and stress responses.

LATERAL ORGAN BOUNDARIES (LOB) DOMAIN (LBD) constitute a family of plant-specific transcription factors with key roles in the regulation of plant organ development, pollen development, plant regeneration, pathogen response, and anthocyanin and nitrogen metabolisms. However, the role of LBDs in fruit ripening and in grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) development and stress responses is poorly documented.

Catastrophic Unbalanced Genome Rearrangements Cause Somatic Loss of Berry Color in Grapevine.

Grape () color somatic variants that can be used to develop new grapevine cultivars occasionally appear associated with deletion events of uncertain origin. To understand the mutational mechanisms generating somatic structural variation in grapevine, we compared the Tempranillo Blanco (TB) white berry somatic variant with its black berry ancestor, Tempranillo Tinto. Whole-genome sequencing uncovered a catastrophic genome rearrangement in TB that caused the hemizygous deletion of 313 genes, including the loss of the functional copy for the transcription factors required for anthocyanin pigmentation in the berry skin.

Structural and functional annotation of the MADS-box transcription factor family in grapevine.

Background: MADS-box genes encode transcription factors that are involved in developmental control and signal transduction in eukaryotes. In plants, they are associated to numerous development processes most notably those related to reproductive development: flowering induction, specification of inflorescence and flower meristems, establishment of flower organ identity, as well as regulation of fruit, seed and embryo development. Genomic analyses of MADS-box genes in different plant species are providing new relevant information on the function and evolution of this transcriptional factor family.

Comparative genome-wide transcriptome analysis of Vitis vinifera responses to adapted and non-adapted strains of two-spotted spider mite, Tetranyhus urticae.

Background: The two-spotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae, is an extreme generalist plant pest. Even though mites can feed on many plant species, local mite populations form host races that do not perform equally well on all potential hosts. An acquisition of the ability to evade plant defenses is fundamental for mite's ability to use a particular plant as a host.

Polymorphisms and minihaplotypes in the VvNAC26 gene associate with berry size variation in grapevine.

Background: Domestication and selection of Vitis vinifera L. for table and wine grapes has led to a large level of berry size diversity in current grapevine cultivars. Identifying the genetic basis for this natural variation is paramount both for breeding programs and for elucidating which genes contributed to crop evolution during domestication and selection processes.

Chromatin-dependent repression of the Arabidopsis floral integrator genes involves plant specific PHD-containing proteins.

The interplay among histone modifications modulates the expression of master regulatory genes in development. Chromatin effector proteins bind histone modifications and translate the epigenetic status into gene expression patterns that control development. Here, we show that two Arabidopsis thaliana paralogs encoding plant-specific proteins with a plant homeodomain (PHD) motif, SHORT LIFE (SHL) and EARLY BOLTING IN SHORT DAYS (EBS), function in the chromatin-mediated repression of floral initiation and play independent roles in the control of genes regulating flowering.

Haplotype diversity of VvTFL1A gene and association with cluster traits in grapevine (V. vinifera).

Background: Interaction between TERMINAL FLOWER 1 (TFL1) and LEAFY (LFY) seem to determine the inflorescence architecture in Arabidopsis. In a parallel way, overexpression of VvTFL1A, a grapevine TFL1 homolog, causes delayed flowering and production of a ramose cluster in the reiterated reproductive meristem (RRM) somatic variant of cultivar Carignan. To analyze the possible contribution of this gene to cluster phenotypic variation in a diversity panel of cultivated grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.

Circadian oscillatory transcriptional programs in grapevine ripening fruits.

Background: Temperature and solar radiation influence Vitis vinifera L. berry ripening. Both environmental conditions fluctuate cyclically on a daily period basis and the strength of this fluctuation affects grape ripening too.

Mis-expression of a PISTILLATA-like MADS box gene prevents fruit development in grapevine.

The FLESHLESS BERRY (Flb) somatic variant identified in the grapevine cultivar Ugni Blanc develops grape berries without flesh, suggesting a role for the altered gene in differentiation of flesh cells. Here we describe identification of the molecular defect responsible for this phenotype. Using a combination of genetic and transcriptomic approaches, we detected the insertion of a miniature inverted-repeat transposable element in the promoter region of the PISTILLATA-like (VvPI) gene, the grapevine homologue of Arabidopsis PISTILLATA.

A molecular genetic perspective of reproductive development in grapevine.

The grapevine reproductive cycle has a number of unique features. Inflorescences develop from lateral meristems (anlagen) in latent buds during spring and summer and enter a dormant state at a very immature stage before completing development and producing flowers and berries the following spring. Lateral meristems are unique structures derived from the shoot apical meristem and can either develop into an inflorescence or a tendril.

Characterization of Vitis vinifera L. somatic variants exhibiting abnormal flower development patterns.

Mutants have proven to be a key resource for functional genomic studies in model annual plant species. In perennial plant species where mutants are difficult to generate and to screen, spontaneous somatic variants represent a unique resource to understand the genetic control of complex developmental patterns. The morphological and histological characterization of six Vitis vinifera L.

The FT/TFL1 gene family in grapevine.

The FT/TFL1 gene family encodes proteins with similarity to phosphatidylethanolamine binding proteins which function as flowering promoters and repressors. We show here that the FT/TFL1 gene family in Vitis vinifera is composed of at least five genes. Sequence comparisons with homologous genes identified in other dicot species group them in three major clades, the FT, MFT and TFL1 subfamilies, the latter including three of the Vitis sequences.

Environmental regulation of flowering.

The timing of flower initiation is a highly plastic developmental process. To achieve reproductive success, plants must select the most favourable season to initiate reproductive development; this in turn requires continuous monitoring of environmental factors and a properly response. Environmental factors which change in a predictable fashion along the year, such as light and temperature, are the most relevant in terms of selection of the flowering season.

EARLY BOLTING IN SHORT DAYS is related to chromatin remodeling factors and regulates flowering in Arabidopsis by repressing FT.

The timing of flowering initiation depends on the balanced expression of a complex network of genes that are regulated by both endogenous and environmental factors. We showed previously that mutations at the EARLY BOLTING IN SHORT DAYS (EBS) locus of Arabidopsis result in an acceleration of flowering, especially in noninductive photoperiods (short days), and other phenotypic anomalies. We have identified the EBS gene and demonstrate that it encodes a nuclear protein that contains a bromoadjacent homology domain and a plant homeodomain Zn finger.