terclim by ICS banner
IVES 9 IVES Conference Series 9 International Congress on Grapevine and Wine Sciences 9 2ICGWS-2023 9 Identification of a stable epi-allele associated with flower development and low bunch compactness in a somatic variant of Tempranillo Tinto

Identification of a stable epi-allele associated with flower development and low bunch compactness in a somatic variant of Tempranillo Tinto

Abstract

Grapevine cultivars are vegetatively propagated to preserve their varietal characteristics. However, spontaneous somatic variations that occur and are maintained during cycles of vegetative growth offer opportunities for the natural improvement of traditional grape cultivars. One advantageous trait for winegrowing is reduced bunch compactness, which decreases the susceptibility to pests and fungal diseases and favor an even berry ripening. In this study, we examined a loose bunch somatic variant of Tempranillo Tinto cultivar (TT) to elucidate the molecular basis underlying this variation. The variant displayed a masculinized flower phenotype, characterized by an underdeveloped yet functional gynoecium, with reduced development of the style, stigma and septum, as compared to the complete hermaphroditic flowers typically observed in TT. Genetic analysis of its self-progeny demonstrated the co-segregation of the masculinized flower phenotype with the hermaphrodite allele of the grape sex locus (SDR)[1]. While genome re-sequencing did not identify any genetic variation within the SDR locus, an RNA-seq analysis identified one SDR-located gene over-expressed in the somatic variant compared to a control TT clone. The hermaphrodite allele was specifically over-expressed in the variant. Both Illumina WGBS and Nanopore epigenomic analyses identified a hermaphrodite allele-specific hyper-methylated region upstream of the upregulated gene. Analysis of chromatin conformation capture (3C) revealed a three-dimensional rearrangement of the locus, including the presence of a novel 36 kb chromatin loop delimiting the hyper-methylated region, which could be responsible for the over-expression and the phenotype. These findings indicate that somatic epi-alleles in the SDR locus can determine variation in gynoecium development leading to decreased fruit set and looser bunches in grapevine.

Acknowledgements: This study is part of the projects BIO-2017-86375-R and PID2020-120183RB-I00, and PRE-2018-086017 grant funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and by “ERDF A way of making Europe”. This study is also part of the vWISE project.

1)  Massonnet, M., Cochetel, N., Minio, A., Vondras, A. M., Lin, J., Muyle, A., Garcia, J. F., Zhou, Y., Delledonne, M., Riaz, S., Figueroa-Balderas, R., Gaut, B. S., & Cantu, D. (2020). The genetic basis of sex determination in grapes. Nature Communications, 11(1), 1–12. DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-16700-z

DOI:

Publication date: October 4, 2023

Issue: ICGWS 2023

Type: Article

Authors

Alañón, Noelia1*; Ferradás, Yolanda2; Lijavetzky, Diego3; Ferrero, Lucía4; Martínez-Zapater, José Miguel1; Ariel, Federico4; Carbonell-Bejerano, Pablo1; Ibáñez, Javier1

1 Instituto de Ciencias de la Vid y del Vino (ICVV, CSIC-CAR-UR), Departamento de Viticultura, Logroño, Spain
2 Departamento de Biología Funcional, Universidad de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
3 Instituto de Biología Agrícola de Mendoza (IBAM), CONICET, FCA-UNCuyo, Almirante Brown 500, M5528AHB, Chacras de Coria, Mendoza, Argentina
4 Instituto de Agrobiotecnología del Litoral, CONICET, Universidad Nacional del Litoral, Colectora Ruta Nacional 168km 0, 3000, Santa Fe, Argentina

Contact the author*

Keywords

bunch compactness, somatic variation, flower development, chromatin conformation, epiallele

Tags

2ICGWS | ICGWS | ICGWS 2023 | IVES Conference Series

Citation

Related articles…

Discovering the process of noble rot: fungal ecology of grape berries during the noble rot transformation in different vineyards of the Tokaj wine region

Botrytis cinerea, a well-known grapevine pathogen, has more than 1200 host plants causing grey rot in grapevine berries. However, it can also result in a desirable phenomenon called noble rot under specific microclimate conditions. An extraordinary demonstration of this natural process can be observed in the creation of aszú wines within Hungary’s Tokaj wine region. Beside B. cinerea other fungi and yeasts are involved in the secondary metabolic development of the grape berry which contributes to the sensory and analytical characterization of noble rot wines.

Read More

Evaluation of phenology, agronomic and oenological quality in minority wine varieties in Madrid as a strategy for adaptation to climate change

The main phenological stages (budburst, flowering, veraison, and ripeness) and the fruit composition of 34 Spanish minority varieties were studied to determine their cultivation potential and help winegrowers adapt their production systems to climate change conditions. In total, 4 control cultivars, and 30 minority varieties from central Spain were studied during a period of 3 campaigns, in the ampelographic collection “El Encín”, in Alcalá de Henares, Madrid. Agronomic and oenological characteristics such as yield, and total soluble solids concentration have been monitored.

Read More

Association between dietary pattern and wine consumption and Alzheimer’s disease in a cohort from La Rioja (Spain)

Addressing modifiable risk factors is the most promising strategy to prevent/delay Alzheimer Disease (AD)[1]. The aim of the study was to establish the connections between dietetic habits, wine consumption and AD. Thus, 98 volunteers were recruited: 50 diagnosed as AD and 48 healthy/controls. The Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) was used for dietary patterns assessment and, based on these data, the Mind Diet Score was calculated. (Poly)phenol metabolites (especially derived from wine consumption) were analyzed by UPLC-QqQ-MS/MS in 24-h urine samples to confirm dietary (poly)phenol consumption.

Read More

INTEGRAPE guidelines and tools: an effort of COST Action CA17111

INTEGRAPE was a European interdisciplinary network for “data integration to maximize the power of omics for grapevine improvement” (CA17111, https://integrape.eu/), funded by the European COST Association from September 2018 to 2022. This Action successfully developed guidelines and tools for data management and promoted the best practices in grapevine omics studies with a holistic future vision of: “Imagine having all data on grapevine accessible in a single place”.

Read More

Early defoliation positively enhances bioactive composition of berries with no effect on cuticle characteristics

Leaf removal in the fruit-zone has been employed to improve cluster light exposure and ventilation and therefore increase metabolite accumulation and reduce botrytis incidence in berries. When applied before flowering (early defoliation – ED), it can also decrease cluster compactness and regulate yield in high-yielding varieties. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of ED on the physiology and metabolism of Aragonez (syn. Tempranillo) berries along the ripening period. The experiment was set up in 2013 at a commercial vineyard located in the Lisbon winegrowing region.

Read More