The role of phytoplasma effector interaction with phosphoglucomutase in the pathogenicity of ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma solani’ in grapevine 

Vineyard nutrient management is crucial for reaching production-specific quality standards, yet timely evaluation of nutrient status remains challenging. The existing sampling protocol of collecting vine tissue (leaves and/or petioles) at bloom or veraison is time-consuming. Additionally, this sampling practice is too late for in-season fertilizer applications (e.g. N is applied well before bloom). Therefore alternative early-season protocols are necessary to predict the vine nutrient demand for the upcoming season. The main goals of this project are to 1) optimize existing tissue sampling protocols; 2) determine the amount of nutrients removed at the end of the growing season.

The decision for grape berries to ripen involves a complex interplay of genetic regulation and environmental cues. This review explores the molecular mechanisms underlying the transition from vegetative growth to ripening, focusing on transcriptomic studies and the role of the NAC gene family. Transcriptomic analyses reveal a significant rearrangement of gene expression patterns during this transition, with up-regulation of ripening-related genes and down-regulation of those associated with vegetative growth. A molecular phenology scale providing a high-precision map of berry transcriptomic development, indicates that key molecular changes occur well before the onset of ripening.

The article presents the results of a study on the technological features of producing sparkling wines of the Pétillant Naturel (Pet-Nat) type, made using the ancestral method from the Muscat Ottonel and Pinot Noir grape varieties.

The ripening of grapevine berries encompasses complex morphological and physiological processes, especially at veraison. Berry shrivel (BS) is a ripening physiological disorder affecting grape berries with visible symptoms appearing short after veraison. The main symptoms of BS are a strong reduction in sugar accumulation, inhibited anthocyanin biosynthesis and high pH values. The most popular red grape cultivar in Austria “Blauer Zweigelt” (Vitis vinifera L.) is specifically prone to develop the BS ripening disorder and up to date a no specific cause or causes could be identified. Recently omics approaches have identified and characterized key processes during grapevine ripening. Among them a small subset of genes, called SWITCH, have been described as markers for the onset of the ripening process in fruits.

Microbiomes have crucial roles in maintaining life on Earth, and their functions drive human, animal, plant and environmental health. The microbiome research landscape is developing rapidly and is performed in many different science fields using similar concepts but mostly one (eco)system at-a-time. Thus, we are only starting to unravel and understand the interconnectedness of microbiomes across the (eco)systems.