terclim by ICS banner
IVES 9 IVES Conference Series 9 Open-GPB 9 Open-GPB-2024 9 Flash - New biotechnological tools 9 Deciphering the function and regulation of VviEPFL9 paralogs to modulate stomatal density in grapevine through New Genomic Techniques

Deciphering the function and regulation of VviEPFL9 paralogs to modulate stomatal density in grapevine through New Genomic Techniques

Abstract

Stomata are microscopic pores mainly located in leaf epidermis, allowing gas exchanges between plants and atmosphere. Stomatal initiation relies on the transcription factor SPEECHLESS which is mainly regulated by the MAP kinase cascade, in turn controlled by small signaling peptides, the Epidermal Patterning Factors (EPF and EPF-Like), namely EPF1, EPF2 and EPFL9. While EPF1 and EPF2 induce the inhibition of SPEECHLESS, their antagonist, EPFL9, stabilizes it, leading to stomatal formation. In grapevine, there are two paralogs for EPFL9, VviEPFL9-1 and VviEPFL9-2. Despite their structural similarity, it remains unclear whether they are differentially regulated and have distinct roles. In our study we showed that while VviEPFL9-1 is expressed only in the apex, VviEPFL9-2 is expressed both in the apex and in mature leaves along the plant axis and is significantly repressed by ABA. To support experimental data, an in-silico transcriptomic analysis has been carried out using publicly available datasets. In addition, both genes were functionally characterized using knock-out (KO) mutants generated via CRISPR/Cas9. Leaf stomatal density and gas exchange parameters were significantly different between ‘Sugraone’ WT plants and VviEPFL9-2 KO lines, whereas the differences were negligible between WT and VviEPFL9-1 KO lines. Moreover, a water stress experiment was carried out to deeply compare the physiology of edited lines and WT plants under drought conditions. Our results suggest that VviEPFL9 paralogs have distinct roles in determining stomatal plasticity during leaf growth, and that VviEPFL9-2 may be considered a key target to increase grapevine resilience to water deficiency.

DOI:

Publication date: June 13, 2024

Issue: Open GPB 2024

Type: Article

Authors

Umar Shahbaz1,2, Pierre Videau3, Katerina Labonova3, David Navarro-Payá4, Alvaro Vidal1,2, José Tomás Matus4, Mickael Malnoy1, Olivier Zekri3, Fabio Fiorani5, Michele Faralli2, Lorenza Dalla Costa1*

1 Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, San Michele all’Adige, Italy
2 Center Agriculture Food Environment (C3A), University of Trento, 38098, San Michele all’Adige, Italy
3 Novatech, Mercier Groupe, Le Champ des Noels, France
4 Institute for Integrative Systems Biology, Universitat de València-CSIC,46980 Paterna, Valencia, Spain
5 Institute of Bio- and Geo-Sciences, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, 52425 Jülich, Germany

Contact the author*

Keywords

Vitis vinifera, Epidermal Patterning Factors, CRISPR/Cas9, gas exchange, water stress

Tags

IVES Conference Series | Open GPB | Open GPB 2024

Citation

Related articles…

Il paesaggio delle alberate aversane ed il vino Asprinio

Nel corso del 2009, in alcuni vigneti allevati ad alberata in provincia di Caserta (Italia), è stata avviata una ricerca per valutare la variabilità genetica della popolazione del vitigno ‘Asprinio’, la condizione sanitaria delle piante e le caratteristiche del vino sia rispetto alla forma di allevamento (alberata tradizionale e controspalliera) che all’altezza della fascia produttiva.

Aromatic maturity is a cornerstone of terroir expression in red wine

Harvesting grapes at adequate maturity is key to the production of high-quality red wines. Enologists and wine makers define several types of maturity, including technical maturity, phenolic maturity and aromatic maturity. Technical maturity and phenolic maturity are relatively well documented in the scientific literature, while articles on aromatic maturity are scarcer. This is surprising, because aromatic maturity is, without a doubt, the most important of the three in determining wine quality and typicity (including terroir expression). Optimal terroir expression can be obtained when the different types of maturity are reached at the same time, or within a short time frame. This is more likely to occur when the ripening takes place under mild temperatures, neither too cool, nor too hot. Aromatic expression in wine can be driven, from low to high maturity, by green, herbal, fresh fruit, ripe fruit, jammy fruit, candied fruit or cooked fruit aromas. Green and cooked fruit aromas are not desirable in red wines, while the levels of other aromatic compounds contribute to the typicity of the wine in relation to its origin. Wines produced in cool climates, or on cool soils in temperate climates, are likely to express herbal or fresh fruit aromas; while wines produced under warm climates, or on warm soils in temperate climates, may express ripe fruit, jammy fruit or candied fruit aromas. Growers can optimize terroir expression through their choice of grapevine variety. Early ripening varieties perform better in cool climates and late ripening varieties in warm climates. Additionally, maturity can be advanced or delayed by different canopy management practices or training systems.

Comportement phénologique et végétatif de la cv “Italia” en rapport an climat dans les deux zones typiques de viticulture de table en Sicile

Le travail a le but de contribuer à faire connaître l’influence du milieu, en particulier le climat, sur l’expression génétique de la variété Italia en Sicile.
L’etude a étè effectué durant six années, du 1992 au 1997

Severe infestations of Daktulosphaeria vitifoliae on the hybrid rootstock 1103 Paulsen in Apulia Region (Italy)

In the last four years, despite repeated fertilization and irrigation applications from the farmer, a progressive vegetative decline and yield decrease have been observed in a large (5 ha) 10-year-old table grapes vineyard of the cv. Autumn Pearl grafted on 1103 Paulsen and located nearby the Ionian Sea in Taranto province (Apulia, Italy).

Enological technics to enhance the aromatic qualities of white spirits 

Eugenol has been identified as a quality marker in armagnac white spirits. In particular, those produced from the Baco blanc variety, the only hybrid variety authorised in a French PDO, bred since 1898 from noah (vitis labrusca x v.riparia) and folle blanche (v. Vinifera). The varietal compound of Baco blanc, eugenol has many original properties.