Genomic characterization of terpene biosynthetic genes in seven Vitis vinifera L. varieties 

AIM: Color is one of the main qualitative parameters of a wine. As a matter of fact, immediately after having opened a bottle of wine, color, even before aroma and taste, is the first sensorial parameter to be evaluated by the consumer It can change according to various factors depending on the characteristics of the grapes or on the different production and storage processes. This study aims to evaluate the color differences on Lugana wines that are fermented with different yeast and nitrogen supply.

Two transmittance-based chlorophyll meters (SPAD-502 and CCM-200) were evaluated in estimating chlorophyll (Chl) and nitrogen (N) levels in grapevine leaves.

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.

The monitoring of the number of micro-orgranisms in wine is crucial for the wine producer. Traditional counting methods include microscopic enumeration and plating on selective media, which measures the culturability of the cells. The use of epifluorescence microscopy is, however, a method, which can measure both culturability and

I performed my PhD in grapevine physiology under the supervision of Dr. H. Medrano, standing in the vineyards from pre-dawn to sunrise during many hot, wet and sunny days with my colleagues J.M.E. and J.B. I also spent many days and nights facing ticks year-round working in Mediterranean macchias with J.Gu. and M.M. Later I was able to supervise PhD students on grapevines – like A.P. and M.T. – and on Mediterranean vegetation – like J.Gal. With the incorporation to the group of M.R.-C. ‘the puzzle’ was completed and, combining the aforementioned studies, we could conclude (more than 20 years ago) things like: (1) stomatal conductance is the best proxy for ‘water stress’ in studies on photosynthesis; (2) steady-state chlorophyll fluorescence retrieves photosynthesis under saturating light; (3) photoinhibition is not a major photosynthetic limitation under water stress; (4) mesophyll conductance instead is; and (5) mesophyll conductance is a major driver of leaf water use efficiency.