Key phenolic compounds in the pulp of new red-fleshed table grape hybrids: anthocyanins and flavonols 

Grapevine is one of the crops that may suffer more negative impacts
under climate change, due not only to changes in temperature but also due to water available. Some of the most direct effects of climate variability on grapevines are the changes in the onset and timing of phenology events and changes in the length of the growing season, which may have further effects on grape quality. The aim of this research was to analyze the changes in vine phenology of some red varieties (Tempranillo, Grenache and Carignan) cultivated in Rioja Oriental (Rioja DOCa), under different climate change scenarios.

The SUPPRESSOR OF OVEREXPRESSION OF CONSTANS1 (SOC1) is a key floral activator that coordinates external and internal stimuli to ensure timely flowering. During early stages of flower formation, SOC1 represses floral organ identity genes such as AGAMOUS (AG) to prevent premature organ differentiation. In addition to floral organ specification, AG has been shown to regulate fleshy fruit expansion and ripening and, as such, is an important contributor to fruit quality traits. Currently, little is known about the function and gene regulatory network of the grapevine homologs VviSOC1a and VviAG1. As such, the aim of this study was to functionally characterise both genes by overexpressing them in tomato and performing phenotypic and gene expression studies.

Increasingly warm and dry climate conditions are challenging the viticulture and winemaking sector. Digital technologies and crop modelling bear the promise to provide practical answers to those challenges. As viticultural activities strongly depend on harvest date, its early prediction is particularly important, since the success of winemaking practices largely depends upon this key event, which should be based on an accurate and advanced plan of the annual cycle. Herein, we demonstrate the creation of modelling tools to assess grape ripeness, through sugar concentration monitoring. The study area, the Portuguese Côa valley wine region, represents an important terroir in the “Douro Superior” subregion. Two varieties (cv. Touriga Nacional and Touriga Franca) grown in five locations across the Côa Region were considered. Sugar accumulation in grapes, with concentrations between 170 and 230 g l-1, was used from 2014 to 2020 as an indicator of technological maturity conditioned by meteorological factors. The climatic time series were retrieved from the EU Copernicus Service, while sugar data were collected by a non-profit organization, ADVID, and by Sogrape, a leading wine company. The software for calibrating and validating this model framework was the Phenology Modeling Platform (PMP), version 5.5, using Sigmoid and growing degree-day (GDD) models for predictions. The performance was assessed through two metrics: Roots Mean Square Error (RMSE) and efficiency coefficient (EFF), while validation was undertaken using leave-one-out cross-validation. Our findings demonstrate that sugar content is mainly dependent on temperature and air humidity. The models achieved a performance of 0.65

The implementation of food safety assurance systems in wineries involves ensuring that the wines produced do not pose a risk to consumer health and are therefore free from harmful substances, such as those that may be incorporated during the production process (pesticides, additives, etc.), allergens or mycotoxins.

DNA-binding proteins play a pivotal role in critical cellular processes such as DNA replication, transcription, recombination, repair, and other essential activities. Consequently, investigating the interactions between DNA and proteins is of paramount importance to gain insights into these fundamental cellular mechanisms. Several methodologies have been devised to uncover DNA-protein interactions, which can be broadly categorized into two approaches. The “protein-centered” approach focuses on identifying the DNA sequences bound by a specific transcription factor or a set of TFs. Techniques falling within this category include chromatin immunoprecipitation, and protein-binding microarrays.