Proteomic analysis reveals differences between Vitis vinifera L. cv. Chardonnay and cv. Cabernet Sauvignon and their responses to water deficit and salinity

The impact of water deficit and salt stress on two important wine grape cultivars, Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon, was investigated. Plants were exposed to increasing salinity and water deficit stress over a 16 d time period. Measurements of stem water potentials, and shoot and leaf lengths indicated that Chardonnay was more tolerant to these stresses than Cabernet Sauvignon. Shoot tips were harvested every 8 d for proteomic analysis using a trichloroacetic acid/acetone extraction protocol and two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. Proteins were stained with Coomassie Brilliant Blue, quantified, and then 191 unique proteins were identified using matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time of flight/time of flight mass spectrometry. Peptide sequences were matched against both the NCBI nr and TIGR Vitis expressed sequence tag (EST) databases that had been implemented with all public Vitis sequences. Approximately 44% of the protein isoforms could be identified. Analysis of variance indicated that varietal difference was the main source of protein expression variation (40%). In stressed plants, reduction of the amount of proteins involved with photosynthesis, protein synthesis, and protein destination was correlated with the inhibition of shoot elongation. Many of the proteins up-regulated in Chardonnay were of unclassified or of unknown function, whereas proteins specifically up-regulated in Cabernet Sauvignon were involved in protein metabolism.     

Two new grape cultivars, bud sports of Cabernet Sauvignon bearing pale-coloured berries, are the result of deletion of two regulatory genes of the berry colour locus

Bud sports are infrequent changes in phenotype affecting shoots of woody perennials but the molecular basis of these mutations has rarely been identified. In this report, we show that the bronze-coloured berries of the Malian cultivar, a documented bud sport of the wine grape Cabernet Sauvignon (Vitis vinifera L.), lack anthocyanins in the subepidermal cells compared to the red/black berried Cabernet Sauvignon in which both the epidermis and several subepidermal cell layers contain anthocyanin. The Malian phenotype is correlated with an alteration in the genome indicated by a reduction of hybridisation signal using a MYBA probe. In Shalistin, a white-berried bud sport of Malian, the red allele at the berry colour locus appears to have been deleted completely. These data suggest that Malian could be a L1/L2 periclinal chimera, which gave rise to Shalistin by an invasion of epidermal cells (L1) by the mutated subepidermal cells (L2). The red grape Pinot Noir has given rise to a number of pale coloured sports, although the provenance of the extant sports is not known. We show that a clone of Pinot Blanc (white-berried) does not have a deletion of the red allele of the same dimensions as that in Shalistin, though a small deletion is a likely explanation for the altered phenotype. However, the mechanism of deletion of the red allele of the berry colour locus is a possible means by which other red to white clonal mutations of grapevines have occurred.     

Fruit ripening in Vitis vinifera: light intensity before and not during ripening determines the concentration of 2-methoxy-3-isobutylpyrazine in Cabernet Sauvignon berries

The roles of light and temperature in the accumulation of the vegetal impact compound 2-methoxy-3-isobutylpyrazine (MIBP) in grape (Vitis vinifera L.) berries were determined. Individual clusters were exposed to various light intensities using neutral density shade cloth before ripening, during ripening or throughout the season in three growing seasons. A recently developed method using headspace solid-phase microextraction combined with GC-MS in the selected ion-monitoring mode was employed to measure MIBP in berries. Berry MIBP concentration increased subsequent to berry set, reached a maximum prior to onset of ripening, and then decreased thereafter until harvest. Complete shading of clusters increased the concentration of MIBP more than 100% compared to unshaded controls in 2 out of 3 years. Light increasingly inhibited MIBP concentrations up to 25-50% of ambient light intensities (1500 μmol photons m(-2) s(-1) ). However, only changes in light intensity before ripening had any effect on MIBP accumulation or final MIBP concentration. Analyses of weather data showed that the 1 year in which shading was ineffective was unusually warm, warm early in the season, and had more hot days and higher early season degree days than the other 2 years. In controlled environment experiments, warm growth conditions reduced MIBP concentrations in fruit about as much as light exposure reduced MIBP concentrations in the field experiments. The results indicate that both light and temperature significantly affect MIBP in harvested fruit, but that the light environment during ripening does not significantly affect MIBP concentrations in the berries at harvest.     

酿酒葡萄‘赤霞珠’VvbHLH 93基因的克隆及分析北大核心CSCD

bHLH93转录因子参与调节植物的生长发育、应对各种胁迫等多种生理过程,该研究以酿酒葡萄‘赤霞珠’为试验材料,采用RT-PCR方法克隆葡萄VvbHLH 93基因全长,并进行生物信息学分析;用qRT-PCR法分析bHLH93在不同组织和果实不同发育时期的表达量,为进一步探索VvbHLH 93基因的功能及其机制奠定基础。结果表明:(1)成功克隆获得葡萄VvbHLH 93,该基因cDNA全长为1319 bp,开放阅读框长度为939 bp,编码312个氨基酸,相对分子量为35.18 kD,理论等电点为4.68,无信号肽和跨膜域,属于bHLH转录因子家族。(2)葡萄bHLH93蛋白与荷花的亲缘关系较近;VvbHLH93蛋白的C端为酸性结构区,富含丝氨酸、苏氨酸磷酸化位点;VvbHLH 93基因的启动子含有光响应元件和低温、干旱、赤霉素等应答元件。(3)qRT-PCR分析表明,VvbHLH 93在‘赤霞珠’中的表达具有组织特异性,在叶片中基本不表达,在茎中的表达量最高;随着赤霞珠葡萄果实的发育成熟,VvbHLH93相对表达量不断降低,到幼果期(直径>2 mm)后第5周开始相对表达量基本为0,总体呈现降低的变化趋势;与对照相比,在低温胁迫、盐胁迫、高温胁迫及充分灌溉胁迫下VvbHLH 93表达量显著降低。研究推测,VvbHLH 93基因可能是葡萄抗逆胁迫的负转录因子。     

Water deficits accelerate ripening and induce changes in gene expression regulating flavonoid biosynthesis in grape berries

Water deficits consistently promote higher concentrations of anthocyanins in red winegrapes and their wines. However, controversy remains as to whether there is any direct effect on berry metabolism other than inhibition of growth. Early (ED) and late (LD) season water deficits, applied before or after the onset of ripening (veraison), were imposed on field grown Vitis vinifera “Cabernet Sauvignon”, and the responses of gene expression in the flavonoid pathway and their corresponding metabolites were determined. ED accelerated sugar accumulation and the onset of anthocyanin synthesis. Both ED and LD increased anthocyanin accumulation after veraison. Expression profiling revealed that the increased anthocyanin accumulation resulted from earlier and greater expression of the genes controlling flux through the anthocyanin biosynthetic pathway, including F3H, DFR, UFGT and GST. Increases in total anthocyanins resulted predominantly from an increase of 3′4′5′-hydroxylated forms through the differential regulation of F3′H and F3′5′H. There were limited effects on proanthocyanidin, other flavonols, and on expression of genes committed to their synthesis. These results demonstrate that manipulation of abiotic stress through applied water deficits not only modulates compositional changes during berry ripening, but also alters the timing of particular aspects of the ripening process.     

Sauvignon blanc metabolomics: grape juice metabolites affecting the development of varietal thiols and other aroma compounds in wines

The pathway for the biogenesis of varietal thiols, such as 3-mercaptohexanol (3MH), 3-mercaptohexyl acetate (3MHA) and 4-mercapto-4-methylpentan-2-one (4MMP) in Sauvignon blanc (SB) wines is still an open question. Varietal thiol development requires yeast activity, but poor correlation has been found between thiols and their putative respective precursors. This research is the first application of metabolomics to unravel metabolites in the grape juice that affect the production of varietal thiols in wines. Comprehensive metabolite profiling of 63 commercially harvested SB juices were performed by combining gas chromatography–mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. These juices were fermented under controlled laboratory conditions using a commercial yeast strain (EC1118) at 15 °C. Correlation of thiol concentration in the wines with initial metabolite profiles identified 24 metabolites that showed positive correlation (R > 0.3) with both 3MH and 3MHA, while only glutamine had positive correlation with 4MMP. Subsequently, we carried out juice manipulation experiments by adding subsets of these 24 metabolites in a 2011 SB grape juice in order to validate the hypotheses generated by metabolomics. The juice manipulation results confirmed metabolomics hypotheses and revealed grape juice metabolites that significantly impact on the development of three major varietal thiols and other aroma compounds of SB wines.     

葡萄品种赤霞珠采收期果穗和果粒性状的差异分析

作为发酵前的一个重要工艺过程,穗选和粒选在优质葡萄酒生产中被广泛采用,但人们对果穗之间和同一果穗内果粒之间品质差异的了解还非常有限。本研究对采收期大小和紧密度不同的4穗成熟赤霞珠葡萄进行了分析:对每穗果实的果穗紧密度、果穗重量、每果穗中果粒数量,每粒果的种子数量和重量、可溶性固形物浓度和果皮颜色等进行了检测,并在此基础上进行了穗选和粒选的模拟试验。结果表明:果粒中可溶性固形物的积累与果粒的曝光程度相关性较差,但果粒的曝光程度显著影响果皮着色,果穗紧密程度显著影响浆果果皮着色和种子成熟;每粒果实的可溶性固形物浓度与果粒重相关性不强,但随着果粒重的增加,可溶性固形物浓度有减小的趋势。穗选和粒选能提高中等大小果粒(0.76~1.50 g)所占的比例,使1粒种子果粒所占的比例降低,增加单位重量果实中的种子重量,降低果粒重的变异系数,但对整个浆果群体可溶性固形物浓度分布和平均值无实质影响。因此,影响酿酒葡萄果穗潜在质量的关键因素在于果穗紧密度、果粒大小和种子成熟度;建议在优质葡萄酒生产过程中先进行穗选,淘汰紧密度过紧的果穗,然后在此基础上再进行粒选。     

Metabolism of sugars and organic acids in immature grape berries

Individual intact excised immature Sultana berries were supplied through the cut pedicel with ¹⁴C-sugars and organic acids. When ¹⁴C-hexoses were supplied malic and tartaric acids accounted for 25% and 10% of the total activity extracted after 24 hours, and sucrose was synthesized. It is proposed that the changes in the levels of organic acids during ripening are related to changes in the ability of the berry to synthesize them. Although administration of uniformly labeled sucrose resulted in the unequal labeling of glucose and fructose, the results indicate breakdown of sucrose by invertase. It is suggested that the route of entry of the pedicel-fed sugars into the berry may be different from the route taken by sugar translocated from the leaf.     

Deciphering signature of selection affecting beef quality traits in Angus cattle

Artificial selection towards a desired phenotype/trait has modified the genomes of livestock dramatically that generated breeds that greatly differ in morphology, production and environmental adaptation traits. Angus cattle are among the famous cattle breeds developed for superior beef quality. This paper aimed at exploring genomic regions under selection in Angus cattle that are associated with meat quality traits and other associated phenotypes. The whole genome of 10 Angus cattle was compared with 11 Hanwoo (A-H) and 9 Jersey (A-J) cattle breeds using a cross-population composite likelihood ratio (XP-CLR) statistical method. The top 1% of the empirical distribution was taken as significant and annotated using UMD3.1. As a result, 255 and 210 genes were revealed under selection from A–H and A–J comparisons, respectively. The WebGestalt gene ontology analysis resulted in sixteen (A–H) and five (A–J) significantly enriched KEGG pathways. Several pathways associated with meat quality traits (insulin signaling, type II diabetes mellitus pathway, focal adhesion pathway, and ECM-receptor interaction), and feeding efficiency (olfactory transduction, tight junction, and metabolic pathways) were enriched. Genes affecting beef quality traits (e.g., FABP3, FTO, DGAT2, ACS, ACAA2, CPE, TNNI1), stature and body size (e.g., PLAG1, LYN, CHCHD7, RPS20), fertility and dystocia (e.g., ESR1, RPS20, PPP2R1A, GHRL, PLAG1), feeding efficiency (e.g., PIK3CD, DNAJC28, DNAJC3, GHRL, PLAG1), coat color (e.g., MC1-R) and genetic disorders (e.g., ITGB6, PLAG1) were found to be under positive selection in Angus cattle. The study identified genes and pathways that are related to meat quality traits and other phenotypes of Angus cattle. The findings in this study, after validation using additional or independent dataset, will provide useful information for the study of Angus cattle in particular and beef cattle in general.     

The first crystal structure of gluconolactonase important in the glucose secondary metabolic pathways

The first gluconolactonase crystal structure from bacteria has been determined to a resolution of 1.61 Å using X-ray crystallography. It belongs to the senescence marker protein 30/gluconolaconase superfamily but exhibits substrate specificity mainly toward d-glucono-δ-lactone. It forms a novel disulfide-bonded clamshell dimer comprising two doughnut-shaped six-bladed β-propeller domains, yet with an exceptionally long N-terminal subdomain forming an extra helix and four additional β-strands to enclose half of the outermost β-strands of each propeller. Extensive interactions, including H-bonds, salt bridges, disulfide bonds, and coordination bonds, along with numerous bridging water molecules, are present in the interface to institute the “top-to-top” clamshell-type dimer. Three calcium ions per subunit were observed. Two are present in the central water-filled channel, with the top one coordinated to four highly conserved amino acids and is possibly involved in substrate hydrolysis, while the bottom one is coordinated to the backbone oxygen atoms, which is possibly for stabilizing the propeller domain. One calcium ion is situated in the interface also to stabilize the dimer form. Since gluconolactonase is essential in the glucose secondary metabolic pathways leading to the synthesis of pentose, vitamin C, or “antiaging” factors, determination of its tertiary structure should help understand these important biochemical processes.     

赤霞珠葡萄果实苹果酸生物合成关键转录因子的筛选与鉴定

该研究以宁夏贺兰山东麓酿酒葡萄种植区栽培面积最大的‘赤霞珠’为材料,在前期完成从果实形成至成熟不同发育时期的转录组测序以及关键有机酸含量测定基础上,进一步通过转录因子结合位点预测、差异表达基因分析、加权基因共表达网络关联分析(WGCNA),逐步筛选出与‘赤霞珠’果实苹果酸生物合成相关功能基因特异结合的、影响苹果酸生物合成的相应转录因子,并对其进行qRT PCR验证,以揭示这些关键功能基因及其关键转录因子在葡萄不同种植区、果实不同发育时期存在的相互调控作用机制,为以后培育优质酿酒葡萄提供新的理论依据与思路。结果表明：(1)GC/MS分析发现, ‘赤霞珠’果实在4个发育时期的延胡索酸和苹果酸含量变化趋势基本一致,两种酸含量均从果实硬果期到绿果期逐步升至最高(3.63和626.53 μg/g),之后缓慢下降,经转色期到成熟期后逐渐降至最低(2.14和244.26 μg/g),而草酰乙酸的变化趋势却相反,在硬果期含量最高(315.54 μg/g),经绿果期、转色期到成熟期逐渐降至最低值(126.11 μg/g)。(2)‘赤霞珠’果实发育时期样本转录组测序共获得可能与苹果酸生物合成途径12种功能基因结合的转录因子6 411个,其中延胡索酸水化酶(FH)的3个功能基因有86个转录因子,苹果酸脱氢酶(MDH)的10个功能基因有717个转录因子。(3)转录组测序数据及其与有机酸含量WGCNA关联结果的Veen分析确定了‘赤霞珠’果实成熟过程中与苹果酸生物合成相关度最高的3个FH基因(VIT_14s0060g01700、VIT_13s0019g03330、VIT_07s0005g00880)、2个MDH基因(VIT_10s0003g01000、VIT_13s0019g05250)及相应的18个关键转录因子。(4)qRT PCR验证及相关性分析表明, FH基因VIT_13s0019g03330与其转录因子VIT_01s0011g06200、VIT_08s0056g01230以及MDH基因VIT_13s0019g05250与其转录因子VIT_06s0004g04960、VIT_10s0003g02070的表达水平与苹果酸的积累存在显著正相关关系,推测这4个关键转录因子可能通过调控功能基因的转录,综合影响‘赤霞珠’果实苹果酸的生物合成。     

Effect of light exposure on linalool biosynthesis and accumulation in grape berries

Linalool is an important compound that contributes to the floral aroma in wines. This study showed the effect of light exposure on linalool accumulation in berries. The grape bunches were covered with films that block the full light spectrum (Shade) and the UV spectrum (UV-block), and a transparent film (Control). The linalool content was significantly higher in juice from Control-covered berries than in juice from Shade- and UV-block-covered berries, and the expression levels of the representative genes in linalool biosynthesis in Shade- and UV-block-covered berries were markedly lower than in Control-covered berries. These findings suggest that exposing berries to light is essential for linalool biosynthesis. To reflect sunlight onto grape clusters, reflective sheets were placed on the ground of a vineyard. The linalool content in berries exposed to sunlight reflected from the reflective sheets was higher than those in the control.     

Solute accumulation differs in the vacuoles and apoplast of ripening grape berries

Phloem unloading is thought to switch from a symplastic route to an apoplastic route at the beginning of ripening in grape berries and some other fleshy fruits. However, it is unclear whether different solutes accumulate in both the mesocarp vacuoles and the apoplast. We modified a method developed for tomato fruit to extract apoplastic sap from grape berries and measured the changes in apoplastic and vacuolar pH, soluble sugars, organic acids, and potassium in ripening berries of Vitis vinifera ‘Merlot’ and V. labruscana ‘Concord’. Solute accumulation varied by genotype, compartment, and chemical species. The apoplast pH was substantially higher than the vacuolar pH, especially in Merlot (approximately two units). However, the vacuole–apoplast proton gradient declined during ripening and in Merlot, but not in Concord, collapsed entirely at maturity. Hexoses accumulated in both the vacuoles and apoplast but at different rates. Organic acids, especially malate, declined much more in the vacuoles than in the apoplast. Potassium accumulated in the vacuoles and apoplast of Merlot. In Concord, by contrast, potassium increased in the vacuoles but decreased in the apoplast. These results suggest that solutes in the fruit apoplast are tightly regulated and under developmental control.     

抗性砧木对赤霞珠葡萄叶片白藜芦醇合成过程及含量的影响

为了明确不同抗性砧木对赤霞珠葡萄叶片白藜芦醇含量及其合成过程中前体物质和相关代谢酶活性的影响,分析不同抗性砧木与白藜芦醇合成的关系,以获得提高接穗品种赤霞珠葡萄叶片白藜芦醇含量的抗性砧木。该研究选择弗卡(Fercal)、5C、140R、3309M、3309C、SO4、抗砧3号(Kangzhen3)、5BB为砧木与赤霞珠(CS)葡萄进行嫁接,以赤霞珠自根苗为对照(CK),采用高效液相色谱技术,测定成熟葡萄叶片白藜芦醇以及合成白藜芦醇前体物质苯丙氨酸、肉桂酸、香豆酸含量,并对合成白藜芦醇相关代谢酶苯丙氨酸解氨酶(PAL)、肉桂酸-4-羟化酶(C4H)、4-香豆-辅酶A连接酶(4CL)、过氧化物酶(POD)以及多酚氧化酶(PPO)的活性进行测定。结果表明:(1)不同砧木均能提高接穗赤霞珠葡萄叶片白藜芦醇含量11%~46%。(2)在各砧穗组合中,CS/140R嫁接苗叶片的白藜芦醇含量最高达到18.24μg/g,其合成白藜芦醇前体物质苯丙氨酸和香豆酸含量也最高,分别达到38.61和1.06μg/g。(3)在各砧穗组合中,白藜芦醇相关代谢酶PAL活性以CS/3309C嫁接苗叶片最高;嫁接苗叶片代谢酶C4H和4CL活性均高于赤霞珠自根苗;POD和PPO活性均以CS/Fercal的接穗赤霞珠叶片最强。研究发现,不同抗性砧木能显著提高赤霞珠葡萄叶片白藜芦醇含量,相关代谢酶C4H活性对葡萄白藜芦醇的合成至关重要,PPO活性与葡萄叶片白藜芦醇合成也密切相关,CS/140R是8个砧穗组合中提高赤霞珠葡萄叶片白藜芦醇含量最具优势的砧穗组合。