Surprising structural lability of a cysteine-S-conjugate precursor of 4-methyl-4-sulfanylpentan-2-one, a varietal aroma in wine of Vitis vinifera L. cv. Sauvignon blanc

4-Methyl-4-sulfanylpentan-2-one (1; 4MSP) provides a characteristic aroma compound of wines made from Vitis vinifera L. cv. Sauvignon blanc. 4MSP has a strong box-tree odor with a very low perception threshold and is derived from the cysteinylated precursor S-(1,1-dimethyl-3-oxobutyl)cysteine (4; P-4MSP). P-4MSP is transformed into 4MSP during alcoholic fermentation and is an excellent marker of varietal aroma potential. An improved synthesis of P-4MSP as well as of its deuterium-labeled analogue [D(6)]-P-4MSP is described. Several analytical methods (NMR, IR, LSI-MS, GC/MS, ESI-MS(n)) were combined to elucidate spontaneous reversible structural changes of P-4MSP at different pH values. At low pH, P-4MSP has a linear keto form. The keto-enol tautomerism was observed at neutral pH. At pH 8, the formation of N-substituted intramolecular hemiaminal was characterized by ESI-MS and ESI-MS(n) experiments. The hemiaminal loses H(2)O at high pH to produce a cycloimine, which is easily opened by acid hydrolysis. The keto-enol tautomerism explained the incorporation of only six D-atoms during the preparation of the P-4MSP deuterated standard even if [D(10)]mesityl oxide was used. Derivatization conditions for GC/MS analysis strongly affected the ratio of the monosilylated intramolecular cyclic form and the disilylated linear form of P-4MSP. The structural changes of P-4MSP may have a considerable impact on the development of methods of measuring varietal aroma potential.     

Study of genetic relationships between wild and domesticated grapevine distributed from Middle East Regions to European countries

Archaeobotanical-archaeological, cultural and historical data indicate that grapevine domestication can be dated back from 6000 to 7000 years ago and that it took place in the Caucasian and Middle East Regions. However, events leading to the domestication of this crop species are still an open issue. In this paper, 6 chloroplast microsatellites have been used to assess genetic similarities among, and within, domesticated and wild grapevine accessions representative of 7 distinct geographical regions from the Middle-East to Western Europe. Results show that 2 out of the 6 analyzed chloroplast loci are polymorphic within the 193 domesticated individuals and the 387 samples of 69 wild populations. Allele variants of the Cp-SSR loci combine in a total of 6 different haplotypes. The data show that the haplotype distribution is not homogeneous: the 6 haplotypes are present in the domesticated varieties, but only 5 (haplotype VI is absent) are observed in wild populations. The analysis of haplotype distribution allows discussion of the relationships between the two grape subspecies. The contribution of the wild grape germplasm to the domesticated gene pool still growing in different geographical regions can be, in cases, made evident, suggesting that beside domestication, gene introgression has also played a role in shaping the current varietal landscape of the European viticulture.

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Roles of leaf in regulation of root and shoot growth from single node softwood cuttings of grape (Vitis vinifera)

The role of leaf in regulation of root and shoot growths in single node softwood cuttings of grape (Vitis vinifera) was characterised. Leafy cuttings showed early rooting, vigorous root growth and subsequent shoot development. Defoliation at planting induced early sprouting, but adversely affected rooting and decreased the survival of cuttings irrespective of pre‐planting treatment with 100 μM indole 3‐acetic acid (IAA). Treatment with IAA did not affect the percent rooting of leafy cuttings but increased root and shoot growth. Leaf weight (wt) and leaf area of the cuttings showed a highly significant correlation to root wt of the new plant at 4 wk after planting, while cutting stem + petiole wt was either not or less significantly correlated to root and shoot weights of the subsequent plant. The greater the area or wt of leaf, the better the root and shoot growths, implying that leaf contributed to adventitious root growth. However, retaining the leaf for just 2 days was enough to stimulate rooting in more than 80% of the cuttings, suggesting that leaf tissue could also induce root formation. Root growth increased with the period of leaf retention but leaf removal before 3 wk triggered sprouting leading to high mortality in rooted cuttings. Bringing the leaf closer to the rooting zone by preparing leaf at base (LAB) cuttings delayed rooting and sprouting compared with the standard leaf at top (LAT) cuttings. An inhibitory effect on rooting and sprouting by the exposed upper internode region in LAB cuttings is suggested.     

Plant growth regulation activity of steviol and derivatives

This work describes the preparation of tetracyclic diterpenoids and determination of their plant growth regulator properties. Stevioside (2) was used as starting material and the derivatives 13-hydroxy-ent-kaur-16-en-19-oic acid (steviol, 3), ent-7alpha,13-dihydroxy-kaur-16-en-19-oic acid (4), 13-hydroxy, ent-kaur-16,17-epoxi-19-oic acid (steviol epoxide, 5), 17-hydroxy-16-ketobayeran-19-oic acid (17-hydroxyisosteviol, 6), 17-hydroxy-16-hydroxyiminobayeran-19-oic acid (7), 16-ketobayeran-19-oic acid (isosteviol, 9), 16,17-dihydroxybeyeran-19-oic acid (8), and 16-hydroxyiminobayeran-19-oic acid (isosteviol oxime, 10) were obtained by simple chemical procedures. Another derivative, ent-7alpha,13-dihydroxycaur-15-en-19-oic acid (4), was obtained by biotransformation of steviol (3) by Penicillium citrinum. In order to determine the plant growth regulator activity the compounds were submitted to the lettuce hypocotyl and barley aleurone bioassays. All compounds showed significant activities in both bioassays. Steviol (3) and isosteviol (9) were also tested in field-grown grapes resulting in an increase in berry weight and size.     

Genetic and QTL analysis of resistance to <Emphasis Type="Italic">Xiphinema index</Emphasis> in a grapevine cross

Resistance to the dagger nematode Xiphinema index has been an important objective in grape rootstock breeding programs. This nematode not only causes severe feeding damage to the root system, but it also vectors grapevine fanleaf virus (GFLV), the causal agent of fanleaf degeneration and one of the most severe viral diseases of grape. The established screening procedures for dagger nematode resistance are time consuming and can produce inconsistent results. A fast and reliable greenhouse-based system for screening resistance to X. index that is suitable for genetic studies and capable of evaluating breeding populations is needed. In this report, the dynamics of nematode numbers, gall formation, and root weight loss were investigated using a variety of soil mixes and pot sizes over a 52-week period. Results indicated that the number of galls formed was correlated with the size of the nematode population and with the degree of root weight loss. After inoculation with 100 nematodes, gall formation could be reliably evaluated in 4–8 weeks in most plant growth conditions and results were obtained 6 months more rapidly than past evaluation methods. This modified X. index resistance screening method was successfully applied to 185 of the 188 F₁ progeny from a cross of D8909-15 × F8909-17 (the 9621 population), which segregates for a form of X. index resistance originally derived from Vitis arizonica. Quantitative trait loci (QTL) analysis was carried out on both parental genetic maps of 255 markers using MapQTL 4.0. Results revealed that X. index resistance is controlled by a major QTL, designated Xiphinema index Resistance 1 (XiR1), near marker VMC5a10 on chromosome 19. The XiR1 QTL was supported by a LOD score of 36.9 and explained 59.9% of the resistance variance in the mapping population. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Cellular expansion and gene expression in the developing grape (Vitis vinifera L.)

Summary. Expression profiles of genes involved in cell wall metabolism and water transport were compared with changes in grape (Vitis vinifera L.) berry growth, basic chemical composition, and the shape, size, and wall thickness of cells within tissues of the berry pericarp. Expression of cell wall-modifying and aquaporin genes in berry pericarp tissues generally followed a bimodal expression profile with high levels of expression coinciding with the two periods of rapid berry growth, stages I and III, and low levels of expression corresponding to the slow-growth period, stage II. Cellular expansion was observed throughout all tissues during stage I, and only mesocarp cellular expansion was observed during stage III. Expansion of only exocarp cells was evident during transition between stages II and III. Cell wall-modifying and aquaporin gene expression profiles followed similar trends in exocarp and mesocarp tissues throughout berry development, with the exception of the up-regulation of pectin methylesterase, pectate lyase, two aquaporin genes (AQ1 and AQ2), and two expansin genes (EXP3 and EXPL) during stage II, which was delayed in the exocarp tissue compared with mesocarp tissue. Exocarp endo-(1→3)-β-glucanase and expansin-like gene expression was concurrent with increases in epidermal and hypodermal cell wall thickness. These results indicate a potential role of the grape berry skin in modulating grape berry growth. Correspondence: P. Bowen, Pacific Agri-Food Research Centre, 4200 Highway 97, Summerland, BC V0H 1Z0, Canada     

Potassium nutrition of Cabernet Sauvignon grapevines (Vitis vinifera L.) as affected by shoot trimming

As potassium (K) requirement of grapevine (Vitis viniferaL.) berries is high and phloem translocation from mature leaves to developing organs is well established, it was posited that shoot trimming, a widely applied technique which alters the source-sink balance and the mature-to-immature foliage ratio of a canopy, may influence K deficiency. Six-year-old Cabernet Sauvignon grapevines were grown in 0.045 m³ pots (one plant per pot) filled with a soil sampled from a vineyard previously displaying K deficiency symptoms. Two levels of K supply (K₀, no K added; K_1, 25 g K per pot added in five splits from bloom to post veraison) were tested on vines that for each level were left (a) untrimmed and trimmed at ten main leaves with (b) or without (c) maintenance of lateral shoots in a split-plot design. Potassium concentration of leaf blades, berries and canes, vegetative growth and leaf gas exchange were recorded throughout the season; yield, grape quality and must characteristics were determined at fruit maturity. While adding potassium to the soil resulted in higher K concentration in blades of both main and lateral shoots and berries at harvest, trimming with removal of lateral shoots resulted in lower blade K concentration of the main leaves at harvest and more severe K deficiency symptoms regardless of K soil availability. Berry K concentration and the fraction of whole-plant K partitioned to clusters were not significantly affected by trimming. Gas-exchange, vegetative growth, yield and grape quality were not affected by the seasonal K fertilization, whereas the latter was impaired when trimming with excision of lateral shoots was applied. The results indicate that if shoot trimming is not followed by an adequate regrowth of secondary shoots an excessive depletion of potassium from the retained old basal leaves occurs during fruit maturity and increases the risk of leaf K deficiency, particularly in the K₀ treatment.     

中国野生毛葡萄酒的香味成分分析

毛葡萄酒的香味成分由醇、酯、醛、酮等构成,3-甲基-1-丁醇是最主要的香气成分,分别占总量的34.1％（83-4-67）、34.12％（泰-12）、41.78％（商-24）;其单宁、总酚含量高,颜色深浓。毛葡萄种内3个系酒的香味成分总量、种类和各类成分的含量均存在明显差异。毛葡萄酒具有青草、烟熏、肥皂、焦糖及酸涩等香味特征。     

抗风桐(Pisonia grandis)的生态生物学特征

对收集于广西桂林的17份野生毛葡萄种质和24份栽培葡萄种质,分别使用12条ISSR和12条SCoT引物进行了遗传多样性和亲缘关系检测。结果表明：两种分子标记均能产生较丰富的多态性片段,可有效应用于葡萄的遗传多样性检测,但在聚类分析结果上表现出一定的差异性,SCoT分子标记能更好地区分野生种质和栽培品种,说明SCoT分子标记在葡萄遗传多样性检测和系统进化研究上可能更有优势。从SCoT聚类结果上看,广西植物研究所收集的3个野生毛葡萄种质zws1、zws2和zws3相对其它野生种质而言,更偏向于与栽培种质聚为一类,说明这一类野生毛葡萄可能是这些栽培品种的原始亲本来源之一。不同的野生种质聚为多个类群,并表现出明显的地域特性,但遗传距离相对较远,说明桂林野生毛葡萄资源具有丰富的遗传变异。栽培品种没有明显的聚类特点,可能因为所选用的栽培品种的地域代表性并不是很强,也可能是因为栽培品种在不断的人工杂交选育过程中,遗传背景趋向一致,遗传多样性降低。该研究证明SCoT分子标记在葡萄遗传多样性研究上具有一定的优势。该研究结果为桂林毛葡萄资源的保护、利用和品种选育提供了理论依据,也为葡萄的系统进化研究提供了参考。     

盐碱胁迫对山葡萄光合特性及生长发育的影响

以棚内盆栽山葡萄品种‘双优’(抗逆性弱)和‘左山一’(抗逆性强)扦插苗为材料,利用气体交换分析和叶绿素荧光诱导动力学分析手段,研究了轻度、中度和重度盐碱胁迫对不同抗逆性山葡萄品种的光合特性及PSⅡ活性以及生长发育的影响,为山葡萄耐盐碱品种的评价提供理论依据。结果显示:(1)‘双优’各胁迫程度下的净光合速率(P_n)、气孔导度(Gs)和重度胁迫下的蒸腾速率(T_r)显著低于对照,而‘左山一’重度胁迫下的Pn和T_r、中重度胁迫下的Gs、各胁迫程度下的胞间二氧化碳浓度(Ci)显著低于对照,净光合速率下降主要归因于气孔限制和非气孔限制。(2)轻度、中度盐碱胁迫‘双优’叶片单位反应中心吸收的光能(ABS/RS)、单位面积内有活性反应中心数目(RS/CS)和吸收光能为基础的性能指数(PIABS),以及重度盐碱胁迫下‘左山一’的ABS/RS、RS/CS、用于电子传递的光能(ETo/CS)均显著低于相应对照,其余均无显著变化。(3)2品种山葡萄植株茎流率及株高、叶片数和根系生物量等生长指标在不同盐碱胁迫水平下均比对照显著降低,并以‘双优’品种降低幅度更大。研究表明,盐碱胁对山葡萄‘左山一’的叶片净光合速率、PSⅡ光能吸收和传递效率以及生长的抑制作用均小于‘双优’,‘左山一’的耐盐碱性更强。