Project description:Meristem culture and somatic embryogenesis is an effective tool for virus elimination of vegetatively propagated crops including grapevine. While they both are proved to be useful to eliminate the main grapevine viruses their efficiency differs according to the virus and the variety. In our work we investigated their efficiency using small RNA high-throughput sequencing as virus diagnostic method. Field grown mother plants of four clones representing three cultivars, infected with different viruses and viroids were selected for sanitation via somatic embryogenesis and meristem culture. Our results show that the sanitation with SE was efficient against all of the presenting viruses, including grapevine Pinot gris virus, grapevine rupestris vein feathering virus and grapevine Syrah virus 1, having no data using somatic embryogenesis for their elimination. In case of other viruses and viroids such as GFkV, GRSPaV, GYSVd-1, HSVd this study confirms the findings of earlier researches, that SE is a possible way for elimination. While the efficiency of the elimination of different viruses was high, in case of viroids this ratio was lower. Our work demonstrated that efficiency of SE is comparable to the technically difficult meristem culture technique, and show promising way for the high demand of the production of virus-free grapevine in the future.
Project description:Grapevine rupestris stem pitting-associated virus (GRSPaV) is a widespread virus affecting Vitis spp. Although it has established a compatible viral interaction in Vitis vinifera L. without the development of phenotypic alterations, it can occur as distinct variants that show different symptoms in diverse Vitis species. We investigated the changes induced by GRSPaV in V. vinifera cv Bosco, an Italian white grape variety, by combining agronomic, physiological, and molecular approaches, in order to provide comprehensive information about the global effects of GRSPaV. In two consecutive years, this virus caused a moderate decrease in physiological efficiency, yield performance, and sugar content in berries associated with several transcriptomic alterations. Transcript profiles were analysed by microarray techniques in petiole, leaf, and berry samples collected at véraison and by quantitative real-time RT-PCR (qRT-PCR) in a time course carried out at five relevant grapevine developmental stages. Global gene expression analyses showed that transcriptomic changes were highly variable among the different organs and the different phenological phases. GRSPaV triggers some unique responses in the grapevine at véraison, never reported before for other plant-virus interactions, such as an increase in transcripts involved in photosynthesis and CO2 fixation, associated with a moderate reduction in the photosynthesis rate and some defence mechanisms, and to an overlap with responses to water and salinity stresses. We hypothesise that the long co-existence between grapevine and GRSPaV has resulted in the evolution of a form of mutual adaptation between the virus and its host. This study contributes to elucidating alternative mechanisms used by infected plants to contend with viruses.
Project description:Several systemic diseases affect Vitis vinifera worldwide with important consequent management costs. Phytoplasma and viruses represent the most detrimental pathogens inducing symptoms and metabolic alterations that modify quantitatively the crop production. In the aim to investigate the plant/pathogen interactions, different grapevine samples, naturally affected (in mixed or single infections) by Stolbur phytoplasma (agent of Bois Noir disease) and viruses, in comparison to healthy and recovered controls, to identify the plant response to systemic pathogen infection. The preliminary results showed that expression levels of thousands of genes were altered in infected plants, involving various metabolic pathways.
Project description:Flavescence dorée is the most serious grapevine yellows disease in Europe. It is caused by phytoplasmas which are transmitted from grapevine to grapevine by the leafhopper Scaphoideus titanus. Differences in susceptibility among grapevine varieties suggest the existence of specific genetic features associated with resistance to the phytoplasma and/or possibly with its vector. In this work, RNA-Seq was used to compare early transcriptional changes occurring during the three-trophic interaction between the phytoplasma, its vector and the grapevine, represented by two different cultivars, one very susceptible to the disease and the other scarcely susceptible. Background: Flavescence dorée is the most serious grapevine yellows disease in Europe. It is caused by phytoplasmas which are transmitted from grapevine to grapevine by the leafhopper Scaphoideus titanus. Differences in susceptibility among grapevine varieties suggest the existence of specific genetic features associated with resistance to the phytoplasma and/or possibly with its vector. In this work, RNA-Seq was used to compare early transcriptional changes occurring during the three-trophic interaction between the phytoplasma, its vector and the grapevine, represented by two different cultivars, one very susceptible to the disease and the other scarcely susceptible. The comparison of the transcriptomic responses highlighted both passive and active defense mechanisms against the vector and/or the pathogen in the scarcely-susceptible variety, as well as the capacity of the phytoplasmas to repress the defense reaction against the insect in the susceptible variety.
Project description:Several pathogens infect grapevine, including viruses and viroids. Considering that there are no effective plant protection treatments against these pathogens and vineyards are cultivated through decades usage of high quality and pathogen-free propagation material (rootstocks and scions) is essential. Although presence of regulated pests is routinely checked using ELISA or rarely RT-PCR, these diagnostics methods can detect only particular pathogens moreover can fail to detect variant strains. High-throughput sequencing of small RNAs can be an effective, alternative method to avoid these disadvantages. Since for production of grafts, pathogen free cultivars and rootstocks must be used, 17 grapevine rootstock plantations and 2 rootstock variety collections were selected for characterisation of their virom by high throughput sequencing of virus derived small RNAs.
Project description:Grapevine rupestris stem pitting-associated virus (GRSPaV) is a widespread virus affecting Vitis spp. Although it has established a compatible viral interaction in Vitis vinifera L. without the development of phenotypic alterations, it can occur as distinct variants that show different symptoms in diverse Vitis species. We investigated the changes induced by GRSPaV in V. vinifera cv Bosco, an Italian white grape variety, by combining agronomic, physiological, and molecular approaches, in order to provide comprehensive information about the global effects of GRSPaV. In two consecutive years, this virus caused a moderate decrease in physiological efficiency, yield performance, and sugar content in berries associated with several transcriptomic alterations. Transcript profiles were analysed by microarray techniques in petiole, leaf, and berry samples collected at véraison and by quantitative real-time RT-PCR (qRT-PCR) in a time course carried out at five relevant grapevine developmental stages. Global gene expression analyses showed that transcriptomic changes were highly variable among the different organs and the different phenological phases. GRSPaV triggers some unique responses in the grapevine at véraison, never reported before for other plant-virus interactions, such as an increase in transcripts involved in photosynthesis and CO2 fixation, associated with a moderate reduction in the photosynthesis rate and some defence mechanisms, and to an overlap with responses to water and salinity stresses. We hypothesise that the long co-existence between grapevine and GRSPaV has resulted in the evolution of a form of mutual adaptation between the virus and its host. This study contributes to elucidating alternative mechanisms used by infected plants to contend with viruses. The study was carried out in a vineyard planted in 2002 in Albenga (Liguria), North-West Italy, where a row was established with the white grape cultivar Bosco (V. vinifera L.). Microarray analysis was carried out on leaves, petioles, and berries collected at véraison (E-L35) in 2010. For each of the six GRSPaV-free and six GRSPaV-infected vines selected for the physiological and agronomical parameters evaluation, we collected 6 leaves (3 basal and 3 apical) with the related petioles and 12 berries from 3 different bunches. Samples from each organ were arbitrary pooled in 3 independent biological replicates and total RNA was extracted according to the method described by Gambino et al. (2008).