Falginella Luigi, Magris Gabriele, Castellarin Simone D, Gambetta Gregory A, Matthews Mark A, Morgante Michele, Di Gaspero Gabriele
Department of Agricultural, Food, Environmental and Animal Sciences, University of Udine, Udine, Italy.
VCR Research Center, Vivai Cooperativi Rauscedo, San Giorgio della Richinvelda, Italy.
Theor Appl Genet. 2025 May 30;138(6):130. doi: 10.1007/s00122-025-04914-y.
Reducing the speed of ripening genetically is a means for adapting grape berry development to the changing needs of the wine industry and in response to global warming. Understanding ripening patterns and governing ripening speed are central aspects of grapevine (Vitis vinifera) berry biology owing to the importance of grape ripeness in winemaking. Given this reality, it is surprising that the genetic control of ripening remains unknown. Here, we report a major quantitative trait locus that controls ripening speed, expressed as speed of sugar accumulation. A haplotype originating from the species Vitis riparia halves maximum speed regardless of crop levels and berry sizes. In these slow-ripening variants the onset of ripening during midsummer, which is normally completed within a two-week period, takes place so slowly that ripeness is attained under milder weather conditions later in the fall. V. vinifera cultivars show limited phenotypic variation for ripening speed and no selective sweep in the causal genomic region that could derive from domestication or improvement. Closely related species make up for the lack of standing variation, supplying major effect alleles for adapting grape cultivars to climate change.
通过基因手段降低葡萄成熟速度是使葡萄浆果发育适应葡萄酒行业不断变化的需求以及应对全球变暖的一种方式。鉴于葡萄成熟度在酿酒过程中的重要性，了解成熟模式并控制成熟速度是葡萄（欧亚种葡萄）浆果生物学的核心内容。然而令人惊讶的是，成熟的基因控制机制仍然未知。在此，我们报告了一个控制成熟速度的主要数量性状位点，该速度以糖分积累速度表示。源自河岸葡萄的一个单倍型无论作物水平和浆果大小如何，都能将最大成熟速度减半。在这些成熟缓慢的变异品种中，仲夏时节开始的成熟过程（通常在两周内完成）进行得非常缓慢，以至于在秋季后期较温和的天气条件下才能达到成熟状态。欧亚种葡萄品种在成熟速度方面表现出有限的表型变异，并且在可能源于驯化或改良的因果基因组区域没有选择性清除现象。亲缘关系密切的物种弥补了现有变异的不足，为使葡萄品种适应气候变化提供了主要效应等位基因。
