Berry Quality of Grapevine under Water Stress as Affected by Rootstock–Scion Interactions through Gene Expression Regulation

Alessandra Zombardo,Erica Mica,Luigi Cattivelli,Paolo Storchi,Sergio Puccioni,Giovan Battista Mattii,Rita Perria,Paolo Valentini

doi:10.3390/agronomy10050680

Alessandra Zombardo, Erica Mica + Show 6 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy10050680

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Abstract

Despite phenotypic plasticity that allows the adaptation to harsh environments, when vines experience severe abiotic stresses, they can suffer from metabolic damages affecting grape production and quality. Grafting is an affordable strategy to mitigate these negative consequences since the rootstock can increase the drought tolerance in the scion. This work explored the effects of pre-veraison water deficit on vines grafted on different rootstocks (Mgt 101-14 and 1103 Paulsen) to obtain physiological, biochemical, and molecular information about the influence on grape quality. Repeated measurements were carried out to assess vine physiology, production, technological maturity, and berry phenolic composition. qRT-PCRs were executed on berry skins at maturity to assess the expression levels of ten genes and five miRNAs involved in the phenylpropanoid pathway. Water stress caused significant alterations in grape technological maturity. The rootstock effect was not detected in primary metabolism while it was well defined in the accumulation of phenolic compounds in berries (such as anthocyanins). Finally, significant differences were identified in gene and miRNA expression between water-stressed and well-watered vines. In conclusion, the response to water stress can be modulated by rootstocks, which mainly act by regulating secondary metabolism, especially in grapes.

Highlights

The burden of climate change is a major concern among winemakers because the grapevine, despite its ability to adapt to environmental adversities, is one of the fruit crops most sensitive to severe drought conditions and water shortage [1,2,3]
The present research work was conceived to investigate the role of two rootstocks, with opposite characteristics in terms of resistance to drought and vigor given to the scion, on berry quality in grapes that have undergone early water stress, between cluster closure and veraison
A direct influence of the rootstocks on water stress resistance was not detected on physiological parameters during the stress period, or in terms of yield and berry characteristics at maturity, but secondary metabolism was significantly modulated in grapes

Summary

Introduction

The burden of climate change is a major concern among winemakers because the grapevine, despite its ability to adapt to environmental adversities, is one of the fruit crops most sensitive to severe drought conditions and water shortage [1,2,3]. Flavonoids and stilbenes are two different classes of phenolic compounds that accumulate in berries, mainly in skin tissues, during the ripening phases As secondary metabolites, they have multiple biological functions, protecting leaves and fruits against UV photo-oxidative damage, acting as free radical scavengers, and playing a role against biotic and abiotic stresses [21,22]. The expression of ten genes and five miRNA involved in the phenylpropanoid pathway or stress response was tested in berry skins at maturity For this purpose, we chose specific genes and miRNAs that we already described as differentially expressed among the three root systems, in previous work on the same vines, but in conditions of equal water supply [24], to check any expression differences still persistent in the grapes at maturity due to an early prolonged water limitation during berry development

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