Abstract
The development of grapevine ( Vitis vinifera L.) differs significantly from annuals species in having distinct juvenile and adult periods. Although intimately linked to the transition from one to the other, flowering per se takes 2 years in adult plants. Using grapevine cv. Riesling orthologues of the Arabidopsis flowering genes LEAFY, APETALA1, AGAMOUS, TERMINAL FLOWER1 and SEPALLATA3, we came up with a comprehensive temporal and spatial molecular analysis of the flowering in this species. Expression of VvLEAFY and VvTFL1 is detected early after germination in the shoot apical meristem of seedlings and later in the latent buds of juvenile plants, however, it is not sufficient to induce flowering which only occurs after 3–6 years of vegetative development. On adult plants, the latent buds are set the first season but remain apparently dormant in winter. Expression analysis in established vineyards provides molecular evidence for continuous gene expression of VvLEAFY over two growing seasons even at mean temperatures below −10 °C. On the following spring, only latent buds that develop into flower-bearing shoots show expression of VvTFL1, VvLEAFY, VvAP1, VvAG and VvSEP3 suggesting that their expression is required for flower ontogenesis.
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