Abstract
The domestication and spreading of grapevine as well as the gene flow history had been described in many studies. We used a high-quality 7k SNP dataset of 1,038 Eurasian grape varieties with unique profiles to assess the population genetic diversity, structure, and relatedness, and to infer the most likely migration events. Comparisons of putative scenarios of gene flow throughout Europe from Caucasus helped to fit the more reliable migration routes around the Mediterranean Basin. Approximate Bayesian computation (ABC) approach made possible to provide a response to several questions so far remaining unsolved. Firstly, the assessment of genetic diversity and population structure within a well-covered dataset of ancient Italian varieties suggested the different histories between the Northern and Southern Italian grapevines. Moreover, Italian genotypes were shown to be distinguishable from all the other Eurasian populations for the first time. The entire Eurasian panel confirmed the east-to-west gene flow, highlighting the Greek role as a “bridge” between the Western and Eastern Eurasia. Portuguese germplasm showed a greater proximity to French varieties than the Spanish ones, thus being the main route for gene flow from Iberian Peninsula to Central Europe. Our findings reconciled genetic and archaeological data for one of the most cultivated and fascinating crops in the world.
Highlights
Grapevine (Vitis vinifera L. subsp. sativa) is one of the earliest domesticated and most cultivated crops worldwide, having a great impact on the agri-food economy and prized for its fruits and wines
Phylogenetic and principal coordinates analysis (PCoA) Analyses Phylogenetic analysis among the Italian genotypes highlighted two main groups showing the distinction between Southern and Northern Italian (ITAP-south and -north) varieties, except for 14% of ITAP-south that clustered in the Northern Italian group and vice versa for about 16% of the samples (Figure 1A)
A PCoA analysis confirmed the genetic relationships within the Italian germplasm (Supplementary Figure 1), splitting ITAPnorth and ITAP-south genotypes into two groups, with the ITAPcenter samples divided between them
Summary
Grapevine (Vitis vinifera L. subsp. sativa) is one of the earliest domesticated and most cultivated crops worldwide, having a great impact on the agri-food economy and prized for its fruits and wines. Sativa) is one of the earliest domesticated and most cultivated crops worldwide, having a great impact on the agri-food economy and prized for its fruits and wines. 8,500–4,000 BC), when human populations began to collect and propagate Vitis forms to improve fruit and wine production (McGovern et al, 1986; Zohary and Hopf, 2000). Domestication took place in the region between the Caucasus and Mesopotamia (Georgia, Iran, Turkey), domesticating wild populations of Vitis vinifera subsp. From the oldest domestication sites, cultivated grapevines disseminated westward into neighboring regions (Egypt and Lower Mesopotamia), reaching the Mediterranean Basin, together with the development of human culture. Romans later spread grapevine cultivation in the temperate areas of Europe, following the main trade routes along the major rivers Rhine, Rhone, and Danube. Islam played an important role in spreading table grapes to Northern Africa, Spain, and Middle East (This et al, 2006)
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