Wild grapevine (Vitis vinifera subsp. sylvestris) is widely recognized as an important source of resistance or tolerance genes for diseases and environmental stresses. Recent studies revealed partial ...resistance to powdery mildew (Erysiphe necator, PM) in V. sylvestris from Central Asia. Here, we report resistance to PM of V. sylvestris collected from different regions of Croatia and in seedling populations established from in situ V. sylvestris accessions. Ninety-one in situ individuals and 67 V. sylvestris seedlings were evaluated for PM resistance according to OIV 455 descriptor. Three SSR markers (SC47-18, SC8-071-0014, and UDV-124) linked to PM resistance locus Ren1 were used to decipher allelic structure. Nine seedlings showed resistance in in vivo evaluations while leaf disk assays revealed three PM-resistant accessions. One V. vinifera cultivar used as a control for PM evaluations also showed high phenotypic resistance. Based on the presence of one or two resistance alleles that are linked to the Ren1 locus, 32 resistant seedlings and 41 resistant in situ genotypes were identified in the investigated set. Eight seedlings showed consistent phenotypic PM resistance, of which seven carried one or two alleles at the tested markers. This study provides the first evidence of PM resistance present within the eastern Adriatic V. sylvestris germplasm.
The Eastern Adriatic region, encompassing Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, is considered an important area of natural populations of wild grapevines (Vitis vinifera ssp. sylvestris). The wild ...grapevine arises in the Eastern Adriatic region in a contact zone of the EU-Mediterranean and the sub-Mediterranean characterized by typical karst relief. This study focuses on the chloroplast DNA (cpDNA) analysis of wild grapevines and the biodiversity of accompanying woody species to better understand the genetic variation of the sylvestris populations of the Eastern Adriatic region and to investigate how this variation fits within today's wild grapevine distribution in the European continent. The allelic variation at nine cpDNA microsatellite loci of wild individuals was used to characterize haplotype diversity in 53 individuals from four population sites. All individuals were grouped into two chlorotypes: A and D, D being the rare haplotype among wild populations on the European continent. In total, 52 woody plant species were identified. However, the studied vegetation structures have been affected by permanent human pressure on natural resources and the preservation status of the collection sites. Based on our results, we conclude that the investigated areas were probably shelter zones for wild grapevine preservation during the unfavorable glaciation era.
With the aim to characterize changes caused by grapevine leafroll-associated virus 3 (GLRaV-3) singly or in coinfection with other viruses and to potentially determine genotype-specific or common ...markers of viral infection, thirty-six parameters, including nutrient status, oxidative stress parameters, and primary metabolism as well as symptoms incidence were investigated in 'Cabernet Franc,' 'Merlot,' 'Pinot Noir,' and 'Tribidrag' grapevine varieties. Host responses were characterized by changes in cellular redox state rather than disturbances in nutrient status and primary metabolic processes. Superoxide dismutase, hydrogen peroxide, and proteins were drastically affected regardless of the type of isolate, the host, and the duration of the infection, so they present cellular markers of viral infection. No clear biological pattern could be ascertained for each of the GLRaV-3 genotypes. There is a need to provide a greater understanding of virus epidemiology in viticulture due to the increasing natural disasters and climate change to provide for global food production security. Finding grape varieties that will be able to cope with those changes can aid in this task. Among the studied grapevine varieties, autochthonous 'Tribidrag' seems to be more tolerant to symptoms development despite numerous physiological changes caused by viruses.
The objective of this study was to investigate the response of the grapevine variety ‘Tribidrag’ to virus infection over two vegetation seasons. Virus-free plants were greenhouse cultivated and green ...grafted with five different virus inocula composed of grapevine leafroll-associated virus 3 (GLRaV-3) singly or in coinfection with other most economically important grapevine viruses. Changes in nutrient status and photosynthesis-related parameters, along with symptom development, were measured. Using the quantitative PCR method, the relative concentration of five selected Vitis genes was determined. Cluster analysis and ANOVA revealed the reduction in phosphorus concentration (P) and photosynthesis-related parameters in infected plants in both seasons, even in the absence of symptom expression, indicating P and assimilation rate (Photo (A)) as stable markers of virus infection. Plants infected with inoculum Y composed of five different viruses provoked major significant changes in the first season while, in the second, fewer changes were measured. The sucrose synthase 3 gene was upregulated in infected plants confirming disturbed sugar metabolism related to virus-induced stress. This study showed that virus-induced changes in ‘Tribidrag’ plants even in the absence of symptoms are dependent on plant age, as well as on the composition of virus inocula.
The colonisation and diversity of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) on roots of grapevines were investigated in production vineyards located along a 500-km-long stretch of karst along the coast of ...the Adriatic Sea. AMF communities on roots of grapevines were analysed using temporal temperature gel electrophoresis and sequencing of the 18S and internal transcribed spacer segments of the rDNA operon. The AMF colonisation of these grapevines roots was consistent along the whole of this east Adriatic karst region, at 64 to 82 % of fine roots. The comparison of the AMF communities on the roots of these grapevines showed that the fungal community associated with grapevine roots seems to be relatively stable, with inter-vineyard variability comparable to intra-vineyard variability. Some of the changes in the fungal communities were attributed to environmental factors (plant-available P) and location of the vineyard, although the latter could also have been influenced by an unmeasured environmental factor. A total of 27 taxa of fungi were identified, including taxa from Glomus group B, based on the sequencing of 18S rDNA. Sequencing of the internal transcribed spacer rDNA yielded 30 different fungal taxa, which comprised eight different Glomeromycota taxa, including Glomus sinuosum and Glomus indicum. To our knowledge, this is the first report of grapevine colonisation by G. indicum.
The negative effects of viruses and the positive effects of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) on grapevine performance are well reported, in contrast to the knowledge about their interactive effects ...in perennial plants, e.g., in grapevine. To elucidate the physiological consequences of grapevine-AMF-virus interactions, two different AMF inoculum (
and 'Mix AMF') were used on grapevine infected with grapevine rupestris stem pitting virus, grapevine leafroll associated virus 3 and/or grapevine pinot gris virus. Net photosynthesis rate (A
), leaf transpiration (E), intercellular CO
concentration (C
) and conductance to H
O (g
) were measured at three time points during one growing season. Furthermore, quantum efficiency in light (Φ
) and electron transport rate (ETR) were surveyed in leaves of different maturity, old (basal), mature (middle) and young (apical) leaf. Lastly, pigment concentration and growth parameters were analysed. Virus induced changes in grapevine were minimal in this early infection stage. However, the AMF induced changes of grapevine facing biotic stress were most evident in higher net photosynthesis rate, conductance to H
O, chlorophyll a concentration, total carotenoid concentration and dry matter content. The AMF presence in the grapevine roots seem to prevail over virus infection, with
inducing greater photosynthesis changes in solitary form rather than mixture. This study shows that AMF can be beneficial for grapevine facing viral infection, in the context of functional physiology.
Sixteen grapevine cultivars from Mediterranean Croatia were surveyed for the presence of 10 of the most economically important grapevine viruses. The presence of Grapevine fanleaf virus (GFLV), ...Arabis mosaic virus (ArMV), Grapevine leafroll associated virus-1, -2, and -3 (GLRaV-1; GLRaV-2 and GLRaV-3), Grapevine virus A (GVA) and B (GVB), Grapevine fleck virus (GFkV), Grapevine rupestris stem pitting associated virus (GRSPaV), and Grapevine Pinot gris virus (GPGV) were tested by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). All 71 analyzed clones were positive for the presence of one or more viruses. The most abundant one, detected in almost 95% of samples was GLRaV-3. In most of cases it was reported in mixed infections with GVA, GRSPaV, and GPGV. Virus genomes of GLRaV-3 infected vines were further characterized molecularly in order to determine their genetic diversity. Different genomic variants of heat shock 70 protein homologue (HSP70h) were identified by single-strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) and sequenced. Sequence analysis confirmed their clustering into phylogenetic group I and/or phylogenetic group II. This study emphasizes the wide virus heterogenicity in Mediterranean vines and the predominant presence of GLRaV-3 phylogenetic groups I and II, either individually or in combination.
The cultivar Plavac Mali (
L.), the most important indigenous red grapevine cultivar in Croatia, was tested for the presence of 16 grapevine viruses. Thirty-five samples from the collection vineyard ...were tested for the presence of grapevine leafroll-associated viruses-1, -2, and -3 (GLRaV-1, GLRaV-2 and GLRaV-3, respectively), grapevine fanleaf virus (GFLV), arabis mosaic virus (ArMV), grapevine virus-A (GVA), -B (GVB), -G (GVG), -H (GVH), -I (GVI), -J (GVJ), grapevine fleck virus (GFkV), grapevine rupestris stem pitting associated virus (GRSPaV), and grapevine pinot gris virus (GPGV) by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Furthermore, standard PCR was conducted for grapevine badnavirus 1 (GBV-1) and grapevine red blotch virus (GRBV). Mixed infections were most common and GLRaV-3, the most abundant virus found in 85.71% of the vines tested, was further molecularly characterised. Different genomic variants of the heat shock protein homologue (HSP70h) were separated by cloning, detected by single-strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) analysis, sequenced, and phylogenetically analysed. The presence of phylogenetic groups I and II was only confirmed. This study demonstrates the high virus infection rate of Plavac Mali vines and the heterogeneity of GLRaV-3 present nowadays in a collection vineyard.
Grapevine leafroll-associated virus 3 (GLRaV-3) is a graft-transmissible virus present in every viticultural region of the world and poses a large threat to grapevine production. Frequent ...coinfections with other viruses, the large number of grapevine varieties, the complexity of processes involved in plant response to virus infection, and the lack of studies on GLRaV-3 replication limit our knowledge of GLRaV-3 damaging effects and their background. In this study, five different inocula, one containing GLRaV-3 and others containing GLRaV-3 in combination with different grapevine viruses were green grafted to 52 different grapevine plants of four varieties to analyze the influence of the phenological stage and virus composition on GLRaV-3 replication. Relative concentration analysis by quantitative PCR conducted over a 16-month period revealed that other viruses as well as plant stage had a significant effect on GLRaV-3 replication and symptoms expression. The replication was most pronounced in the deep dormancy stage at the beginning of the infection, and the least at the exit of the dormancy stage. This study brings new insight into GLRaV-3 replication and discusses about viral interactions in one of the most economically important perennial plants, the grapevine.
The data presented in this article are related to the research article entitled “Root-associated community composition and co-occurrence patterns of fungi in wild grapevine”. This dataset documents ...the diversity of endophytic and rhizoplane fungi found on the roots of 38 wild grapevine plants growing at four locations (Krka, Neretva, Psunj and Paklenica) in Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. We record here 48 identified fungal operational taxonomic units (OTUs) from 3 phyla, 23 families and 30 genera. The material in this Data in Brief paper comprised the data on the identification of OTUs with their corresponding ecological niche, abundance distribution of each fungal OTU recorded in each of the host and location, restrictedness and with fit to the Sloan neutral community model.