Ascorbate degradation: pathways, products, and possibilities.

A role for l-ascorbate as the precursor of several plant compounds adds to its already broad metabolic utility. There are many examples of plant species in which oxalate and l-threonate are formed from l-ascorbate breakdown, and a number of roles have been proposed for this: structural, physiological, and biochemical. On the other hand, the synthesis of l-tartrate from l-ascorbate remains limited to a very few species, amongst which we must be grateful to count the domesticated grapevine Vitis vinifera and its relatives on which wine production is based. Pathways for the degradation of ascorbate were first proposed ~50 years ago and have formed the basis of more recent biochemical and molecular analyses. The present review seeks to summarize some of these findings and to propose opportunities for future research.

A systematic review and meta-analysis of vineyard techniques used to delay ripening.

Several vineyard techniques have been proposed to delay grape maturity in light of the advanced maturation driven by increasingly frequent water and heat stress events that are detrimental to grape quality. These studies differ in terms of their experimental conditions, and in the present work we have attempted to summarize previous observations in a quantitative, data-driven systematic review. A meta-analysis of quantitative data gathered across 43 relevant studies revealed the overall significance of the proposed treatments and evaluated the impact of different experimental conditions on the outcome of antitranspirants, delayed pruning and late source limitation. Antitranspirants were most effective when applied twice and closer to veraison, while di-1-p-menthene increased the ripening delay by about 1 °Brix compared to kaolin. Larger ripening delays were achieved with delayed pruning of low-yielding vines or by pruning at later stages of apical bud development. Late defoliation or shoot trimming delayed ripening in high-yielding vines and represent suitable solutions for late-harvested varieties, but became ineffective where the treatment decreased yield. This quantitative meta-analysis of 242 primary observations uncovers factors affecting the efficacy of vineyard practices to delay ripening, which should be carefully considered by grape growers attempting to achieve this outcome.

The effect of ripening rates on the composition of Cabernet Sauvignon and Riesling wines: Further insights into the sugar/flavor nexus.

Grape ripening accelerates under warmer and drier conditions, resulting in the accumulation of sugars ('technological' maturity) being decoupled from phenolic and aromatic composition. This study investigated the effect of different rates of ripening on the composition of Cabernet Sauvignon and Riesling wines. Manipulating crop load and irrigation led to distinct rates of berry ripening. In the resulting wines, reduced crop load affected the aroma composition, altering the profile and abundance of grape-derived compounds and fermentative esters. Phenolic composition was impacted by the irrigation regime, with color and tannin increased by late season irrigation. In Cabernet Sauvignon, the combination of treatments led to the largest ripening delay (3 weeks), resulting in less green and more fruity compounds, and improved phenolic composition. By mapping grape and wine metabolites and exploring their relationship, the outcomes of this study demonstrate the importance of ripening rates in determining wine quality.

Crop Load and Plant Water Status Influence the Ripening Rate and Aroma Development in Berries of Grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) cv. Cabernet Sauvignon.

Wine made from grapes subjected to accelerated ripening, an increasingly frequent phenomenon occurring in many wine regions due to peaks of heat and water stress, displays higher alcohol levels and lacks balance with color and flavor compounds. Herein, the rate of sugar accumulation of grapes was manipulated by varying the crop load and irrigation regime and the development of secondary metabolites was monitored by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). A 3-week delay in ripening correlated to an increase in the concentration of some monoterpenes and norisoprenoids and a greater decrease of green aroma compounds. Delayed ripening had a positive impact on the phenolic composition of grapes, displaying higher contents of total anthocyanins, total phenolics, quercetin glycosides, and polymeric pigments. A map of the chemical composition of grapes close to harvest allowed discrimination of compounds mainly responsive to delayed ripening from those driven by crop load or irrigation.

The effect of light, phenylalanine and methyl jasmonate, alone or in combination, on growth and secondary metabolism in cell suspension cultures of Vitis vinifera.

The cultivated grapevine V. vinifera is a rich source of stilbene compounds such as resveratrol, which are widely believed to provide dietary protection against the development of cardiovascular disease and some forms of cancer. Elicitation is a well-known strategy to increase commercial production of natural products in plant cell suspension culture systems. Callus tissues obtained from berry slices of V. vinifera cv. Shahani grown on an optimized medium were used to develop cell suspension cultures used to study the effects of elicitation on stilbene synthesis. The effect of two light regimes (135.1 µmol. s-1 m-2 radiation, and dark), the concentration of phenylalanine (Phe; 0, 0.1, 0.5 and 1 mM) and of methyl jasmonate elicitor (MeJA; 0 and 25 µM), alone or in combination, were tested. The results showed that cultures grown in darkness resulted in significantly higher levels of the accumulation of total stilbenes (resveratrol + piceid) compared with the high light condition. The combined treatments of dark +1 mM Phe and dark +25 µM MeJA induced the synthesis of high levels of total phenolics, total flavonoids and total stilbenes. Finally, the combined elicitation of dark +1 mM Phe + 25 µM MeJA gave the highest synergistic coefficient (1.24) and proved to be the most effective treatment for the production of total phenolics, total flavonoids, and total stilbenes with mean contents of 384.80 mg GA/g DW, 527.62 mg catechin/g DW and 188.34 µg/g DW, respectively. The results of our study suggest that the combinations of dark together with MeJA and/or Phe can be used as an efficient method for the future scale-up of V. vinifera cell cultures for the production of high value stilbene compounds in a bioreactor system.

An aldo-keto reductase with 2-keto-l-gulonate reductase activity functions in l-tartaric acid biosynthesis from vitamin C in Vitis vinifera.

Tartaric acid has high economic value as an antioxidant and flavorant in food and wine industries. l-Tartaric acid biosynthesis in wine grape (Vitis vinifera) uses ascorbic acid (vitamin C) as precursor, representing an unusual metabolic fate for ascorbic acid degradation. Reduction of the ascorbate breakdown product 2-keto-l-gulonic acid to l-idonic acid constitutes a critical step in this l-tartaric acid biosynthetic pathway. However, the underlying enzymatic mechanisms remain obscure. Here, we identified a V. vinifera aldo-keto reductase, Vv2KGR, with 2-keto-l-gulonic acid reductase activity. Vv2KGR belongs to the d-isomer-specific 2-hydroxyacid dehydrogenase superfamily and displayed the highest similarity to the hydroxyl pyruvate reductase isoform 2 in Arabidopsis thaliana Enzymatic analyses revealed that Vv2KGR efficiently reduces 2-keto-l-gulonic acid to l-idonic acid and uses NADPH as preferred coenzyme. Moreover, Vv2KGR exhibited broad substrate specificity toward glyoxylate, pyruvate, and hydroxypyruvate, having the highest catalytic efficiency for glyoxylate. We further determined the X-ray crystal structure of Vv2KGR at 1.58 Å resolution. Comparison of the Vv2KGR structure with those of d-isomer-specific 2-hydroxyacid dehydrogenases from animals and microorganisms revealed several unique structural features of this plant hydroxyl pyruvate reductase. Substrate structural analysis indicated that Vv2KGR uses two modes (A and B) to bind different substrates. 2-Keto-l-gulonic acid displayed the lowest predicted free-energy binding to Vv2KGR among all docked substrates. Hence, we propose that Vv2KGR functions in l-tartaric acid biosynthesis. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of a d-isomer-specific 2-hydroxyacid dehydrogenase that reduces 2-keto-l-gulonic acid to l-idonic acid in plants.

Soluble cell wall carbohydrates and their relationship with sensory attributes in Cabernet Sauvignon wine.

The chemical and sensory profiles of wines prepared from Cabernet Sauvignon grapes at different ripening stages vary greatly. Here, the soluble cell wall carbohydrate (SCWC) and phenolic profiles of wines were analyzed in parallel with the sensory evaluation of their mouthfeel and taste characteristics. Both SCWCs and phenolic compounds correlated with wine mouthfeel. When analyses were extended to specific classes of cell wall carbohydrates, it was shown that rhamnogalacturonan I/II, arabinan, arabinogalactan types I and II and xyloglucan from grapes were the key determinants of overall mouthfeel descriptors, particularly viscosity, astringency and roughness, whereas heteromannan from grapes was associated with mouth coating and chalkiness. A perceived sour taste was notably associated with higher homogalacturonan contents. This finding provides insights into the contributions of non-phenolic compounds to wine mouthfeel. The data provide opportunities for the development of simple monosaccharide marker assays to monitor major mouthfeel characteristics in red wines.

Accumulation of volatile phenol glycoconjugates in grapes following grapevine exposure to smoke and potential mitigation of smoke taint by foliar application of kaolin.

MAIN CONCLUSION: The accumulation of volatile phenol glycoconjugates in smoke-exposed grapes was monitored following grapevine exposure to smoke, with different glycoconjugate profiles observed for fruit sampled 1 and 7 days after smoke exposure, and at maturity. Foliar application of kaolin reduced the concentration of volatile phenol glycoconjugates in smoke-exposed fruit, but efficacy depended on the rate of application and extent of coverage. Smoke taint can be found in wines made from grapes exposed to smoke from bushfires or prescribed burns. It is characterized by objectionable smoky and ashy aromas and flavors, which have been attributed to the presence of smoke-derived volatile phenols, in free and glycoconjugate forms. This study investigated: (1) the accumulation of volatile phenol glycoconjugates in grapes following the application of smoke to Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Merlot grapevines at approximately 10 days post-veraison; and (2) the potential mitigation of smoke taint as a consequence of foliar applications of kaolin (a clay-based protective film) prior to grapevine smoke exposure. Varietal differences were observed in the glycoconjugate profiles of smoke-exposed grapes; the highest glycoconjugate levels were found in Merlot grapes, being pentose-glucosides of guaiacol, cresols, and phenol, and gentiobiosides of guaiacol and syringol. Changes in volatile phenol glycoconjugate profiles were also observed with time, i.e., between fruit sampled 1 day after smoke exposure and at maturity. The application of kaolin did not significantly affect the glycoconjugate profiles of Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay grapes, but significantly lower volatile phenol glycoconjugate levels were observed in Merlot fruit that was treated with kaolin prior to smoke exposure. The potential for control and smoke-exposed grapes to be differentiated by measurement of spectral reflectance was also demonstrated.

A Novel Approach to Isolating Improved Industrial Interspecific Wine Yeasts Using Chromosomal Mutations as Potential Markers for Increased Fitness.

Wine yeast breeding programs utilizing interspecific hybridization deliver cost-effective tools to winemakers looking to differentiate their wines through the development of new wine styles. The addition of a non-Saccharomyces cerevisiae genome to a commercial wine yeast can generate novel phenotypes ranging from wine flavor and aroma diversity to improvements in targeted fermentation traits. In the current study we utilized a novel approach to screen isolates from an evolving population for increased fitness in a S. cerevisiae × S. uvarum interspecific hybrid previously generated to incorporate the targeted phenotype of lower volatile acidity production. Sequential grape-juice fermentations provided a selective environment from which to screen isolates. Chromosomal markers were used in a novel approach to identify isolates with potential increased fitness. A strain with increased fitness relative to its parents was isolated from an early timepoint in the evolving population, thereby minimizing the risk of introducing collateral mutations and potentially undesirable phenotypes. The evolved strain retained the desirable fermentation trait of reduced volatile acidity production, along with other winemaking traits of importance while exhibiting improved fermentation kinetics.

The effect of methyl jasmonate and light irradiation treatments on the stilbenoid biosynthetic pathway in Vitis vinifera cell suspension cultures.

Grape stilbenes are a well-known family of plant polyphenolics that have been confirmed to have many biological activities in relation to health benefits. In the present study, we investigated the effect of methyl jasmonate (MeJA) elicitor at four different concentrations (25, 50, 100 and 200 µM) in combination or not with high-level light irradiation (10,000 LUX) on a cell line obtained from the pulp of Vitis vinifera cv. Shahani. Our results showed that the stilbene synthesis pathway is inhibited by high-light conditions. A concentration of 50 µM MeJA was optimum for efficient production and high accumulation of total phenolics and total flavonoids as well as total stilbenoids. Furthermore, we showed that there is a significant negative correlation between the production of these metabolites and cell growth. These data provide valuable information for the future scale-up of cell cultures for the production of these very high value compounds in bioreactor system.

A Grapevine Anthocyanin Acyltransferase, Transcriptionally Regulated by VvMYBA, Can Produce Most Acylated Anthocyanins Present in Grape Skins.

Anthocyanins are flavonoid compounds responsible for red/purple colors in the leaves, fruit, and flowers of many plant species. They are produced through a multistep pathway that is controlled by MYB transcription factors. VvMYBA1 and VvMYBA2 activate anthocyanin biosynthesis in grapevine (Vitis vinifera) and are nonfunctional in white grapevine cultivars. In this study, transgenic grapevines with altered VvMYBA gene expression were developed, and transcript analysis was carried out on berries using a microarray technique. The results showed that VvMYBA is a positive regulator of the later stages of anthocyanin synthesis, modification, and transport in cv Shiraz. One up-regulated gene, ANTHOCYANIN 3-O-GLUCOSIDE-6″-O-ACYLTRANSFERASE (Vv3AT), encodes a BAHD acyltransferase protein (named after the first letter of the first four characterized proteins: BEAT [for acetyl CoA:benzylalcohol acetyltransferase], AHCT [for anthocyanin O-hydroxycinnamoyltransferase], HCBT [for anthranilate N-hydroxycinnamoyl/benzoyltransferase], and DAT [for deacetylvindoline 4-O-acetyltransferase]), belonging to a clade separate from most anthocyanin acyltransferases. Functional studies (in planta and in vitro) show that Vv3AT has a broad anthocyanin substrate specificity and can also utilize both aliphatic and aromatic acyl donors, a novel activity for this enzyme family found in nature. In cv Pinot Noir, a red-berried grapevine mutant lacking acylated anthocyanins, Vv3AT contains a nonsense mutation encoding a truncated protein that lacks two motifs required for BAHD protein activity. Promoter activation assays confirm that Vv3AT transcription is activated by VvMYBA1, which adds to the current understanding of the regulation of the BAHD gene family. The flexibility of Vv3AT to use both classes of acyl donors will be useful in the engineering of anthocyanins in planta or in vitro.

New insights into the evolutionary history of plant sorbitol dehydrogenase.

BACKGROUND: Sorbitol dehydrogenase (SDH, EC 1.1.1.14) is the key enzyme involved in sorbitol metabolism in higher plants. SDH genes in some Rosaceae species could be divided into two groups. L-idonate-5-dehydrogenase (LIDH, EC 1.1.1.264) is involved in tartaric acid (TA) synthesis in Vitis vinifera and is highly homologous to plant SDHs. Despite efforts to understand the biological functions of plant SDH, the evolutionary history of plant SDH genes and their phylogenetic relationship with the V. vinifera LIDH gene have not been characterized. RESULTS: A total of 92 SDH genes were identified from 42 angiosperm species. SDH genes have been highly duplicated within the Rosaceae family while monocot, Brassicaceae and most Asterid species exhibit singleton SDH genes. Core Eudicot SDHs have diverged into two phylogenetic lineages, now classified as SDH Class I and SDH Class II. V. vinifera LIDH was identified as a Class II SDH. Tandem duplication played a dominant role in the expansion of plant SDH family and Class II SDH genes were positioned in tandem with Class I SDH genes in several plant genomes. Protein modelling analyses of V. vinifera SDHs revealed 19 putative active site residues, three of which exhibited amino acid substitutions between Class I and Class II SDHs and were influenced by positive natural selection in the SDH Class II lineage. Gene expression analyses also demonstrated a clear transcriptional divergence between Class I and Class II SDH genes in V. vinifera and Citrus sinensis (orange). CONCLUSIONS: Phylogenetic, natural selection and synteny analyses provided strong support for the emergence of SDH Class II by positive natural selection after tandem duplication in the common ancestor of core Eudicot plants. The substitutions of three putative active site residues might be responsible for the unique enzyme activity of V. vinifera LIDH, which belongs to SDH Class II and represents a novel function of SDH in V. vinifera that may be true also of other Class II SDHs. Gene expression analyses also supported the divergence of SDH Class II at the expression level. This study will facilitate future research into understanding the biological functions of plant SDHs.

Annotation of gene function in citrus using gene expression information and co-expression networks.

BACKGROUND: The genus Citrus encompasses major cultivated plants such as sweet orange, mandarin, lemon and grapefruit, among the world's most economically important fruit crops. With increasing volumes of transcriptomics data available for these species, Gene Co-expression Network (GCN) analysis is a viable option for predicting gene function at a genome-wide scale. GCN analysis is based on a "guilt-by-association" principle whereby genes encoding proteins involved in similar and/or related biological processes may exhibit similar expression patterns across diverse sets of experimental conditions. While bioinformatics resources such as GCN analysis are widely available for efficient gene function prediction in model plant species including Arabidopsis, soybean and rice, in citrus these tools are not yet developed. RESULTS: We have constructed a comprehensive GCN for citrus inferred from 297 publicly available Affymetrix Genechip Citrus Genome microarray datasets, providing gene co-expression relationships at a genome-wide scale (33,000 transcripts). The comprehensive citrus GCN consists of a global GCN (condition-independent) and four condition-dependent GCNs that survey the sweet orange species only, all citrus fruit tissues, all citrus leaf tissues, or stress-exposed plants. All of these GCNs are clustered using genome-wide, gene-centric (guide) and graph clustering algorithms for flexibility of gene function prediction. For each putative cluster, gene ontology (GO) enrichment and gene expression specificity analyses were performed to enhance gene function, expression and regulation pattern prediction. The guide-gene approach was used to infer novel roles of genes involved in disease susceptibility and vitamin C metabolism, and graph-clustering approaches were used to investigate isoprenoid/phenylpropanoid metabolism in citrus peel, and citric acid catabolism via the GABA shunt in citrus fruit. CONCLUSIONS: Integration of citrus gene co-expression networks, functional enrichment analysis and gene expression information provide opportunities to infer gene function in citrus. We present a publicly accessible tool, Network Inference for Citrus Co-Expression (NICCE, http://citrus.adelaide.edu.au/nicce/home.aspx), for the gene co-expression analysis in citrus.

VTCdb: a gene co-expression database for the crop species Vitis vinifera (grapevine).

BACKGROUND: Gene expression datasets in model plants such as Arabidopsis have contributed to our understanding of gene function and how a single underlying biological process can be governed by a diverse network of genes. The accumulation of publicly available microarray data encompassing a wide range of biological and environmental conditions has enabled the development of additional capabilities including gene co-expression analysis (GCA). GCA is based on the understanding that genes encoding proteins involved in similar and/or related biological processes may exhibit comparable expression patterns over a range of experimental conditions, developmental stages and tissues. We present an open access database for the investigation of gene co-expression networks within the cultivated grapevine, Vitis vinifera. DESCRIPTION: The new gene co-expression database, VTCdb (http://vtcdb.adelaide.edu.au/Home.aspx), offers an online platform for transcriptional regulatory inference in the cultivated grapevine. Using condition-independent and condition-dependent approaches, grapevine co-expression networks were constructed using the latest publicly available microarray datasets from diverse experimental series, utilising the Affymetrix Vitis vinifera GeneChip (16 K) and the NimbleGen Grape Whole-genome microarray chip (29 K), thus making it possible to profile approximately 29,000 genes (95% of the predicted grapevine transcriptome). Applications available with the online platform include the use of gene names, probesets, modules or biological processes to query the co-expression networks, with the option to choose between Affymetrix or Nimblegen datasets and between multiple co-expression measures. Alternatively, the user can browse existing network modules using interactive network visualisation and analysis via CytoscapeWeb. To demonstrate the utility of the database, we present examples from three fundamental biological processes (berry development, photosynthesis and flavonoid biosynthesis) whereby the recovered sub-networks reconfirm established plant gene functions and also identify novel associations. CONCLUSIONS: Together, we present valuable insights into grapevine transcriptional regulation by developing network models applicable to researchers in their prioritisation of gene candidates, for on-going study of biological processes related to grapevine development, metabolism and stress responses.

Transcriptome analysis at four developmental stages of grape berry (Vitis vinifera cv. Shiraz) provides insights into regulated and coordinated gene expression.

BACKGROUND: Vitis vinifera berry development is characterised by an initial phase where the fruit is small, hard and acidic, followed by a lag phase known as veraison. In the final phase, berries become larger, softer and sweeter and accumulate an array of organoleptic compounds. Since the physiological and biochemical makeup of grape berries at harvest has a profound impact on the characteristics of wine, there is great interest in characterising the molecular and biophysical changes that occur from flowering through veraison and ripening, including the coordination and temporal regulation of metabolic gene pathways. Advances in deep-sequencing technologies, combined with the availability of increasingly accurate V. vinifera genomic and transcriptomic data, have enabled us to carry out RNA-transcript expression analysis on a global scale at key points during berry development. RESULTS: A total of 162 million 100-base pair reads were generated from pooled Vitis vinifera (cv. Shiraz) berries sampled at 3-weeks post-anthesis, 10- and 11-weeks post-anthesis (corresponding to early and late veraison) and at 17-weeks post-anthesis (harvest). Mapping reads from each developmental stage (36-45 million) onto the NCBI RefSeq transcriptome of 23,720 V. vinifera mRNAs revealed that at least 75% of these transcripts were detected in each sample. RNA-Seq analysis uncovered 4,185 transcripts that were significantly upregulated at a single developmental stage, including 161 transcription factors. Clustering transcripts according to distinct patterns of transcription revealed coordination in metabolic pathways such as organic acid, stilbene and terpenoid metabolism. From the phenylpropanoid/stilbene biosynthetic pathway at least 46 transcripts were upregulated in ripe berries when compared to veraison and immature berries, and 12 terpene synthases were predominantly detected only in a single sample. Quantitative real-time PCR was used to validate the expression pattern of 12 differentially expressed genes from primary and secondary metabolic pathways. CONCLUSIONS: In this study we report the global transcriptional profile of Shiraz grapes at key stages of development. We have undertaken a comprehensive analysis of gene families contributing to commercially important berry characteristics and present examples of co-regulation and differential gene expression. The data reported here will provide an invaluable resource for the on-going molecular investigation of wine grapes.

The role of light in the regulation of ascorbate metabolism during berry development in the cultivated grapevine Vitis vinifera L.

BACKGROUND: The accumulation of L-ascorbate (Asc) in fruits is influenced by environmental factors including light quantity. Fruit exposure to ambient light is often reduced by the surrounding leaf canopy, and can be altered by cultivation practices. The influence of reduced sunlight exposure on the accumulation of Asc and its catabolites was investigated in field-grown berries of the cultivated grapevine Vitis vinifera L. cv. Shiraz. RESULTS: Growth under sunlight-eliminated conditions resulted in reduced berry fresh weight, chlorosis and a reduced total L-ascorbate pool size. The concentration of the Asc catabolite L-tartaric acid (TA) was reduced in berries grown without light. Conversely, concentrations of oxalic acid (OA), an alternative catabolite of Asc, and malic acid (MA), were unaffected by shading the berries during development. Brief and significant reductions in transcription of the Asc metabolic genes were observed in shade-grown berries after 4 weeks of dark acclimatisation whilst a key TA biosynthetic gene was not regulated by light. CONCLUSIONS: The results demonstrate that light-regulation of Asc and TA occurs only at brief stages of development and that OA and MA accumulation is light independent. Additionally, the comparable ratios of TA product to Asc precursor under both light regimes suggest that the diversion of Asc to TA is driven by factors that are not responsive to light. These findings suggest that an altered light regime is not the key to manipulating TA or MA levels in the harvested berry.

Construction of an almond linkage map in an Australian population Nonpareil x Lauranne.

BACKGROUND: Despite a high genetic similarity to peach, almonds (Prunus dulcis) have a fleshless fruit and edible kernel, produced as a crop for human consumption. While the release of peach genome v1.0 provides an excellent opportunity for almond genetic and genomic studies, well-assessed segregating populations and the respective saturated genetic linkage maps lay the foundation for such studies to be completed in almond. RESULTS: Using an almond intraspecific cross between 'Nonpareil' and 'Lauranne' (N x L), we constructed a moderately saturated map with SSRs, SNPs, ISSRs and RAPDs. The N x L map covered 591.4 cM of the genome with 157 loci. The average marker distance of the map was 4.0 cM. The map displayed high synteny and colinearity with the Prunus T x E reference map in all eight linkage groups (G1-G8). The positions of 14 mapped gene-anchored SNPs corresponded approximately with the positions of homologous sequences in the peach genome v1.0. Analysis of Mendelian segregation ratios showed that 17.9% of markers had significantly skewed genotype ratios at the level of P < 0.05. Due to the large number of skewed markers in the linkage group 7, the potential existence of deleterious gene(s) was assessed in the group. Integrated maps produced by two different mapping methods using JoinMap® 3 were compared, and their high degree of similarity was evident despite the positional inconsistency of a few markers. CONCLUSIONS: We presented a moderately saturated Australian almond map, which is highly syntenic and collinear with the Prunus reference map and peach genome V1.0. Therefore, the well-assessed almond population reported here can be used to investigate the traits of interest under Australian growing conditions, and provides more information on the almond genome for the international community.

Inhibitory effect of hydroxycinnamic acids on Dekkera spp.

Simple phenolic components of wine, hydroxycinnamic acids (HCAs) are known to have antimicrobial properties. This study sought to determine the potential of ferulic acid as an antifungal agent for the control of Dekkera. Growth was inhibited by all HCAs examined in this study, with ferulic acid being the most potent at all concentrations. In the presence of ethanol, the inhibitory effects of ferulic acid were amplified. Scanning electron microscopy images reveal cellular damage upon exposure to ferulic acid. Thus, manipulation of ferulic acid concentrations could be of industrial significance for control of Dekkera and may be the basis for differences in susceptibility of wines to Dekkera spoilage.

Ascorbate metabolism and the developmental demand for tartaric and oxalic acids in ripening grape berries.

BACKGROUND: Fresh fruits are well accepted as a good source of the dietary antioxidant ascorbic acid (Asc, Vitamin C). However, fruits such as grapes do not accumulate exceptionally high quantities of Asc. Grapes, unlike most other cultivated fruits do however use Asc as a precursor for the synthesis of both oxalic (OA) and tartaric acids (TA). TA is a commercially important product in the wine industry and due to its acidifying effect on crushed juice it can influence the organoleptic properties of the wine. Despite the interest in Asc accumulation in fruits, little is known about the mechanisms whereby Asc concentration is regulated. The purpose of this study was to gain insights into Asc metabolism in wine grapes (Vitis vinifera c.v. Shiraz.) and thus ascertain whether the developmental demand for TA and OA synthesis influences Asc accumulation in the berry. RESULTS: We provide evidence for developmentally differentiated up-regulation of Asc biosynthetic pathways and subsequent fluctuations in Asc, TA and OA accumulation. Rapid accumulation of Asc and a low Asc to dehydroascorbate (DHA) ratio in young berries was co-ordinated with up-regulation of three of the primary Asc biosynthetic (Smirnoff-Wheeler) pathway genes. Immature berries synthesised Asc in-situ from the primary pathway precursors D-mannose and L-galactose. Immature berries also accumulated TA in early berry development in co-ordination with up-regulation of a TA biosynthetic gene. In contrast, ripe berries have up-regulated expression of the alternative Asc biosynthetic pathway gene D-galacturonic acid reductase with only residual expression of Smirnoff-Wheeler Asc biosynthetic pathway genes and of the TA biosynthetic gene. The ripening phase was further associated with up-regulation of Asc recycling genes, a secondary phase of increased accumulation of Asc and an increase in the Asc to DHA ratio. CONCLUSION: We demonstrate strong developmental regulation of Asc biosynthetic, recycling and catabolic genes in grape berries. Integration of the transcript, radiotracer and metabolite data demonstrates that Asc and TA metabolism are developmentally regulated in grapevines; resulting in low accumulated levels of the biosynthetic intermediate Asc, and high accumulated levels of the metabolic end-product TA.

Regulation of malate metabolism in grape berry and other developing fruits.

Organic acids are present in all plants, supporting numerous and varied facets of cellular metabolism. The type of organic acid found, and the levels to which they accumulate are extremely variable between species, developmental stages and tissue types. Acidity plays important roles in the organoleptic properties of plant tissues, where examples of both enhanced and reduced palatability can be ascribed to the presence of specific organic acids. In fruits, sourness is generally attributed to proton release from acids such as citric, malic, oxalic, quinic, succinic and tartaric, while the anion forms each contribute a distinct taste. Acidity imposes a strong influence on crop quality, and is an important factor in deciding the harvest date, particularly for fruits where acidity is important for further processing, as in wine grapes. In the grape, as for many other fruits, malate is one of the most prevalent acids, and is an important participant in numerous cellular functions. The accumulation of malate is thought to be due in large part to de novo synthesis in fruits such as the grape, through metabolism of assimilates translocated from leaf tissues, as well as photosynthetic activity within the fruit itself. During ripening, the processes through which malate is catabolised are of interest for advancing metabolic understanding, as well as for potential crop enhancement through agricultural or molecular practices. A body of literature describes research that has begun to unravel the regulatory mechanisms of enzymes involved in malate metabolism during fruit development, through exploration of protein and gene transcript levels. Datasets derived from a series of recent microarray experiments comparing transcript levels at several stages of grape berry development have been revisited, and are presented here with a focus on transcripts associated with malate metabolism. Developmental transcript patterns for enzymes potentially involved in grape malate metabolism have shown that some flux may occur through pathways that are less commonly regarded in ripening fruit, such as aerobic ethanol production. The data also suggest pyruvate as an important intermediate during malate catabolism in fruit. This review will combine an analysis of microarray data with information available on protein and enzyme activity patterns in grapes and other fruits, to explore pathways through which malate is conditionally metabolised, and how these may be controlled in response to developmental and climatic changes. Currently, an insufficient understanding of the complex pathways through which malate is degraded, and how these are regulated, prevents targeted genetic manipulation aimed at modifying fruit malate metabolism in response to environmental conditions.