IBAM   22618
INSTITUTO DE BIOLOGIA AGRICOLA DE MENDOZA
Unidad Ejecutora - UE
congresos y reuniones científicas
Título:
Molecular and genetic analysis of grapevine berry size determination
Autor/es:
LIJAVETZKY, D
Lugar:
La Serene
Reunión:
Conferencia; IX International Symposium on Grapevine Physiology and Biotechnology; 2013
Institución organizadora:
INIA-ISHS
Resumen:
Fruit size is a highly important trait for most fruit and vegetable crops. This trait has been a main selection target from the beginning of the modern agriculture and could be involved in divergent selection processes leading to the differentiation between modern table and wine cultivars. Even though its determination is highly influenced by cultural practices, several regions within the grapevine genome (QTLs) have been identified influencing berry size. Is worth to remark that the QTL displaying the major effects on berry size (located on LG18) is also directly associated with seed content and other related traits. However, additional mechanisms could be involved in the regulation of berry size, including monogenic mutations like fleshless berry (flb). In this sense, we began a candidate gene analysis focused on the AINTEGUMENTA (ANT) gene family. ANT is a member of the AP2/ERF family of transcription factor genes. In ovules of the Arabidopsis ant mutant, integuments do not develop and megasporogenesis is blocked. Based on these results, it is believed that ANT regulates cell proliferation and organ growth by maintaining the meristematic competence of cells during organogenesis. On the other hand, the characterization in Arabidopsis and other plant species of seven closely related genes (ANT-like genes o AIL) also suggested their participation in specification of meristematic or division-competent states. Using the ANT and AIL known sequences we identified all the grapevine putative ortholog genes. After the alignment of their sequences we determined their phylogenetic relationship respect all the ANT and AIL sequences from Arabidopsis, rice and poplar. Using qRT-PCR specific primers for all grapevine ANT/AIL genes we analyzed their expression patterns in different tissues and stages of the plant with the aim of defining their putative role in the flower and fruit size determination. Our results suggested the involvement of ANT in the determination of the final berry size through the regulation of the flower primordium size.