Premium
Metabolic and transcript analysis of the flavonoid pathway in diseased and recovered N ebbiolo and B arbera grapevines ( V itis vinifera L .) following infection by F lavescence dorée phytoplasma
Author(s) -
MARGARIA PAOLO,
FERRANDINO ALESSANDRA,
CACIAGLI PIERO,
KEDRINA OLGA,
SCHUBERT ANDREA,
PALMANO SABRINA
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
plant, cell and environment
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.646
H-Index - 200
eISSN - 1365-3040
pISSN - 0140-7791
DOI - 10.1111/pce.12332
Subject(s) - flavonoid , proanthocyanidin , flavonoid biosynthesis , anthocyanin , flavonols , biology , botany , biochemistry , gene , gene expression , polyphenol , transcriptome , antioxidant
F lavescence dorée phytoplasma ( FDp ) infections seriously affect production and survival of grapevine. We analysed the changes in the flavonoid pathway occurring in two red cultivars, the highly susceptible B arbera and the less susceptible N ebbiolo, following FDp infection. A combination of metabolic and transcript analyses was used to quantify flavonoid compounds and expression of a set of genes involved in their biosynthesis. Quantification of anthocyanins, flavonols, proanthocyanidins and related biosynthetic enzymes was performed over the vegetative season, at four time points, on healthy, infected and recovered plants. A strong activation of anthocyanin accumulation was observed in infected B arbera leaves, while the response was less marked in N ebbiolo. Proanthocyanidins also accumulated mainly in infected B arbera leaves, even if basal proanthocyanidin concentration was higher in healthy and recovered N ebbiolo. Biochemical data were supported by transcript analysis: genes of the stem flavonoid pathway and of the anthocyanin and proanthocyanidin branches were expressed at a higher level in infected than in healthy plants, with a different magnitude between the two cultivars. Based on our results, we hypothesize that flavonoid accumulation is a physiological consequence of FD infection without affecting phytoplasma multiplication, although proanthocyanidin accumulation could help repel further infection by the insect vector.