Dual domestications and origin of traits in grapevine evolution

We elucidate grapevine evolution and domestication histories with 3525 cultivated and wild accessions worldwide. In the Pleistocene, harsh climate drove the separation of wild grape ecotypes caused by continuous habitat fragmentation. Then, domestication occurred concurrently about 11,000 years ago in Western Asia and the Caucasus to yield table and wine grapevines. The Western Asia domesticates dispersed into Europe with early farmers, introgressed with ancient wild western ecotypes, and subsequently diversified along human migration trails into muscat and unique western wine grape ancestries by the late Neolithic. Analyses of domestication traits also reveal new insights into selection for berry palatability, hermaphroditism, muscat flavor, and berry skin color. These data demonstrate the role of the grapevines in the early inception of agriculture across Eurasia.

Coastal Wild Grapevine Accession (Vitis vinifera L. ssp. sylvestris) Shows Distinct Late and Early Transcriptome Changes under Salt Stress in Comparison to Commercial Rootstock Richter 110

Increase in soil salinity, driven by climate change, is a widespread constrain for viticulture across several regions, including the Mediterranean basin. The implementation of salt-tolerant varieties is sought after to reduce the negative impact of salinity in grape production. An accession of wild grapevine (Vitis vinifera L. ssp. sylvestris), named AS1B, found on the coastline of Asturias (Spain), could be of interest toward the achievement of salt-tolerant varieties, as it demonstrated the ability to survive and grow under high levels of salinity. In the present study, AS1B is compared against widely cultivated commercial rootstock Richter 110, regarding their survival capabilities, and transcriptomic profiles analysis allowed us to identify the genes by employing RNA-seq and gene ontology analyses under increasing salinity and validate (via RT-qPCR) seven salinity-stress-induced genes. The results suggest contrasting transcriptomic responses between AS1B and Richter 110. AS1B is more responsive to a milder increase in salinity and builds up specific mechanisms of tolerance over a sustained salt stress, while Richter 110 maintains a constitutive expression until high and prolonged saline inputs, when it mainly shows responses to osmotic stress. The genetic basis of AS1B's strategy to confront salinity could be valuable in cultivar breeding programs, to expand the current range of salt-tolerant rootstocks, aiming to improve the adaptation of viticulture against climate change.