Application of an artificial neural network (ANN) for the identification of grapevine genotypes

Neural networks were employed to distinguish between 15 accessions of "coloured" (fruit gives intense red colour to the wine) grapevines found in some viticultural zones of Tuscany. Our results enabled us to distinguish, with considerable certainty, between 9 accessions and to denote three pairs of synonyms. The use of neural networks opens interesting prospects for ampelography; its advantages over traditional ampelographic methods are demonstrated

Short- and long-term effect of sulphite on sucrose transport in grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) leaves. An electrophysiological study

Sucrose is the main carbohydrate translocated in grapevine and its transport may be restricted or inhibited by a number of factors such as the pollutant sulphur dioxide. The present study investigated, for the first time in grapevine, the effects of sulphite on membrane electrical response of sucrose transport in the mesophyll cells. Co-transport of sucrose across the membrane is linked to the free energy in a electrochemical proton gradient. Without the pollutant, electrophysiological traces displayed a metabolic-dependent sucrose electrical response in which an initial depolarization was followed by complete repolarization. In the presence of sulphite, instead, there were different trends depending on time of contact with the tissue of the pollutant. In the short-term, a slower repolarization was observed and in the long-term (after 6 and 12 h) the extent of depolarization (Δ mV) was also reduced. Transmembrane electrical potentials, measured in the presence of sulphite, became significantly (P < 0.01) more positive with increasing time of incubation of the tissue. On the whole, electrophysiological results highlight a direct or indirect effect of the pollutant on the activity of proton pump H+/ATP ase. Since carbohydrate translocation has a central role in the balance between source and sinks in the plant, the results of the research suggest that sulphite can modify the above balance with negative implications for the export of carbohydrate from the leaves

Propagative material of grapevine: RFID technology for supporting traceability of "basic" and "certified" material along the wine production chain

Four main categories of propagative material in the European Union (EU) have been indentified for grapevine: the primary source, pre-basic, basic and certified material. Each type of material has to be periodically assayed for pathogens and each material stage is intrinsically characterized by increasing risks. Radiofrequency (RFID) can be considered an efficient and durable traceability system to provide retrieval of propagated material or check producer identity. RFID tagging of grapevines of different categories along the production line could establish a durable link between stakeholder and products. To evaluate this approach, histological observations and growth parameters of basic or certified RFID- tagged grapevine were performed, as well as requirement analysis for management of sanitary checks and for traceability of the wine production chain. Basic material can be safety tagged with RFID tags to establish mother plant vineyards; derived certified material can also safely be tagged. No detrimental performance in terms of vegetative growth and bud production were reported for mother plant vineyards from the first year of production life. Requirement analysis made it possible to individuate traceability objectives, materials and stakeholders involved, as well as the RFID-tagging steps and methods to collect sanitary and production data that are useful for traceability purposes

Propagative material of grapevine: RFID technology for supporting traceability of "basic" and "certified" material along the wine production chain

Four main categories of propagative material in the European Union (EU) have been indentified for grapevine: the primary source, pre-basic, basic and certified material. Each type of material has to be periodically assayed for pathogens and each material stage is intrinsically characterized by increasing risks. Radiofrequency (RFID) can be considered an efficient and durable traceability system to provide retrieval of propagated material or check producer identity. RFID tagging of grapevines of different categories along the production line could establish a durable link between stakeholder and products. To evaluate this approach, histological observations and growth parameters of basic or certified RFID- tagged grapevine were performed, as well as requirement analysis for management of sanitary checks and for traceability of the wine production chain. Basic material can be safety tagged with RFID tags to establish mother plant vineyards; derived certified material can also safely be tagged. No detrimental performance in terms of vegetative growth and bud production were reported for mother plant vineyards from the first year of production life. Requirement analysis made it possible to individuate traceability objectives, materials and stakeholders involved, as well as the RFID-tagging steps and methods to collect sanitary and production data that are useful for traceability purposes

A high‐resolution view of the coordination environment in a paramagnetic metalloprotein from its magnetic properties

Metalloproteins constitute a significant fraction of the proteome of all organisms and their characterization is critical for both basic sciences and biomedical applications. A large portion of metalloproteins bind paramagnetic metal ions, and paramagnetic NMR spectroscopy has been widely used in their structural characterization. However, the signals of nuclei in the immediate vicinity of the metal center are often broadened beyond detection. In this work, we show that it is possible to determine the coordination environment of the paramagnetic metal in the protein at a resolution inaccessible to other techniques. Taking the structure of a diamagnetic analogue as a starting point, a geometry optimization is carried out by fitting the pseudocontact shifts obtained from first principles quantum chemical calculations to the experimental ones

Insight on trans-plasma membrane behavior of virus-infected plant cells

Little is known about the ion fluxes generated during plant-virus interactions, despite significant losses caused by viruses to agricultural crops. Changes in average ion currents were identifying an early event in the signal transduction pathway related to virus/host interaction. While significant decrease in the average inward currents, mainly due to Ca2+ moving into the cell was observed, the role of potassium may be significant. Host specific K+ efflux with a concomitant decrease in the intracellular K+ was observed in tobacco plants during the early minutes after infection, suggesting many hypothesis about the role of potassium in host-virus interaction. In the last years, trans-plasma membrane potential was evaluated for some viruses, observing as effect on membrane was different in relation to virus infection and host. Conversely, settle virus infection generally lead to an increase of activity in trans-plasma membrane electron transport