Identification of stable QTLs for vegetative and reproductive traits in the microvine (Vitis vinifera L.) using the 18 K Infinium chip

UMR AGAP - équipe DAAV - Diversité, adaptation et amélioration de la vigne[b]Background[/b] [br/]The increasing temperature associated with climate change impacts grapevine phenology and development with critical effects on grape yield and composition. Plant breeding has the potential to deliver new cultivars with stable yield and quality under warmer climate conditions, but this requires the identification of stable genetic determinants. This study tested the potentialities of the microvine to boost genetics in grapevine. A mapping population of 129 microvines derived from Picovine x Ugni Blanc flb, was genotyped with the Illumina® 18 K SNP (Single Nucleotide Polymorphism) chip. Forty-three vegetative and reproductive traits were phenotyped outdoors over four cropping cycles, and a subset of 22 traits over two cropping cycles in growth rooms with two contrasted temperatures, in order to map stable QTLs (Quantitative Trait Loci). [br/][b]Results[/b] [br/]Ten stable QTLs for berry development and quality or leaf area were identified on the parental maps. A new major QTL explaining up to 44 % of total variance of berry weight was identified on chromosome 7 in Ugni Blanc flb, and co-localized with QTLs for seed number (up to 76 % total variance), major berry acids at green lag phase (up to 35 %), and other yield components (up to 25 %). In addition, a minor QTL for leaf area was found on chromosome 4 of the same parent. In contrast, only minor QTLs for berry acidity and leaf area could be found as moderately stable in Picovine. None of the transporters recently identified as mutated in low acidity apples or Cucurbits were included in the several hundreds of candidate genes underlying the above berry QTLs, which could be reduced to a few dozen candidate genes when a priori pertinent biological functions and organ specific expression were considered. [br/][b]Conclusions[/b] [br/]This study combining the use of microvine and a high throughput genotyping technology was innovative for grapevine genetics. It allowed the identification of 10 stable QTLs, including the first berry acidity QTLs reported so far in a Vitis vinifera intra-specific cross. Robustness of a set of QTLs was assessed with respect to temperature variatio

InDel markers for monitoring the introgression of downy mildew resistance from wild relatives into grape varieties

We identified haplotype-tagging insertion/deletions (InDels) for downy mildew resistance (Rpv3-1) in grapevine and converted them into InDel markers. InDel-25,941 and InDel-26,032 were validated by fragment analysis via capillary electrophoresis in 174 varieties of Vitis vinifera, 50 resistant varieties of the ‘Seibel 4614’ lineage that share Rpv3-1 by descent, and in 83 Vitis accessions. Amplicon sequencing of ancestral and derived alleles revealed that both mutations were caused by deletions. The 25,941-deletion is most likely recent. The derived allele is present only in resistant varieties obtained from ‘Seibel 4614’ and has originated in North American populations through two successive deletions within a predicted multiple stem-loop ssDNA structure, consisting of three nearby short inverted repeats, which shortened the ancestral DNA stepwise. The 26,032-deletion is more ancient. The derived allele is always present in resistant varieties of the ‘Seibel 4614’ lineage, completely absent from V. vinifera, not found in other North American accessions, and rarely present in Asian species. It may have originated in a common ancestral population before the continental disjunction, followed by incomplete lineage sorting, or in either lineage followed by introgression via secondary contacts. Genotyping with these markers does not require special instruments or chemistry for routine screening in breeding practice. Differences in amplicon size between grapes that carry or do not carry Rpv3-1 are detectable via standard agarose gel electrophoresis, or classical melting curve analysis using nonsaturating fluorescent dyes. The recombination rate between each marker and the trait locus is 0.118% for InDel-25,941 and 0.071% for InDel-26,032

PediaVirus chatline: all together against COVID-19

On occasion of the COVID-19 pandemic, in Italy, during the outbreak period, 140 professionals, including paediatricians (the majority), general health practitioners, infectious diseases specialists, epidemiologists, neuropsychiatrists, neurologists, psychologists, pharmaceutical representatives, magistrates, predominantly Italian but also from other countries in Europe and beyond, created a chatline to share their own experiences.The results of such investigation have been reported in this report