Complete plastid genomes of South Caucasian, European and Mediterranean Basin wild grapevines (<em>Vitis vinifera</em> subsp. <em>sylvestris</em>)

International audienceThe South Caucasus region is widely believed to be the area in which grape domestication began, therefore the study of genetic diversity of wild grape samples in this region is viewed as a key to understanding grape domestication in general. The main goal of the presented research was assessment of genetic diversity of wild grape samples from different places of Europe and Mediterranean basin by using complete chloroplast DNA Illumina sequencing. The analyzed sequences were compared with the plastid genomes of Georgian wild grape samples from our previous research. The presented work is a first attempt of studying of wide range of the genus Vitis L., in particular wild grape samples from Europe and Mediterranean basin with the next-generation technologies and adopting this application for the tracing of grape ancestry. The obtained results will help to understand the genetic relationships between wild and cultivated grapes from different geographical locations and explain the molecular bases of grape origin and evolution. Phylogenetic trees representing evolutionary relationship between analyzed grape samples are presented

The first complete mitogenomes and phylogeny of Georgian Mountain Cattle

The Georgian Mountain Cattle (GMC) (Species: Bos taurus Linnaeus, 1758 – aurochs, domesticated cattle, domestic cattle (feral), Aurochs, Subspecies: Bos taurus taurus Linnaeus, 1758) is a local breed from Georgia. It is well adapted to the harsh mountain conditions of the Caucasus, resistant to different pathogens and able to provide milk during the lowest feed rations. In this study, we report for the first time the complete mitochondrial genome sequence of GMC. We selected the five unique control region mitochondrial haplotypes of GMC and sequenced for the complete mitogenome, using Illumina MiSeq platform. The results of our research showed a total of 59 substitutions and seven indels, in comparison to the Bovine Reference Sequence (BRS; V00654), with 15 SNPs never observed before. The complete mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) phylogenetic analyses revealed hitherto unknown haplotypes falling outside the known taurine diversity. Four mitogenomes fell within haplogroup T (sub-lineages T1, T3, and T5), while one belonged to haplogroup Q (branch Q1). The combination of our results with precision agriculture holds great promises for the identification of genetic variants economically affecting important traits of GMC cattle

Plastid DNA sequence diversity in a worldwide set of grapevine cultivars (Vitis vinifera L. subsp. vinifera)

UMR AGAP Equipe Diversité, adaptation et amélioration de la vigne (DAAV)DNA sequence diversity was investigated at two plastid regions (the trnH-psbA intergenic spacer and the rpl16 intron) in a geographically diverse group of 113 cultivated grape samples. This group included 40 samples from the Republic of Georgia, home to over 500 grape cultivars and the earliest archaeological evidence of grape domestication. The greater Caucasus region in which Georgia lies is widely believed to be the area in which grape domestication began, and the study of genetic diversity in this region is viewed as key to understanding grape domestication in general. Four plastid haplotypes are evident in the 113 samples, and are designated by their character-states at each of the 3 polymorphic positions: (AAA)–23 samples, (ATT)–29 samples, (GTA)–34 samples, and (ATA)–27 samples. The AAA haplotype was only observed in Georgian samples, and these 23 “Rkatsiteli” group cultivars originate mostly from eastern Georgia. Contrast this group with the nine Georgian cultivars (23%) of the “Chkhaveri-Pinot noir” group (GTA), most of which are cultivated in western Georgia near the Black Sea coast. The observation that the Georgian cultivars exhibited both unique plastid DNA variation (the AAA haplotype) and all other observed plastid haplotypes is consistent with previous studies that have observed both unique and high levels of genetic variation in wild grape (V. vinifera subsp. sylvestris) in the greater Caucasus region

Plastid DNA sequence diversity in a worldwide set of grapevine cultivars (Vitis vinifera L. subsp. vinifera)

International audienceDNA sequence diversity was investigated at two plastid regions (the trnH-psbA intergenic spacer and the rpl16 intron) in a geographically diverse group of 113 cultivated grape samples. This group included 40 samples from the Republic of Georgia, home to over 500 grape cultivars and the earliest archaeological evidence of grape domestication. The greater Caucasus region in which Georgia lies is widely believed to be the area in which grape domestication began, and the study of genetic diversity in this region is viewed as key to understanding grape domestication in general. Four plastid haplotypes are evident in the 113 samples, and are designated by their character-states at each of the 3 polymorphic positions: (AAA)–23 samples, (ATT)–29 samples, (GTA)–34 samples, and (ATA)–27 samples. The AAA haplotype was only observed in Georgian samples, and these 23 “Rkatsiteli” group cultivars originate mostly from eastern Georgia. Contrast this group with the nine Georgian cultivars (23%) of the “Chkhaveri-Pinot noir” group (GTA), most of which are cultivated in western Georgia near the Black Sea coast. The observation that the Georgian cultivars exhibited both unique plastid DNA variation (the AAA haplotype) and all other observed plastid haplotypes is consistent with previous studies that have observed both unique and high levels of genetic variation in wild grape (V. vinifera subsp. sylvestris) in the greater Caucasus region