In this study, the aroma of 182 table grapes was detected using a PEN3.5 electronic nose in order to explore the aroma components of table grape berries and provide a reference for aroma evaluation and quality improvements. Table grape varieties from the Zhengzhou Fruit Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences were used as research materials. All of them were harvested in fruit trees over 10 years old from August to October 2023, which provided a reference for aroma evaluation and quality improvement of the table grapes. Radar analysis, correlation analysis, principal component (PCA) analysis, cluster analysis, and difference analysis were used to study these aroma substances. The results show that the sensor contribution rate from high to low is W5S (nitrogen oxides), W2S (alcohols and some aromatic compounds), W1S (alkanes), and W2W (sensor contribution rate from high to low). Cluster analysis can distinguish the varieties of table grapes a with common aroma content, and the varieties with a higher content are in the second category (II). PCA showed that the contribution rate of the first and second principal components of the three main sensors was 97.6% and 2.3%, respectively, and the total contribution value was 99.9%. The contribution rates of the first and second principal components of the three aromatic sensors are 79.5% and 15.9%, respectively, and the total contribution value is 95.4%. The results showed that there were significant differences in the content and composition of aroma substances in different grape varieties. Eight special germplasm with strong aroma (organic compounds of nitrogen oxides, alcohols, alkanes and sulfur) were selected: ‘Spabang’, ‘Neijingxiang’, ‘Zaotian Muscat’, ‘Jinmeigui’, ‘Zhengguo 6’, ‘Muscat Angel’, ‘Zizao’, and ‘Qiumi’. This study confirmed that electronic nose technology can effectively distinguish different varieties of table grapes. This study not only provides a scientific basis for the variety selection for the table grape processing industry, but it can also be used for male or female grape hybridization, which provides valuable data resources for table grape breeding.
Endophytes have been verified to synthesize melatonin in vitro and promote abiotic stress-induced production of endogenous melatonin in grape (Vitis vinifera L.) roots. This study aimed to further characterize the biotransformation of tryptophan to melatonin in the endophytic bacterium Pseudomonas fluorescens RG11 and to investigate its capacity for enhancing endogenous melatonin levels in the roots of different grape cultivars. Using ultra performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry combined with 15N double-labeled L-tryptophan as the precursor for melatonin, we detected isotope-labeled 5-hydroxytryptophan, serotonin, N-acetylserotonin, and melatonin, but tryptamine was not detected during the in vitro incubation of P. fluorescens RG11. Furthermore, the production capacity of these four compounds peaked during the exponential growth phase. RG11 colonization increased the endogenous levels of 5-hydroxytryptophan, N-acetylserotonin, and melatonin, but reduced those of tryptamine and serotonin, in the roots of the Red Globe grape cultivar under salt stress conditions. Quantitative real-time PCR revealed that RG11 reduced the transcription of grapevine tryptophan decarboxylase and serotonin N-acetyltransferase genes when compared to the un-inoculated control. These results correlated with decreased reactive oxygen species bursts and cell damage, which were alleviated by RG11 colonization under salt stress conditions. Additionally, RG11 promoted plant growth and enhanced the levels of endogenous melatonin in different grape cultivars. Intraspecific variation in the levels of melatonin precursors was found among four grape cultivars, and the associated root crude extracts appeared to significantly induce RG11 melatonin biosynthesis in vitro. Overall, this study provides useful information that enhances the existing knowledge of a potential melatonin synthesis pathway in rhizobacteria, and it reveals plant-rhizobacterium interactions that affect melatonin biosynthesis in plants subjected to abiotic stress conditions.
Evaluation of volatile aroma compounds from Chinese wild grape species aimed to explore new grape species via fruit aroma. In this study, the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from ten grape cultivars belonging to nine different grape species were detected, by using headspace solid-phase microextraction with GC-MS. Chinese wild grape species were studied along with table grape (Muscat Hamburg, Concord) and wine grape (Cabernet Sauvignon) cultivars belonging to different origins. Total forty-five volatile compounds were detected, upon which several VOCs including pentanoic acid, cyclobutyl ester, maltol, (+)-neoisomenthol, and 8-methyloctahydrocoumarin were detected in Chinese wild grapes that have not been detected in other Vitis species. The results revealed that C6 volatile compounds were pre-dominant VOCs. Esters were found abundant in V. labrusca (Concord) and terpenoids were dominant in V. vinafera (Hamburg Muscat). The principal component analysis showed that Chinese wild grape cultivars V. yeshanensis, V. facifolia, V. davidii, V. betulifolia V. heyneana, V. amurensis and V. adenoclada are correlated with wine grape cultivar 'Cabernet Sauvignon', while table grape cultivars are distributed separately. These results can provide a reference for the utilization of new germplasm for specific purposes.
Molecular markers play a crucial role in marker-assisted breeding and varietal identification. However, the application of insertion/deletion markers (InDels) in grapevines has been limited by the low throughput and separability of gel electrophoresis. To developed effective InDel markers for grapevines, this study reports a novel, effective and high-throughput pipeline for InDel marker development and identification. After rigorous filtering, 11 polymorphic multi-allelic InDel markers were selected. These markers were then used to perform genetic identification of 123 elite grape cultivars using agarose gel electrophoresis and next-generation sequencing (NGS). The polymorphism rate of the InDel markers identified by gels was 37.92%, while the NGS-based results demonstrated a higher polymorphism rate of 61.12%. Finally, the NGS-based fingerprints successfully distinguished 122 grape varieties (99.19%), surpassing the gels, which could distinguish 116 grape varieties (94.31%). Specifically, we constructed phylogenetic trees based on the genotyping results from both gels and NGS. The population structure revealed by the NGS-based markers displayed three primary clusters, consisting of the patterns of the evolutionary divergence and geographical origin of the grapevines. Our work provides an efficient workflow for multi-allelic InDel marker development and practical tools for the genetic discrimination of grape cultivars.