Anthocyanins are major pigments in colored grape (Vitis vinifera) berries, and most of them are monomethoxylated or dimethoxylated. We report here the functional characterization of an anthocyanin O-methyltransferase (AOMT) from grapevine. The expression pattern in two cultivars with different anthocyanin methylation profiles (Syrah and Nebbiolo) showed a peak at start ripening (véraison), when...

Aureobasidium pullulans, a cosmopolitan yeast-like fungus, colonises leaf surfaces and is a potential biocontrol agent for plant pathogens. Forty-one isolates of the fungus from the surface of several fruits and vegetables cultivated in Southern Italy were compared by molecular analysis and biocontrol activity. Characterisation of the isolates by using arbitrarily primed PCR (ap-PCR) confirmed ...

Despite its importance in plant health and crop quality, the diversity of epiphytic bacteria on grape berries and other plant parts, like leaves and bark, remains poorly described, as does the role of telluric bacteria in plant colonization. In this study, we compare the bacterial community size and structure in vineyard soils, as well as on grapevine bark, leaves and berries. Analyses of cultu...

BACKGROUND The completion of the grape genome sequencing project has paved the way for novel gene discovery and functional analysis. Aldehyde dehydrogenases (ALDHs) comprise a gene superfamily encoding NAD(P)(+)-dependent enzymes that catalyze the irreversible oxidation of a wide range of endogenous and exogenous aromatic and aliphatic aldehydes. Although ALDHs have been systematically investig...

BACKGROUND Efficient transformation and regeneration methods are a priority for successful application of genetic engineering to vegetative propagated plants such as grape. The current methods for the production of transgenic grape plants are based on Agrobacterium-mediated transformation followed by regeneration from embryogenic callus. However, grape embryogenic calli are laborious to establi...

Grape phylloxera, Daktulosphaira vitifoliae (Fitch) (Hemiptera, Phylloxeridae), is a very destructive insect pest of grapevines. Intercropping of Achyranthes bidentata Blume (f. Amaranthaceae) and Vitis spp. grapevines can be useful to control this pest. In the present study, the toxicity of 22 compounds, known to be present in A. bidentata, to grape phylloxera was evaluated. All treatments wer...

Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) has been identified as an important gaseous signal in plants. Here, we investigated the mechanism of H2S in alleviating postharvest senescence and rotting of Kyoho grape. Exogenous application of H2S released from 1.0 mM NaHS remarkably decreased the rotting and threshing rate of grape berries. H2S application also prevented the weight loss in grape clusters and inhibited...

Grape is one of the oldest fruit crops domesticated by humans. The numerous uses of grape in making wine, beverages, jelly, and other products, has made it one of the most economically important plants worldwide. The complex phytochemistry of the berry is characterized by a wide variety of compounds, most of which have been demonstrated to have therapeutic or health promoting properties. Among ...

We developed a PCI interface for GRAPE systems. GRAPE(GRAvity piPE) is a special-purpose computer for gravitational N -body simulations. A GRAPE system consists of GRAPE processor boards and a host computer. GRAPE processors perform the calculation of gravitational forces between particles. The host computer performs the rest of calculations. The newest of GRAPE machines, the GRAPE-4, achieved ...