<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Aims</strong>: The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of timing of leaf removal on yield components, berry sensory characteristics, composition and sensory properties of Vitis vinifera L. Grenache wines under non-irrigated conditions.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Methods and results</strong>: The effects of timing of defoliation (fruit set and veraison) on yield components, berry maturity, wine composition and sensory properties of head trained, non irrigated, Grenache vines grown in Rioja appellation were studied. Leaf removal did not significantly modify total leaf area per vine as well as yield components. Grenache berries from early defoliated vines achieved the highest skin and technological maturity. Wine parameters, such as alcohol content, pH, titratable acidity, tartaric acid and total polyphenol index were unaffected by defoliation. Conversely, early leaf removal carried out at fruit set, significantly reduced the malic acid content of the wine and enhanced its colour intensity. Aroma complexity, mouthfeel, tannin quality and persistence were found to be significantly higher in the wine corresponding to the early leaf removal treatment. This was also the most preferred wine in terms of overall value.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Conclusion</strong>: This article shows that timing of leaf removal had a marked effect on berry maturity, wine composition and sensory properties of Grenache wines made from grapes grown under dry-farmed conditions.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Significance and impact of study</strong>: The results suggest that the timing of defoliation induces significant changes in Grenache wine composition and its sensory attributes. Late leaf removal was much less effective than early leaf removal in affecting final wine composition and quality. Grenache wine from the early defoliation treatment was rated the most preferred as of global value.</p>

This work was carried out to investigate the odorants found in ten varietal wines from different international grape cultivars (Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot noir, Tempranillo, Sauvignon blanc, Riesling, Chardonnay, Pinot gris, Pinot blanc and Gewürztraminer) grown in northwest Spain. Monoterpenes, alcohols, fatty acids, ethyl esters, acetates and volatile phenols were determined by gas chromatographymass spectrometry (GC-MS). The results showed that Gewürztraminer white wines had the highest concentration of volatile compounds (35.7 mg/L). Monoterpenes, linalool, terpineol, citronellol and nerol were detected only in Riesling and Gewürztraminer white wines. In the red wines, Cabernet Sauvignon followed by Merlot wines showed the highest concentration of total volatile composition (55.60 mg/L and 50.90 mg/L respectively), characterised by a higher concentration of alcohols. Based on the individual odour threshold, white Gewürztraminer and red Pinot noir wines showed the highest total OAV value. ANOVA has shown significant differences among wines. Principal component analysis performed a grouping of the monovarietal wines -Sauvignon blanc-Pinot blanc-Riesling and Pinot gris gris-Gewürztraminer in the white wines, and Cabernet Sauvignon-Tempranillo in the red wines.

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Protamine 1 (P1) and protamine 2 (P2) family are extremely basic, sperm-specific proteins, packing 85−95% of the paternal DNA. P1 is synthesized as a mature form, whereas P2 components (HP2, HP3, and HP4) arise from the proteolysis of the precursor (pre-P2). Due to the particular protamine physical−chemical properties, their identification by standardized bottom-up mass spectrometry (MS) strategies is not straightforward. Therefore, the aim of this study was to identify the sperm protamine proteoforms profile, including their post-translational modifications, in normozoospermic individuals using two complementary strategies, a top-down MS approach and a proteinase-K-digestion-based bottom-up MS approach. By top-down MS, described and novel truncated P1 and pre-P2 proteoforms were identified. Intact P1, pre-P2, and P2 mature proteoforms and their phosphorylation pattern were also detected. Additionally, a +61 Da modification in different proteoforms was observed. By the bottom-up MS approach, phosphorylated residues for pre-P2, as well as the new P2 isoform 2, which is not annotated in the UniProtKB database, were revealed. Implementing these strategies in comparative studies of different infertile phenotypes, together with the evaluation of P1/P2 and pre-P2/P2 MS-derived ratios, would permit determining specific alterations in the protamine proteoforms and elucidate the role of phosphorylation/dephosphorylation dynamics in male fertility.

Wine aroma is formed by volatile compounds of different chemical natures and origins. Betanzos is the most northern viticole geographic area from Galicia (NW Spain). The aromatic profiles of wines produced from two white varieties (Blanco lexítimo and Agudelo) and one red variety (Serradelo) from Betanzos, harvested in 2006 and 2007, have been established by gas chromatography (GC/FID). A total of 35 varietal and fermentative aroma compounds were identified and quantified in free volatile form, which include terpenols, C 13 -norisoprenoids, alcohols, esters, volatile fatty acids and volatile phenols. To ascertain the compounds with major impact odours, the Odour Activity Value (OAV) was calculated. Twelve compounds showed concentrations above their perception threshold (OAV>1). The results obtained suggest that ethyl octanoate (apple), isoamyl acetate (banana), ethyl hexanoate (fruity) and β-damascenone (floral) were the most powerful odorants for the white wines Blanco lexítimo and Agudelo from Betanzos. Ethyl octanoate and β-damascenone (fruity and floral aroma respectively) were the most odorant for the red wine Serradelo.