Effect of pre- and post-veraison water deficit on proanthocyanidin and anthocyanin accumulation during Shiraz berry development

Abstract

Background and Aims:Water deficit is known to influence berry development as well as flavonoid metabolism. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of pre-and post-veraison water stress on the proanthocyanidin and anthocyanin accumulation on berry samples selected at comparable physiological maturity, especially after veraison while avoiding sugar influence. Methods and Results: Three irrigation treatments were applied by a drip irrigation system on three rows of 30 vines from an experimental Shiraz vineyard. Pre-veraison water stress had no effect on total proanthocyanidin accumulation but increased accumulation of all anthocyanins except malvidin and p-coumaroylated derivatives, whereas post-veraison water stress enhanced the overall anthocyanin biosynthesis, particularly malvidin and p-coumaroylated derivatives. Conclusions: Pre-and post-veraison water stress affected the anthocyanin composition differently, suggesting a differential regulation of the genes involved in the last steps of anthocyanin biosynthesis pathway. Significance of the Study:The study identifies the effect of pre-and post-veraison water stress while avoiding sugar influence on anthocyanin accumulation which could be maximised since both stresses differently impacted hydroxylation and methylation of anthocyanins.

Ecophysiological, Genetic, and Molecular Causes of Variation in Grape Berry Weight and Composition: A Review

“…In addition to controlling grape and wine color, they also play a major role in protection due to their free radical scavenging and antioxidant activity . The amount and composition of the anthocyanins present in red grapes are largely dependent on cultivar and species (Mazza and Francis 1995), stage of ripening (Fournand et al 2006, Holt et al 2010, and environmental and viticulture practices such as light exposure, temperature, and water and nitrogen availability (Downey et al 2006, Kappel 2010, Ollé et al 2011. The variability in anthocyanin composition influences the hue and color stability, with blueness and redness directly affected by the pattern of hydroxylation and methylation, respectively.…”

“…High temperatures are mainly reported to increase the proportion of acetylated to nonacetylated forms (Downey et al 2006, Spayd et al 2002, Tarara et al 2008). Water deficit results in an increase in anthocyanin concentration and the proportion of trihydroxylated anthocyanins as malvidin and p-coumaroylated derivatives (Castellarin and Gaspero 2007, Koundouras et al 2009, Ollé et al 2011.…”

Evaluating the involvement and interaction of abscisic acid and miRNA156 in the induction of anthocyanin biosynthesis in drought-stressed plants

“…Anthocyanins are synthesized in cytoplasm by a multienzyme complex, associated with the cytoplasmic face of the rough endoplasmic reticulum (RER), via the phenylpropanoid pathway, and stored in the vacuole, but their cellular transport is not well known (Winkel-Shirley 1999Sun et al 2012a, b). Under drought stress conditions, the accumulation of anthocyanins appears to be under complex regulatory control at both spatial and temporal levels and thus the inductive mechanisms of anthocyanin synthesis remain unresolved (Castellarin et al 2007a;Ollé et al 2011). Abscisic acid (ABA) is a plant hormone that regulates plant growth, development such as seed dormancy, floral induction, and is involved in abiotic stress responses such as drought stress, salinity, and cold (Finkelstein 2013;Li et al 2017a).…”

Preveraison Water Deficit Accelerates Berry Color Change in Merlot Grapevines

“…However, monthly mean air temperatures during August (when veraison occurred) were warmer than the 1991 to 2013 average in all three years and were similar among years. Growing degree day (GDD) accumulations from 1 April to 30 Sept were similar for 2011and 2012(1947and 1935, and higher than in 2013 (1785 GDD) and the historical average (1721 GDD).…”

“…This would be particularly valuable in viticultural areas characterized by a short growing season or a cool climate. Deficit irrigation treatments imposed from early stages of fruit development can accelerate sugar accumulation, advance the harvest date (Shellie 2006, and promote the biosynthesis and concentration of anthocyanins in the berry skin , Ollé et al 2011. Water deficit may induce an earlier beginning and an earlier end of color change in berries of vines subjected to water deficit from fruit set to veraison (Hardie andConsidine 1976, Castellarin et al 2007), hence favoring a longer ripening period.…”