Gene expression associated with compatible viral diseases in grapevine cultivars

Abstract

Viral diseases affect grapevine cultures without inducing any resistance response. Thus, these plants develop systemic diseases and are chronically infected. Molecular events associated with viral compatible infections responsible for disease establishment and symptoms development are poorly understood. In this study, we surveyed viral infection in grapevines at a transcriptional level. Gene expression in the Vitis vinifera red wine cultivars Carménère and Cabernet-Sauvignon naturally infected with GLRaV-3 were evaluated using a genome-wide expression profiling with the Vitis vinifera GeneChip from Affymetrix. We describe numerous genes that are induced or repressed in viral infected grapevines leaves. Changes in gene expression involved a wide spectrum of biological functions, including processes of translation and protein targeting, metabolism, transport, and cell defense. Considering cellular localization, the membrane and endomembrane systems appeared with the highest number of induced genes, while chloroplastic genes were mostly repressed. As most induced genes associated with the membranous system are involved in transport, the possible effect of virus in this process is discussed. Responses of both cultivars are analyzed and the results are compared with published data from other species. This is the first study of global gene profiling in grapevine in response to viral infections using DNA microarray.

Grapevine Biotechnology: Molecular Approaches Underlying Abiotic and Biotic Stress Responses

“…On the other hand, among the most significant down-regulated genes, we found genes coding for photosynthetic proteins, as well as photosystems constituents and chlorophyll biosynthetic enzymes. It has been proposed that some overlap exists between leaf-senescence and pathogen-defence programs, with transcript profiling in red cultivars further supporting this concept [5,95]. Several marker genes of the leaf senescence process are expressed during natural viral infection in grapevines.…”

“…Considering that GLRaV-3 is one of most significant grapevine-infecting viruses, special attention has been given to the physiological changes and molecular responses against this virus in leaves [5,95,96] and berries [84,97] (Figure 4).…”

“…Transcript profiles of leaves from the red cultivars Cabernet Sauvignon and Carménère naturally infected with GLRaV-3, were characterized using the Vitis vinifera GeneChip® microarray that contains 14,000 and 1700 transcripts from V. vinifera and other Vitis species, respectively [5]. This work showed that viral infection induces changes in grapevine transcript profiling in a wide spectrum of biological functions, with significant induction of stress-and defence-related proteins, including lipid transfer proteins (LTP), stress-responsive proteins such as the patatin-like protein, the agenet domain containing protein and MAP kinase phosphatase (MKP1), aging genes like tropinone reductase and harpin-induced family protein (HIN-1) and the detoxifying gene gluthathione S-transferase (GST).…”

“…However, since grapevine is usually propagated by grafting, viruses can also disseminate within plants through these cuttings [3]. It is noteworthy to mention that unlike to other pathogens, grapevine plants present no virus resistance, meaning that they can establish compatible interactions where viral pathogens can spread throughout all tissues, generating a global cellular stress and developmental defects [4][5][6]. Regarding these infections, the leafroll disease is one of the most complex viral diseases known and is considered one of the most destructive in grapevines.…”

Fisiologia foliar e qualidade enológica da uva em videiras infectadas por vírus

“…Os estudos que consideram a avaliação das alterações fisiológicas, bioquímicas e citológicas na hospedeira ainda são reduzidos comparativamente às pesquisas voltadas aos estudos de genômica e proteômica dos vírus de plantas, que visam determinar a estrutura, a organização, a replicação e o movimento viral. Os eventos moleculares associados à interação vírus/planta hospedeira, e que resultam em alterações metabólicas e no desenvolvimento de sintomas advindos do estabelecimento da doença, também são pouco entendidos (Espinoza et al, 2007), pois o acompanhamento da evolução dos processos infecciosos por patógenos apresenta dificuldade em função das consequências fisiológicas serem bastante variáveis.…”