ATYPICAL FLOWERS IN VITIS VINIFERA L. CV ARAGONEZ
ASSOCIATED TO LOWER FRUIT-SET
R. Pinto 1, P. Costa 2, G. Zanol 3, J. Eiras-Dias 3 and I. Abreu 1,4
1
Departamento de Biologia da FCUP. Rua do Campo Alegre s/n, 4169-007 PORTO.
2 ADVID – Associação para o Desenvolvimento da Viticultura Duriense. Quinta de Santa Maria, Apartado 137, 5050-106 GODIM.
3 INIA – Dois Portos. Quinta da Almoínha, 2565-191 DOIS PORTOS.
4 ENVISED, Geology Center, University of Porto, Portugal.
Introduction
Some plants of Vitis vinifera cv. Aragonez, in northern Portugal, present different floral
morphological characteristics from this cv. and other species of the same genus.
* bp
SSR
VVMD5*
VVMD7*
VVMD25*
Quinta do Bom Retiro (41° 09'25, 65''N, 7° 32'49, 78''W, 370 m)
Quinta da Carvalhosa (41° 08'36, 33''N, 7° 38'29, 93''W, 100 m)
VVMD27*
The aim of this work was to study comparatively, at morphological, biochemical and
molecular levels, specimens from this cv that present flowers with or without calyptras.
Phenology
VVMD28*
VVMD32*
VrZAG62*
N
VrZAG79*
At
VVS2*
Bag.
E
B
F
G
H
Normal Atypical
236
236
236
236
239
239
253
253
243
243
257
257
183
183
183
183
259
259
259
259
251
251
253
253
196
196
200
200
247
247
251
251
145
145
Soluble Proteins
147
147
(µg/µL)
3
2
2.95 2.30
1 – Protein Markers
2 – Atypical
3 - Normal
Fruit-set and productivity
C
A
Protein Content
SDS-PAGE
Microsatellite Analysis
I
Normal bunch
Atypical bunch
D
Morphology of flower (LM and SEM)
Inflorescence
Atypical Flower
Rotine Analysis
(LM)
(LM)
(SEM)
(SEM)
• short pedicel, almost sessile;
• short filaments;
• sessile stigma and globose ovary;
• the corolla at anthesis does not form a
calyptra.
• pentamerous;
• long filaments;
• stigma and style;
• petals are joined at the summit into one
unit – calyptra.
Normal
Atypical
Polar Axis* (µm)
28.10 ± 2.28
29.15 ± 4.33
Equatorial Axis** (µm)
15.87 ± 1.63
18.61 ± 1.90
P/E**
1.78 ± 0.18
1.58 ± 0.25
Area** (µm2)
357.21 ± 55.56
414.10 ± 77.47
(LM)
Pollen Colour
L* (D65)
a* (D65)
b* (D65)
Normal
70.4 ± 0.4
-1.5 ± 0.2
48.4 ± 0.4
Atypical
58.2 ± 0.1
0.7 ± 0.0
34.2 ± 0.0
(SEM)
Trypan Blue
FDA
78.8 ± 4.0
Germination (%)
49.4 ± 7.2
Pollen-Pistil Interaction
Pollen tube growth in
a normal carpel
Alcohol
(g)
(mL)
(% v/v)
Normal
470
262
11.8
Atypical
106
48
15.2
Total Acidity
(g/L Tartaric
No pollen tube growth in
an atypical carpel
ApH1 ApH3,2
EA
Mp
(mg/L) (mg/L)
(%)
(%)
847.0 560.0
pH
IPT
4.8
3.3
36.1
33.9
37.9
4.9
3.4
70.5 3199.5 1586.4 50.4
10.0
Acid)
Seed Analysis
Morphology of pollen(LM and SEM)
Viability (%)
Samples Weight Volume
Phenolic Compounds Analysis
Vegetative Growth
Normal
Normal
Atypical
Total number of seeds
364
67
Average seed weight (mg)
25.6
14.3
Length (mm)
5.8 ± 0.4
4.3 ± 1.3
Width (mm)
3.6 ± 0.4
2.9 ± 1.0
L/W
1.6 ± 0.2
1.6 ± 0.3
Pruning Wood
Weight (Kg)
Vigor Index
Fertility Index
Atypical
520.0 ± 228.0 1350.0 ± 469.0
78.9 ± 20.3
1.0 ± 0.2
170.2 ± 41.0
1.0 ± 0.1
• higher Pruning Wood Weight and Vigor
Index in plants that produced atypical
flowers ;
• similar Fertility Index.
Conclusions
Pollen from both flower types was studied regarding its
morphology, viability, germination and protein expression.
Differences were found in size, colour and protein content.
However, pollen viability and in vitro germination were similar.
The pollen-pistil interaction revealed that no pollen tubes grew
in the pistils of the atypical flowers. The gynoecium, besides
being morphologically atypical, must also be non-functional,
explaining the differences in fruit-set.
The physico-chemical analysis of the fruits showed that plants
with atypical flowers produced fewer, smaller berries and
irregularly shaped and sized seeds. In these seeds, higher levels
of phenolic compounds were observed.
Molecular analysis of microsatellites did not reveal
polymorphisms between plants with normal flowers and plants
with atypical flowers.
In laboratorial and in loco observations, higher vegetative growth
in the atypical grapevines was registered.
This work was supported by FCT-POCI 2010.