New insights on the genetic basis of Portuguese grapevine and on grapevine domestication
Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 18, 2026

The Terroir Concept Interpreted through Grape Berry Metabolomics and Transcriptomics
Published on: October 5, 2016
M S Lopes1, D Mendonça, M Rodrigues dos Santos
1Centro de Biotecnologia dos Açores, Departamento de Ciências Agrárias, Universidade dos Açores, Terra-Chã, 9701-851 Angra do Heroísmo, Portugal.
Abstract:
As the ancestor of cultivated grape, Vitis vinifera subsp. sylvestris represents a unique, invaluable genetic resource for the improvement of cultivated grapevines. Recently, five populations of wild grapevines were identified in Portugal. Sixty vines were characterized with 11 nuclear SSR markers and further compared with 70 genotypes of Portuguese Vitis vinifera subsp. sativa. The obtained data demonstrate moderate genetic differentiation between wild grapevine populations and moderate to high genetic differentiation between wild and cultivated grapevines. However, the identification of high degrees of similarity between wild and cultivated grapes (up to 87%) and a putative parent-progeny relationship between wild and cultivated grapes with 17 additional SSR markers is indicative of gene flow between local wild grapevine populations and Portuguese domesticated vines. Also, the ancestry of some Azorean cultivars was ascertained. The obtained data further support the hypothesis of several domestication centres, with Portugal, Spain, and Italy playing a particular role after the last glaciation, giving rise to many of the Western European cultivars.
More Related Videos
10:40Comprehensive Workflow for the Genome-wide Identification and Expression Meta-analysis of the ATL E3 Ubiquitin Ligase Gene Family in Grapevine
Published on: December 22, 2017
07:34Profiling the Bacterial Community of Fermenting Traminette Grapes during Wine Production using Metagenomic Amplicon Sequencing
Published on: December 1, 2023
Related Concept Videos
Incomplete Dominance
Genetics of Speciation
Mutation, Gene Flow, and Genetic Drift
Genetic Variation
Genes exist in different versions called alleles, which...
Plant Breeding and Biotechnology
Principles of Pharmacogenetics: Types of Genetic Variants