Tannins phenotyping in the Vitaceae reveals constellations of compositions intimately linked to genera and species

Authors: BRILLOUET, JEAN-MARC - Inrae; ROMIEU, CHARLES - Inrae; BACILIERI, ROBERTO - Inrae; NICK, PETER - Karlsruhe Institute Of Technology; TRIAS-BLASI, ANNA - Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew; MAUL, ERIKA - Julius Kuhn Institute; SOLYMOSI, KATALYN - Eotvos Lorand University; SZELAK, PETER - University Of Pecs; JIANG, JIAN-FU - Chinese Academy Of Agricultural Sciences; SUN, LEI - Chinese Academy Of Agricultural Sciences; ORTOLANI, DANIELLE - Jardin Exotique De Monaco; Londo, Jason; Gutierrez, Benjamin; Prins, Bernard - Bernie; REYNDERS, MARC - Botanic Garden Meise; VANCAEKENBERGHE, FRANK - Botanic Garden Meise; MAGHRADZE, DAVID - National Wine Agency Of Georgia; MARCHAL, CECILE - Inrae; SULTAN, AMIR - Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC); THOMAS, JEAN-FRANCOIS - Jardin Botanique De Lyon; SCHERBERICH, DANIEL - Jardin Botanique De Lyon; FULCRAND, HELENE - Inrae; ROUMEAS, LAURENT - Inrae; BILLERACH, GUILLAUME - Inrae; SALIMOV, VUGAR - Azerbaijani Scientific Research Institute Of Viticulture And Winemaking; MUSAYEV, MIRZA - Azerbaijan Academy Of Sciences; UL ISLAM DAR, HUHAMMAD EJAZ - University Of Azad Jammu & Kashmir; PELTIER, JEAN-BENOIT - Inrae; GAUDEUL, MYRIAM - Herbarium Of The Muséum National D’Histoire Naturelle De Paris; GRISONI, MICHEL - Cirad, France

Submitted to: Annals of Botany
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/4/2021
Publication Date: 6/14/2022
Citation: Brillouet, J., Romieu, C., Bacilieri, R., Nick, P., Trias-Blasi, A., Maul, E., Solymosi, K., Szelak, P., Jiang, J., Sun, L., Ortolani, D., Londo, J.P., Gutierrez, B.L., Prins, B.H., Reynders, M., Vancaekenberghe, F., Maghradze, D., Marchal, C., Sultan, A., Thomas, J., Scherberich, D., Fulcrand, H., Roumeas, L., Billerach, G., Salimov, V., Musayev, M., Ul Islam Dar, H., Peltier, J., Gaudeul, M., Grisoni, M. 2022. Tannins phenotyping in the Vitaceae reveals constellations of compositions intimately linked to genera and species. Annals Of Botany. https://doi.org/10.1093/aob/mcac077.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/aob/mcac077

Interpretive Summary: Background and Aims: Condensed tannins, responsible for berry and wine astringency, may have been selected during grape domestication (Narduzzi et al., 2015). This work addresses the genetic diversity of condensed tannins throughout the Vitaceae phylogenetic tree. Methods Green berries and mature leaves of representative true-to-type members of the Vitaceae were collected before “véraison”, freeze-dried, pulverized, and condensed tannins were depolymerized by nucleophilic addition of 2-mercaptoethanol on C4 of the flavan-3-ol units in an organic acidic medium. Reaction products were separated and quantitated by UPLC/DAD/MS. Key Results and Conclusions The ability to include epigallocatechin (EGC) in condensed tannins disappeared independently, on both continental branches of the Vitaceae, with exceptional reversions to the ancestral EGC phenotype. This is particularly true in the Vitis genus, where we now find two radically distinct groups, the presence of EGC being strongly associated with the size of leaf margin teeth. Most Vitis species from Asia are devoid of EGC, while EGC is present in 50% of New World ones. Noticeably, the rare Asian EGC forming species are phylogenetically close to Vitis vinifera, the unique Vitis representative in Eurasia, forming EGC both in its wild and cultivated compartments. Consistent differences were also observed in the respective activities of the EGC and the galloylation biosynthesis pathways, that compete for photoassimilates and reductive power.

Technical Abstract: Background and Aims: Condensed tannins, responsible for berry and wine astringency, may have been selected during grape domestication (Narduzzi et al., 2015). This work addresses the genetic diversity of condensed tannins throughout the Vitaceae phylogenetic tree. Methods Green berries and mature leaves of representative true-to-type members of the Vitaceae were collected before “véraison”, freeze-dried, pulverized, and condensed tannins were depolymerized by nucleophilic addition of 2-mercaptoethanol on C4 of the flavan-3-ol units in an organic acidic medium. Reaction products were separated and quantitated by UPLC/DAD/MS. Key Results and Conclusions The ability to include epigallocatechin (EGC) in condensed tannins disappeared independently, on both continental branches of the Vitaceae, with exceptional reversions to the ancestral EGC phenotype. This is particularly true in the Vitis genus, where we now find two radically distinct groups, the presence of EGC being strongly associated with the size of leaf margin teeth. Most Vitis species from Asia are devoid of EGC, while EGC is present in 50% of New World ones. Noticeably, the rare Asian EGC forming species are phylogenetically close to Vitis vinifera, the unique Vitis representative in Eurasia, forming EGC both in its wild and cultivated compartments. Consistent differences were also observed in the respective activities of the EGC and the galloylation biosynthesis pathways, that compete for photoassimilates and reductive power.