Wednesday, February 8, 2023
SCIENMAG: Latest Science and Health News
No Result
View All Result
  • Login
  • HOME PAGE
  • BIOLOGY
  • CHEMISTRY AND PHYSICS
  • MEDICINE
    • Cancer
    • Infectious Emerging Diseases
  • SPACE
  • TECHNOLOGY
  • CONTACT US
  • HOME PAGE
  • BIOLOGY
  • CHEMISTRY AND PHYSICS
  • MEDICINE
    • Cancer
    • Infectious Emerging Diseases
  • SPACE
  • TECHNOLOGY
  • CONTACT US
No Result
View All Result
Scienmag - Latest science news from science magazine
No Result
View All Result
Home SCIENCE NEWS Biology

Discovery shows wine grapes gasping for breath

March 2, 2018
in Biology
0
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
IMAGE

Credit: University of Adelaide

University of Adelaide researchers have discovered how grapes "breathe", and that shortage of oxygen leads to cell death in the grape.

The discovery raises many questions about the potentially significant impacts on grape and wine quality and flavour and vine management, and may lead to new ways of selecting varieties for warming climates.

"In 2008 we discovered the phenomenon of cell death in grapes, which can be implicated where there are problems with ripening. We've since been trying to establish what causes cell death," says Professor Steve Tyerman, Chair of Viticulture at the University of Adelaide's Waite campus.

"Although there were hints that oxygen was involved, until now we've not known of the role of oxygen and how it enters the berry."

Professor Tyerman and PhD student Zeyu Xiao from the University's Australian Research Council (ARC) Training Centre for Innovative Wine Production have identified that during ripening, grapes suffer internal oxygen shortage. The research was in collaboration with Dr Victor Sadras, South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI), and Dr Suzy Rogiers, NSW Department of Primary Industries, Wagga Wagga.

Published in the Journal of Experimental Botany, the researchers describe how grape berries suffer internal oxygen shortage during ripening. With the use of a miniature oxygen measuring probe – the first time this has been done in grapes – they compared oxygen profiles across the flesh inside grapes of Chardonnay, Shiraz and Ruby Seedless table grape.

They found that the level of oxygen shortage closely correlated with cell death within the grapes. Respiration measurements indicated that this would be made worse by high temperatures during ripening – expected to happen more frequently with global warming.

"By manipulating oxygen supply we discovered that small pores on the surface of the berry stem were vital for oxygen supply, and if they were blocked this caused increased cell death within the berry of Chardonnay, essentially suffocating the berry. We also used micro X-ray computed tomography (CT) to show that air canals connect the inside of the berry with the small pores on the berry stem," says Mr Xiao.

"Shiraz has a much smaller area of these oxygen pores on the berry stem which probably accounts for its greater sensitivity to temperature and higher degree of cell death within the berry."

Professor Vladimir Jiranek, Director of the University of Adelaide's ARC Training Centre for Innovative Wine Production, says: "This breakthrough on how grapes breathe will provide the basis for further research into berry quality and cultivar selection for adapting viticulture to a warming climate."

###

The study was supported by the Australian Government's Industrial Transformation Research Program with support from Wine Australia and industry partners.

Media Contact:

Professor Steve Tyerman, Chair of Viticulture, University of Adelaide. Phone: +61 (8) 8313 6663, Mobile: +61 (0) 411 776 050, [email protected]

Zeyu Xiao, PhD candidate, School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, University of Adelaide. Mobile: +61 (0) 415 134 595, [email protected]

Robyn Mills, Media Officer, University of Adelaide. Phone: +61 (0)8 8313 6341, Mobile: +61 (0)410 689 084, [email protected]

Media Contact

Steve Tyerman
[email protected]
61-041-177-6050
@UniofAdelaide

http://www.adelaide.edu.au

Related Journal Article

http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/jxb/ery039

Share25Tweet16Share4ShareSendShare
  • Anu SBIR grant

    Anu, previously gropod, awarded nearly $1 million competitive grant from the National Science Foundation

    82 shares
    Share 33 Tweet 21
  • International group of scientists warns nuclear radiation has devastating impacts on ecosystems

    76 shares
    Share 30 Tweet 19
  • Null results research now published by major behavioral medicine journal

    561 shares
    Share 224 Tweet 140
  • Latin American and Caribbean researchers detail colonialism in ornithology

    66 shares
    Share 26 Tweet 17
  • In search of the invisible galaxy

    65 shares
    Share 26 Tweet 16
  • Can pigeons match wits with artificial intelligence?

    65 shares
    Share 26 Tweet 16
ADVERTISEMENT

About us

We bring you the latest science news from best research centers and universities around the world. Check our website.

Latest NEWS

Anu, previously gropod, awarded nearly $1 million competitive grant from the National Science Foundation

Face masks cut distance airborne pathogens could travel in half, new study finds

Looking beyond microplastics, Oregon State researchers find that cotton and synthetic microfibers impact behavior and growth of aquatic organisms

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 205 other subscribers

© 2022 Scienmag- Science Magazine: Latest Science News.

No Result
View All Result
  • HOME PAGE
  • BIOLOGY
  • CHEMISTRY AND PHYSICS
  • MEDICINE
    • Cancer
    • Infectious Emerging Diseases
  • SPACE
  • TECHNOLOGY
  • CONTACT US

© 2022 Scienmag- Science Magazine: Latest Science News.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In