The status of ESCA disease and the disinfection of the scion prior to grafting affect the phenolic composition and phenylpropanoid-related enzymes in the callus of vine hetero-grafts

Krošelj, Saša (author), Mikulič Petkovšek, Maja (author), Likar, Matevž (author), Škvarč, Andreja (author), Halbwirth, Heidi (author), Biniari, Katerina (author), Rusjan, Denis (author)

Vegetative propagation of European grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) requires grafting onto American rootstocks due to susceptibility to phylloxera. However, the grafting yield is compromised by the presence of grapevine trunk diseases (GTDs) such as Esca. This study investigates the phenolic response and enzyme activity in grapevine callus from grafts obtained by scions with different GTD status (healthy, asymptomatic, and symptomatic) treated with different disinfection methods (Beltanol, Beltanol in combination with thermotherapy, Serenade$^®$ ASO, Remedier, BioAction ES, and sodium bicarbonate). Twenty-three phenolic compounds were identified in the graft callus, with flavanols, stilbenes, and condensed tannins predominating. Scion disinfection with BioAction ES led to a significant increase in total phenolic content in the callus, especially in symptomatic scions, for on average 510.3 µg/g fresh weight (FW) higher total phenolic content, compared to grafts where scions were treated with Beltanol. Phenolics such as epicatechin gallate, procyanidin derivatives, and resveratrol hexoside were significantly increased, indicating a strong elicitor effect of BioAction ES. Enzymatic activity analysis showed that the disinfection methods affected the activity of key enzymes involved in the phenylpropanoid metabolic pathway. In particular, BioAction ES significantly increased phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL) activity in callus from grafts with healthy scions by 3.4-fold and flavanone 3β-hydroxylase (FHT) activity in callus from grafts with infected scions by 4.9-fold (asymptomatic) and 6.9-fold (symptomatic) compared to callus from grafts with Beltanol-treated scions. The results highlight the potential of environmentally friendly disinfection methods, particularly BioAction ES, in influencing phenolic content and enzymatic activity in graft callus, potentially affecting the success of grapevine grafting.

• Language: English
• Keywords: disinfection, grapevine trunk diseases, grafting, phenolic compounds, nursery
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: BF - Biotechnical Faculty
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2025
• Number of pages: 18 str.
• Numbering: Vol. 11, iss. 4, art. 371
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-168158
• UDC: 634.8
• ISSN on article: 2311-7524
• DOI: 10.3390/horticulturae11040371
• COBISS.SI-ID: 230862339
• Publication date in RUL: 31.03.2025

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Horticulturae
• Publisher: MDPI
• ISSN: 2311-7524
• COBISS.SI-ID: 526326297

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: vegetativno razmnoževanje, bolezni rastlin, vinska trta, razkuževanje, kap vinske trte, cepljenje, fenolne spojine

Projects

• Funder: ARIS - Slovenian Research and Innovation Agency
• Project number: P4-0013
• Name: Hortikultura

• Funder: FWF - Austrian Science Fund
• Project number: I 6939-B
• Name: Ring Closure Reactions of Phenylphenalenones and Musellarins