Integrated Analysis of Transcriptome and Metabolome to Unveil Impact on Enhancing Grape Aroma Quality with Synthetic Auxin: Spotlight the Mediation of ABA in Crosstalk with Auxin

It is widely accepted that prevéraison
application of naphthaleneacetic
acid (NAA) can delay the ripening of grapes and improve their quality.
However, how NAA impacts grape aroma compound concentrations remains
unclear. This study incorporated the analyses of aroma metabolome,
phytohormones, and transcriptome of Vitis vinifera L. cv. Cabernet Sauvignon grapes cultivated in continental arid/semiarid
regions of western China. The analyses demonstrated that NAA application
increased β-damascenone and 1,1,6-trimethyl-1,2-dihydronaphthalene
(TDN) in the harvested grapes by delaying véraison and upregulating VvPSY1 and VvCCD4b expressions. Additionally,
NAA treatment decreased 2-isobutyl-3-methoxypyrazine (IBMP) at the
same phenological stage. Notably, abscisic acid (ABA) levels increased
in NAA-treated grapes during véraison, which triggered further
changes in norisoprenoid metabolisms. The ABA-responsive factor VvABF2
was potentially involved in VvPSY1 positive modulation,
while the auxin response factor VvARF10 may play a role in VvCCD4b upregulation and VvOMT2 downregulation
during NAA induction. VvARF10 possibly acts as a crosstalk node between
the ABA and auxin signaling pathways following NAA treatment in regulating
aroma biosynthesis.