Gene expression in leaves of grapevine plants under abiotic stress conditions: heat and water. Vitis vinifera

Experimental research on the effects of abiotic stress over grapevine has mainly focused on water shortage. The adaptation of plants to stress is a complex response triggered by cascades of molecular networks involved in stress perception, signal transduction, and the expression of specific stress-related genes and metabolites. Approaches such as array-based transcript profiling allow assessing the expression of thousands of genes in control and stress tissues. The variety Aragonês, used in wine production, was subjected to controlled individual abiotic stresses, WS and HS. Physiological effects were confirmed by measuring photosynthesis light curves at ambient CO2 and stepwise increasing irradiances. Overall design: To assess physiological effects of stress treatments, light responses (A/I) curves were measured on the third fully expanded leaf from four plants per treatment and in the control, immediately after heat stress, and when Ψw was -0.9 MPa in water stress.