Scholarlink

Background <p>Drought stress severely affects grapevine productivity in arid and semi-arid regions, necessitating the identification of rootstock–scion combinations with enhanced drought tolerance. While physiological and biochemical responses to water deficit have been widely studied, the integration of phytohormone dynamics, carotenoid responses, and transcriptomic regulation in grafted grapevines remains insufficiently explored. This study evaluated phytohormone and carotenoid responses across five grapevine graft combinations under arid field deficit-irrigation conditions and used transcriptomic analysis of the <i>Thompson Seedless</i> × <i>Ramsey</i> graft as a molecular framework for interpreting drought-associated responses.</p> Results <p>Five rootstock–scion combinations were subjected to three irrigation treatments (100%, 75%, and 50% field capacity) to assess drought-induced changes in endogenous phytohormones, carotenoid content, and gene expression patterns. Abscisic acid (ABA), gibberellic acid (GA₃), and zeatin were quantified using UPLC-PDA. Drought stress significantly modulated hormonal balance and carotenoid accumulation across treatments. Notably, V2 (<i>Thompson Seedless</i> × <i>Ramsey</i>) and V5 (<i>Thompson Seedless</i> × <i>Paulsen</i> 1103) exhibited enhanced physiological stability under severe drought conditions. Increased β-carotene levels suggested improved photoprotective responses. In parallel, transcriptomic analysis of the <i>Thompson Seedless</i> × <i>Ramsey</i> graft combination which includes the grafted vine, scion, and rootstock under 100% and 50% field capacity, indicated drought-associated regulation of genes linked to hormone signalling, oxidative stress responses, water transport, protein protection, and metabolic adjustment.</p> Conclusions <p>Integrating phytohormone profiles, carotenoid responses, and transcriptomic patterns provides a broader view of drought-associated responses in grafted grapevines under arid field conditions.</p> <p>These findings support the identification of promising graft combinations for sustainable viticulture and irrigation management in arid regions, while emphasizing that transcriptomic patterns from the <i>Thompson Seedless</i> × <i>Ramsey</i> graft combination should be interpreted as supportive molecular evidence requiring further validation across additional graft combinations.</p> Graphical abstract <p></p>

错误：搜索内容不能为空，请输入英文关键词
错误：关键词超出字数限制，请精简
高级检索

Integrated phytohormone, carotenoid, and transcriptomic responses underlying drought tolerance in grafted grapevines in an arid environment

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

    开放获取

  • 发表日期：

    2026年7月31日

查看全文
  • Sonu Krishankumar,
  • Jacobus J. Hunter,
  • Usama Souka,
  • Ayyagari Ramlal,
  • Sreeramanan Subramaniam,
  • Shafeeq Rahman,
  • Shyam Sreedhara Kurup,
  • Khaled Amiri

摘要

Background

Drought stress severely affects grapevine productivity in arid and semi-arid regions, necessitating the identification of rootstock–scion combinations with enhanced drought tolerance. While physiological and biochemical responses to water deficit have been widely studied, the integration of phytohormone dynamics, carotenoid responses, and transcriptomic regulation in grafted grapevines remains insufficiently explored. This study evaluated phytohormone and carotenoid responses across five grapevine graft combinations under arid field deficit-irrigation conditions and used transcriptomic analysis of the Thompson Seedless × Ramsey graft as a molecular framework for interpreting drought-associated responses.

Results

Five rootstock–scion combinations were subjected to three irrigation treatments (100%, 75%, and 50% field capacity) to assess drought-induced changes in endogenous phytohormones, carotenoid content, and gene expression patterns. Abscisic acid (ABA), gibberellic acid (GA₃), and zeatin were quantified using UPLC-PDA. Drought stress significantly modulated hormonal balance and carotenoid accumulation across treatments. Notably, V2 (Thompson Seedless × Ramsey) and V5 (Thompson Seedless × Paulsen 1103) exhibited enhanced physiological stability under severe drought conditions. Increased β-carotene levels suggested improved photoprotective responses. In parallel, transcriptomic analysis of the Thompson Seedless × Ramsey graft combination which includes the grafted vine, scion, and rootstock under 100% and 50% field capacity, indicated drought-associated regulation of genes linked to hormone signalling, oxidative stress responses, water transport, protein protection, and metabolic adjustment.

Conclusions

Integrating phytohormone profiles, carotenoid responses, and transcriptomic patterns provides a broader view of drought-associated responses in grafted grapevines under arid field conditions.

These findings support the identification of promising graft combinations for sustainable viticulture and irrigation management in arid regions, while emphasizing that transcriptomic patterns from the Thompson Seedless × Ramsey graft combination should be interpreted as supportive molecular evidence requiring further validation across additional graft combinations.

Graphical abstract