Skip Navigation



JXB Advance Access published online on August 25, 2006
Journal of Experimental Botany, doi:10.1093/jxb/erl091
This Article
Right arrow FREE Full Text (PDF) Freely available
Right arrow All Versions of this Article:
57/12/3209    most recent
erl091v1
Right arrow E-letters: Submit a response
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when E-letters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Right arrow Disclaimer
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Davies, C.
Right arrow Articles by Schachtman, D. P.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Davies, C.
Right arrow Articles by Schachtman, D. P.
Agricola
Right arrow Articles by Davies, C.
Right arrow Articles by Schachtman, D. P.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

© The Author [2006]. Published by Oxford University Press [on behalf of the Society for Experimental Biology]. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org
Received April 7, 2006
Accepted June 20, 2006

RESEARCH PAPER

Transporters expressed during grape berry (Vitis vinifera L.) development are associated with an increase in berry size and berry potassium accumulation

Christopher Davies 1 *, Ryoung Shin 2, Weihong Liu 1, Mark R. Thomas 1, and Daniel P. Schachtman 2

1 CSIRO Plant Industry and Cooperative Research Centre for Viticulture, PO Box 350, Glen Osmond, SA 5064, Australia
2 Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, 975 N. Warson Rd, St Louis, MO 63132 USA

* To whom correspondence should be addressed.
Christopher Davies, E-mail: Christopher.Davies{at}csiro.au


  Abstract

Potassium accumulation is essential for grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) growth and development, but excessive levels in berries at harvest may reduce wine quality particularly for red wines. In addition to decreasing the free acid levels, potassium also combines with tartaric acid to form largely insoluble potassium bitartrate. This precipitates during winemaking and storage, resulting in an increase in wine pH that is associated with negative impacts on wine colour, flavour, and microbiological stability. For these reasons, a better understanding of potassium transport and accumulation within the vine and berries is important for producing fruit with improved winemaking characteristics. Here two genes encoding KUP/KT/HAK-type potassium transporters that are expressed in grape berries are described. Their function as potassium transporters was demonstrated by complementation of an Escherichia coli mutant. The two transporters are expressed most highly in the berry skin during the first phase of berry development (pre-veraison), with similar patterns in two grapevine varieties. The timing and location of expression of these transporters are consistent with an involvement in potassium accumulation in grape berries.

Keywords: Berries; grapevine; potassium transporters; Vitis vinifera.
Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 ANN BOT (LOND)Home page
A. Grabov
Plant KT/KUP/HAK Potassium Transporters: Single Family - Multiple Functions
Ann. Bot., June 1, 2007; 99(6): 1035 - 1041.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Plant Cell PhysiolHome page
M. Hanana, O. Cagnac, T. Yamaguchi, S. Hamdi, A. Ghorbel, and E. Blumwald
A Grape Berry (Vitis vinifera L.) Cation/Proton Antiporter is Associated with Berry Ripening
Plant Cell Physiol., June 1, 2007; 48(6): 804 - 811.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Disclaimer: Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.