The comparative analysis of the potential relationship between resveratrol and stilbene synthase gene family in the development stages of grapes (Vitis quinquangularis and Vitis vinifera)

Resveratrol is positively correlated with grapevine disease resistance and its consumption is also highly beneficial to human health. HPLC analyses showed that resveratrol content was significantly higher in most wild Chinese grapevines than in most European Vitis vinifera grapevine cvs. Fruit of the wild Chinese genotype Vitis quinquangularis Danfeng-2 contains much higher levels of resveratrol than some others. Because stilbene synthase is responsible for resveratrol biosynthesis, 41 full-length stilbene synthase genes were isolated from Danfeng-2 using the RACE method. A neighbor-joining tree of the STS family displayed high similarity between Danfeng-2 and V. vinifera cv. Pinot Noir. The content of the endogenous stilbene synthase family in tissues and the expression levels induced by powdery mildew were both higher in Danfeng-2 than in Pinot Noir. Moreover, expression in the berry was significantly higher than in the leaves. Our results demonstrated that resveratrol accumulation was consistent with endogenous STS gene expressions, and that both were higher in Danfeng-2 than in Pinot Noir. Therefore, STS genes and producing resveratrol from V. quinquangularis played more important role in Vitis resistance. Otherwise, the gene VqSTS6 was markedly higher than the other VqSTS genes in the six tissues/organs assayed by Real-time PCR, which will offer a useful basis for commercial application of resveratrol from Chinese wild grapes.