Effetto di elicitori sul metabolismo secondario della vite

In this work the elicitor methyl jasmonate (MeJA) was applied in a vineyard to test its ability to stimulate the production of aromas and to identify the main genes involved in the biosynthetic pathways switched-on by the elicitor. Leaves and grape clusters of cv Sangiovese were sprayed before véraison (E-L stage 34) and 5 and 10 days after the first application. During berry ripening, several samples were collected for real-time RT-PCR expression experiments of specific genes involved in aroma compound biosynthesis. At harvest, glycosylated aroma compounds were analyzed by GC-MS. The elicitor application caused a 710 days delay of the maturation of treated berries. At harvest, aroma analyses showed that in berries treated with MeJA there has been a significant increase in concentration of all the main classes of aromas. Among these, monoterpenes showed the most important rise. The analysis of the expression of the principal terpene synthase genes confirmed how MeJA application has activated the related biosynthetic pathway. The expression of all the genes analyzed so far, in fact, was higher in samples treated with MeJA in all sampling dates from véraison up to harvest.