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Metabolic changes of genetically engineered grapes (Vitis vinifera L.) studied by 1H-NMR, metabolite heatmaps and iPLS

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Abstract

Introduction

The Deficiens Homologue 9-iaaM (DefH9-iaaM) gene is an ovule-specific auxin-synthesizing gene which is expressed specifically in placenta/ovules and promotes auxin-synthesis. It was introduced into the genome of two grape cultivars Thompson Seedless and Silcora and both transgenic cultivars had an increased number of berries per bunch.

Objectives

This study investigates the down-stream metabolic changes of Silcora and Thompson seedless grape cultivars when genetically modified through the insertion of the DefH9-iaaM gene into their genome.

Methods

The effects of the genetic modification upon the grape metabolome were evaluated through 1H-NMR and exploratory data analysis. Chemometric tools such as Interval Partial Least Squares regression and metabolite heatmaps were employed for scrutinizing the changes in the transgenic metabolome as compared to the wild type one.

Results

The results show that the pleiotropic effect on the grape metabolome as a function of the gene modifications is relatively low, although the insertion of the transgene caused a decrement in malic acid and proline and an increment in p-coumaric acid content. In addition, the concentration of malic acid was successfully correlated with the number of inserted copies of transgene in the Silcora cultivar, proving that the increased production of berries, promoted by the inserted gene, is achieved at the expense of a decrement in malic acid concentration.

Conclusion

NMR together with chemometrics is able to identify specific metabolites that were up- or down regulated in the genetically engineered plants allowing highlighting alterations in the down-stream metabolic pathways due to the up-stream genetic modifications.

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Acknowledgments

The Danish Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries is acknowledged for sponsoring the project “Urinary biomarkers for eating patterns using NMR spectroscopy and Chemometrics” (3304-FVFP-060706-01) and the SBE would like to thank the Faculty of Science for generous support to the NMR nutri-metabolomics platform. The European Union is acknowledged for the support under the FP7 programme to the CHANCE project (KBBE-4-266331).

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    Authors and Affiliations

    1. Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences (DISTAL), Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna, Piazza Goidanich 60, 47521, Cesena, FC, Italy

      Gianfranco Picone, Alessia Trimigno & Francesco Capozzi

    2. Quality and Technology, Department of Food Science, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Rolighedsvej 26, 1958, Frederiksberg C, Denmark

      Francesco Savorani & Søren Balling Engelsen

    3. Department of Applied Science and Technology (DISAT), Polytechnic University of Turin, Corso Duca degli Abruzzi 24, 10129, Torino, TO, Italy

      Francesco Savorani

    4. Department of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences, Marche Polytechnic University, Via Brecce Bianche, 60100, Ancona, AN, Italy

      Bruno Mezzetti

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    1. Gianfranco Picone
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    Correspondence to Francesco Savorani.

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    Research involving human participants and/or animals

    This article does not contain any studies with human participants or animals performed by any of the authors.

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    Picone G., Savorani F., Trimigno A., Mezzetti B., Capozzi F. and Engelsen S.B. declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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    G. Picone and F. Savorani contributed equally to the research.

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    Picone, G., Savorani, F., Trimigno, A. et al. Metabolic changes of genetically engineered grapes (Vitis vinifera L.) studied by 1H-NMR, metabolite heatmaps and iPLS. Metabolomics 12, 150 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11306-016-1095-5

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