Grapevine adaptation to cold and heat stress

Abstract

Temperature plays a pivotal role in modulating growth, development, and distribution of plants. Grapevine (Vitis spp.), a perennial plant, must withstand changes in both low and high temperatures due to its sessile nature. However, the extensively cultivated Vitis vinifera L. is sensitive to both cold and heat, and cannot withstand extremely low and high temperatures. In contrast, certain wild germplasms such as Vitis amurensis, Vitis riparia, and Vitis davidii demonstrate excellent tolerance to cold and heat stressors. In recent years, substantial advancements have occurred in the understanding of grapevine resistance, focusing extensively on physiological mechanisms, metabolic pathways, and molecular regulatory processes. However, our understanding of the mechanisms underlying grapevine cold and heat resistance remains insufficient. This review aims to summarize the main progress in research on cold and heat tolerance in grapevines, while also addressing existing gaps and identifying relevant topics for further investigation.

Keywords: Cold stress; grapevine; heat stress; molecular regulation; physiological changes; stress signaling.

Fig. 1.

Low temperature perception and major transcriptional regulation of cold response genes in grapevine. Cold stress leads to membrane rigidification, cytoskeleton rearrangement, and a transient elevation of intracellular Ca²⁺ levels. COLD1, acting as a cold sensor, synergizes with GPA1 in perception of cold signals in grapevine. Upon cold stress, ICE1 binds to the MYC recognition sites in the promoters of CBF genes, which in turn activate downstream COR genes to improve cold tolerance of grapevine. ICE1 can also activate the expression of PUB24, which physically interacts with ICE1 to stabilize it, simultaneously inhibiting the degradation of ICE1 by HOS1. Furthermore, transcripton factors (TFs) in the ABA signaling pathway modulate downstream genes in response to cold stress. Cold-induced ERF092 and ERF057 promote downstream cold-regulated genes to improve cold resistance. Other TFs, including WRKY, NAC, bZIP, and MYB, also play significant roles in regulating grape cold resistance.

Fig. 2.

Heat perception and heat stress response network in grapevine. High temperature alters the fluidity of the cell membrane and boosts intracellular Ca²⁺ levels. HSFA1, a major transcription factor regulating the heat stress response, dissociates from HSP under high temperature conditions. It is induced by Ca²⁺ signals to activate genes involved in heat stress mitigation. Concurrently, other TFs such as bZIP, NAC, and MYB also participate in the heat stress response of grapevine by regulating their respective target genes. Furthermore, genes associated with ABA and ethylene signaling pathways, such as PP2C, SnRK2, and ERF, enhance grapevine heat tolerance through regulation of their target genes.