Flowering transition in grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.)

The available information on the regulation of flowering transition in model systems, such as Arabidopsis and rice, provides a framework to undertake the study of this process in plant species with different growth strategies. The grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) is the most widely cultivated and economically important fruit crop in the world. Understanding the regulation of flowering transition in this species can be relevant for the improvement of yield and quality of the crop. The grapevine is a representative of the family Vitaceae, whose species mostly grow as vines and have evolved climbing organs, tendrils, which are ontogenetically related to the reproductive organs. Here, we summarize the available information on the flowering transition in the grapevine. With this purpose, we first describe the vegetative and reproductive development of the grapevine as well as the reports on the physiology of flowering induction in this species. As well, we review the recent information on the molecular genetics of flowering signal integrator and flower meristem identity genes in the grapevine and compare the process with what is already known in model systems such as Arabidopsis. Finally, we propose a preliminary model to explain the regulation of flower initiation in the grapevine that is useful to identify its differential features and infer future prospects in the understanding of this process.