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Temperature and light are key environmental factors in plant fruit development that affect fruit coloring, sugar accumulation, and softening. Here, grape berries were grown in vitro to investigate the effects of different temperatures and light treatments on their quality, with a focus on analyzing the effects of anthocyanin metabolism pathway genes and related metabolites. Both high temperature and low light affected grape coloring; however, differences were observed among varieties. Anthocyanins respond to high temperature and low light conditions through a balancing of metabolite types. The COP1–HY5 signaling pathway, which regulates the expression of FLS4, was affected by light and temperature. High temperatures were beneficial for sugar accumulation but resulted in fruit softening, and weak light affected sugar accumulation but did not cause fruit softening. This study was conducted to elucidate poor grape quality under high temperatures and weak lighting following a large-scale application of these conditions to facility-grown grapes. Our results provide valuable insights with respect to grape production. Effective cultivation measures should be considered to improve existing production problems and lay a solid theoretical foundation for growing high-quality grapes.

Since the first discovery of grapevine brown leaf spot disease in Turpan, Xinjiang, China, in 2007, it has been a common occurrence in grapevine-growing regions. Grapevine brown leaf spot seriously decreases fruit yield and has become one of the most important leaf diseases in the Turpan region. However, thus far, there have been no reports on the evaluation of grapevine germplasm resources for resistance to brown leaf spot disease. In addition, the response mechanism of grapevine leaves to brown leaf spot infection has not been revealed. To better understand the resistance of grapevine germplasm resources to brown leaf spot disease, we first evaluated resistance in grapevine varieties. On this basis, the most susceptible variety ‘Sultanina’ was selected as the experimental material for this study. Transcriptome analysis and carbohydrate content analysis were performed on ‘Sultanina’ leaves with different levels of disease susceptibility. As the severity of the disease increased, the content of fructose gradually decreased, while the content of trehalose gradually increased. Transcriptome data revealed that differentially expressed genes were enriched in the pentose and glucuronate interchange pathway. These results suggest that the sugar trehalose may play an important role in the response of ‘Sultanina’ leaves to brown leaf spot infection. In addition, the pentose and glucuronate interchange pathway may be involved in the response mechanism of brown leaf spot disease. Our work provides new insights into the mechanism of the ‘Sultanina’ leaf response to brown leaf spot infection.

Crop resilience measures must be strengthened in response to the global climate impact. Temperature stress exacerbates the impact on crop growth and grain yield, threatening the sustainability of grapevine production and dependent wine industries. Grape (Vitis spp.) is one of the most widely cultivated fruit crops in the world, as well as the most economically important fruit. However, grape yield and quality are highly dependent on environmental conditions, particularly temperature stress. Understanding the molecular mechanisms that control grapevine responses to environmental stresses and the development of stress-resilient varieties have markedly advanced through the rapid evolution of high-throughput sequencing technologies, state-of-the-art multi-omics analytic platforms, and automated phenotyping facilities. In the current review, we summarized recent genomic progress and omics-based breakthroughs in grapes that have contributed to abiotic stress tolerance via genetic strategies during the last decades. Furthermore, we delve into prospective challenges and opportunities pertaining to the use of multi-omics-based breeding strategies aimed at designing climate-resilient grape varieties. Advances in highly efficient de novo or re-domestication histories, as well as the characterization of numerous trait genes using various omics tools, are also discussed. By describing the underlying mechanisms of crop adaptability and future breeding strategies to meet demand due to population bursts in the following decades while keeping climate change in mind, the information will offer potential solutions for sustainable grape and wine businesses.