Atomic scale study of grapevine dieback by Nuclear Magnetic Resonance spectroscopy

Abstract

Grapevine trunk diseases (GTDs) have disastrous consequences for viticulture as they result in the degradation of vines by the involvement of several fungal and bacterial pathogens. The losses in yield and productivity are considerable, especially since there are no sustainable solutions to fight these diseases effectively. These GTDs are therefore a major issue in the international wine industry. Within the framework of an emergency plan set up by the French government in 2016 (PNDV: Plan National Dépérissement du Vignoble, led by the CNIV, the Ministry of Agriculture and France Agrimer) calling for scientific research to stem the spread of GTDs, my thesis project is part of a process to develop analytical tools to detect and diagnose the molecular markers of this decline. The project is based on the use of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy in solid and liquid states, as well as X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR). This manuscript is divided into three main parts. The first part describes the development of the analytical method for the identification, quantification and chemical characterization of molecular markers of GTDs in grapevine wood. The second part aims in applying these analytical tools on in vitro studies to study the action of bacteria and one fungi involved in vines dieback, on sawdust from different cultivars. Finally, the last part consists in studying the composition of grapevine sap, to identify and quantify the molecular markers of vine dieback present.

Supervision : Dr. Antoine LOQUET

Keywords: Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, grapevine wood diseases, molecular markers, biopolymers, grapevine sap.