Relationship among color development, anthocyanin and pigment-related gene expression in 'Crimson Seedless' grapes treated with abscisic acid and sucrose.

'Crimson Seedless' is one of the most important table grape varieties in Chile, but under certain environmental conditions, the fruit exhibits inadequate red color development, causing economic losses due to lower product quality. The use of plant growth regulators, such as abscisic acid (ABA) and ethylene, during development increases the anthocyanin content of the skin, improving the color of the berry. Recently, sucrose has been identified as a signaling molecule capable of regulating the expression of genes of the anthocyanin biosynthesis pathway. The aim of this study was to analyze the effect of application of ABA and/or sucrose on color development and their relationship with anthocyanin metabolism. Applications of ABA (400 ppm or 200 ppm) and/or sucrose (90 mM) were performed close to the véraison stage. During development and at harvest, quality attributes such as berry firmness, total soluble solids and titratable acidity were not affected by these treatments. Increased red color development was observed in fruits treated with ABA and/or sucrose, due to accumulation of anthocyanins. Fruits subjected to sucrose treatment showed higher levels of anthocyanins than untreated fruits but lower levels than fruits treated with ABA. Increased expression of genes involved in anthocyanin biosynthesis was observed in ABA- and sucrose-treated fruits compared to untreated fruits. Based on these findings, we demonstrated that sucrose improved fruit color development by increasing synthesis and accumulation of anthocyanins, thus allowing earlier harvests and improving table grape quality.