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We present here the first large-scale genetic characterization of grape cultivars from Transcaucasia and Anatolia. These regions where wild grapes still grow in nature have been cultivating wine and table grapes for thousands of years and are considered the cradles of viticulture. Using 12 nuclear microsatellite markers, we genotyped 116 accessions of traditional grape cultivars from Armenia, Georgia and Turkey and we detected 17 identical genotypes and six homonymy cases, mainly within each national germplasm. Neighbour-joining analysis of genetic distance showed that each germplasm could have multiple origins and although they are now separated, they might have some common ancestors. In addition, four varieties from Western Europe included as outgroups turned out to be more related to Georgian cultivars than other germplasms, suggesting a possible ancient origin in Georgia. This work represents a first step towards germplasm management of this rich ampelographic heritage.

Anatolia (Asia Minor) is considered to be the cradle of viticulture, but wild grape accessions from this region have not been subjected to any genetic analysis. We present the first genetic characterization of wild grapes (Vitis vinifera subsp. sylvestris) from this region. Using 15 nuclear microsatellites, we genotyped 84 wild grape accessions collected from three Anatolian locations. The unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean analysis revealed four genetic clusters that partially separated Anatolian wild grape populations. In general, accessions from geographically closer locations showed higher genetic similarities than those from more distant locations. In some cases, accessions from one population showed close genetic relationships to accessions from a different population. The genetic diversity between natural populations from both ends of the Mediterranean basin has shown higher genetic diversity in the Anatolian Peninsula than peripheral populations, suggesting that this area could be one centre of diversity of the species. The genetic relationship between wild and cultivated grapevine from Anatolian Peninsula indicated a clear separation between them. However, we cannot discarded a local genetic contribution. Overall, this study reveals useful information for management and potential utilization of Anatolian wild grape germplasm.

Wild grapevine was investigated in the southwestern part of Turkey where 114 accessions were collected from forestsandbanks of the rivers. These grapes are called "Jackal grapes" by villagers. Wild grapes a small, black and nearly round berries. They had two or more seeds. Berry weight did not exceed 1 g. Cluster mean weight was 33.5 g and clusters were smaller in size than those of cultivated grapes with about 40 berries per cluster. Wild grapes had a broad range of leaf shape and size. Leaf width was greater than leaf length and leaves had 3 or 5 lobes. Length of petiole was smaller than midvein. All accessions were subjected to isozymic analysis. Acid phosphatase (ACP), Catechol oxidase(CO), Glutamate oxalacetate transaminase(GOT), Malate dehydrogenase(MDH), and peroxidase(PER) enzymes were extracted from mature leaves. Electrophoresis was performed in vertical polyacrylamide slab gels (PAGE). Isoenzyme polymorphism was observed for all enzyme systems studied except GOT. This enzyme has only two isozyme bands and all accessions had the same banding pattern. PER had two zones of activity with two or three band pattern variants in each zone. Two zones were observed in Catechol oxidase (CO). The first (slower) zone had slurred bands and it was not useful for the identification of accessions. The second zone had four well resolved bands. Acid phosphatase (ACP) had two zones but there were no isozyme polymorphism in the fastest zone. The number of bands in the slower zone ranged from 1 to 3. Malate dehydrogenase (MDH) had 1-3 thin, fast migrating bands, followed by two well resolved, but slower migrating thick bands.

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The Anatolian region of modern-day Turkey is believed to have played an important role in the history of grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) domestication and spread. Despite this, the rich grape germplasm of this region is virtually uncharacterized genetically. In this study, the amplified fragment length polymorphisms (AFLP)-based genetic relations of the grapevine accessions belonging to the 2 economically important Anatolian table grape varietal groups known as V. vinifera 'Misket' (Muscat) and V. vinifera 'Parmak' were studied. Thirteen AFLP primer combinations used in the analyses revealed a total of 1495 (35.5% polymorphic) and 1567 (34.6% polymorphic) DNA fragments for the 'Misket' and 'Parmak' varietal groups, respectively. The unweighted pair-group method with arthimetic averaging (UPGMA) cluster analysis and principal coordinate analysis (PCA) conducted on polymorphic AFLP markers showed that both varietal groups contain a number of synonymous (similar genotypes known by different names) as well as homony mous (genetically different genotypes known by the same name) accessions. Our results also showed that 6 of the Anatolian 'Misket' genotypes were genetically very similar to V. vinifera 'Muscat of Alexandria', implying that these genotypes might have played some role in the formation of this universally known grape cultivar. Finally, the close genetic similarities found here between 'Muscat of Alexandria' and V. vinifera 'Muscat of Hamburg' support the recent suggestion that 'Muscat of Hamburg' probably originated from 'Muscat of Alexandria' through spontaneous hybridizations. Overall, the results of this study have implications for not only preservation and use of the Anatolian grape germplasm, but also better understanding of the historical role that this region has played during the domestication of grapes.