Pervasive hybridization with local wild relatives in Western European grapevine varieties

Grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) diversity richness results from a complex domestication history over multiple historical periods. Here, we used whole-genome resequencing to elucidate different aspects of its recent evolutionary history. Our results support a model in which a central domestication event in grapevine was followed by postdomestication hybridization with local wild genotypes, leading to the presence of an introgression signature in modern wine varieties across Western Europe. The strongest signal was associated with a subset of Iberian grapevine varieties showing large introgression tracts. We targeted this study group for further analysis, demonstrating how regions under selection in wild populations from the Iberian Peninsula were preferentially passed on to the cultivated varieties by gene flow. Examination of underlying genes suggests that environmental adaptation played a fundamental role in both the evolution of wild genotypes and the outcome of hybridization with cultivated varieties, supporting a case of adaptive introgression in grapevine.

Automated summary

This study used whole-genome resequencing to elucidate different aspects of the recent evolutionary history of grapevine, supporting a model in which a central domestication event was followed by postdomestication hybridization with local wild genotypes. The research found a strong introgression signature in modern wine varieties across Western Europe, with a subset of Iberian grapevine varieties showing large introgression tracts. The analysis demonstrated how regions under selection in wild populations from the Iberian Peninsula were preferentially passed on to the cultivated varieties through gene flow.