Identification of SNPs in the Stilbene Synthase Multigene Family

Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are the most frequent form of variation in many genes. Due to their abundance and slow mutation rate within generations they are thought to be the next generation of genetic markers. The stilbene synthase gene family is characterised by a high rate of variability already used to discriminate cultivars and clones in grape. Here we report a study of systematic SNP identification in Vitis vinifera stilbene synthase genes. We cloned and sequenced 36 members of the multigene family isolated from seven grape clones belonging to the cultivars 'Pinot noir' and 'Chardonnay'. A total of 16 SNPs were found, eight of which were located in the intron. The analysis of the SNP allelic distribution among the accessions showed differences at both the inter- and intra-varietal level. Clustering of gene sequences indicated a significantly higher diversity among sequences from 'Pinot noir' than among 'Chardonnay'. Methods to score the SNPs identified are being developed as a tool to quickly identify cultivars and clones in a highly automatable way.