A CHEMOTAXONOMIC INVESTIGATION ON VITIS-VINIFERA L .2. COMPARISON AMONG SSP SATIVA TRADITIONAL CULTIVARS AND WILD BIOTYPES OF SSP SILVESTRIS FROM VARIOUS ITALIAN REGIONS

An extensive screening on regional representatives of Vitis vinifera s spp. sativa and silvestris was carried out to look for relationships a nd differences between different taxa. Total proteins in the pH range 4.0-5.5, and the enzymes AcP, ADH, EST, G-6-PDH, MDH, PGM and POD were recorded. Only patterns of storage protein subunits, AcP, EST and G-6 -PDH were taxonomically informative. Dendrograms were computerized on the basis of presence/absence of individual bands; these always distin guish at different levels in homogeneous groups between ssp. sativa an d ssp. silvestris. The acidic subunits showed a dichotomy from the fir st branching of the cladogram. These observations are a demonstration that neither hypotheses of direct or indirect origin of the Italian ss p. sativa from Italian ssp. silvestris via domestication is tenanble. The authors suggest that, the morphological, the ecological and the bi ochemical differences between the two taxa support the hypothesis that V. sativa and V. silvestris should be regarded as two separate taxa t hat have had reciprocal interactions such a long period of time that a precise location of origin is no longer possible.