The genetic basis of sex determination in grapevines (Vitis spp.)

Sex determination in grapevine evolved through a complex succession of switches in sexual systems. Phased genomes built with single molecule real-time sequencing reads were assembled for eleven accessions of cultivated hermaphrodite grapevines and dioecious males and females, including the ancestor of domesticated grapevine and other related wild species. By comparing the phased sex haplotypes, we defined the sex locus of the Vitis genus and identified polymorphisms spanning regulatory and coding sequences that are in perfect association with each sex-type throughout the genus. These findings identified a novel male-fertility candidate gene, INP1, and significantly refined the model of sex determination in Vitis and its evolution.