Plastids, starch and chlorophyll in Vitis vinifera L. berry during its ontogenesis

Abstract

Structural and ultrastructural investigations on plastidial ontogenesis in the tissues of Vitis vinifera berry arc realised in narrow association with starch and chlorophyll dosages from the stage of fruit setting till berry ripeness. During the whole of that period, some chloroplasts, starch and chlorophyll arc noted in grape berry.

Well developed starch chloroplasts and a great deal of chlorophyll are present in herbaceous stage of berry development. A large starch content perhaps seems to show that berries arc involved in their own glucides synthesis during this stage.

After that, during ripening stage, chlorophyll content strongly decreases and soluble glucides that accumulate in the berry are essentially derived from leaves.