Progress report on grape biotechnologies in Italy: methodologies, goals, results.

In Italy biotechnological and molecular tools are being used for grapevine fingerprinting, diagnostics, phylogenetic studies and gene transfer since the ‘90ies. More recently, researches are focused on testing new DNA markers for varietal and clonal identification, for Marker Assisted Selection, on EST development, BAC libraries production, gene discovering and analysis of gene expression. These themes are often dealt by Italian research Institutes in collaboration among them and/or with foreign Institutes, within different research projects, funded by public or private institutions. Gene transfer techniques have been applied to rootstocks as well as to international and autochthonous wine grape cultivars, with the aim of conferring useful agronomical traits (resistance to viruses, fungi, abiotic stresses, and development of large seedless berries). Experimental field release has been authorized for one trail.