Ascorbic acid (AsA) and carotenoids are recognized as crucial metabolites for various biological processes in plants. The contents of AsA and carotenoids in fruits are influenced by external environmental stimuli, such as water, temperature, light, and hormones. However, it is still not clear whether it can be affected by root restriction (RR) treatment. In this study, "Summer Black" grape berries (Vitis vinifera × V. labrusca) under RR and control treatments during development and ripening were used as materials. The results showed that RR significantly increased the contents of AsA, and the transcript VIT_08s0040g03150 related to AsA recycling pathways may be the main regulator for AsA. Similarly, the contents of most of the carotenoids at the earlier stages significantly increased by RR; the enzyme crtB encoded by VIT_12s0028g00960 and the enzyme crtZ encoded by VIT_02s0025g00240 and VIT_16s0050g01090 were inferred to play major roles in the carotenoid metabolic pathways.
Keywords: RNA-Seq; ascorbic acid; carotenoid; grape berry; root restriction.