Proteomic Analysis among Different Aglianico Ecotypes

Although molecular markers such as SSRs are extensively used for the identification of different vines, they often fail to discriminate the clones of a given cultivar. For these reasons, many attempts are made to find devices able to achieve this purpose. In this view, we evaluated the potential of proteomics in this field comparing the skin 2-DE profiles of berries belonging to three clones of the Italian cultivar 'Aglianico' (Taurasi, Taburno and Vulture) grown in the same field and considered in different moments to reduce the impact of environmental and seasonal variability. After a preliminary and completely automated gel alignment, we tested some multivariate statistical techniques to distinguish the three clones and to isolate the variables (i.e., the spots on the gels) responsible for the clonal discrimination. Although further analyses will be necessary to refine such an approach, the results are encouraging in order to identify markers useful in discriminating clones.