A new method for extracting DNA from the grape berry surface, beginning in the vineyard
Megan E. Hall,
Lance Cadle-Davidson,
Zhiwei Fang,
Wayne F. Wilcox
Affiliations
Megan E. Hall
Section of Plant Pathology and Plant-Microbe Biology, School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, NYS Agricultural Experiment Station, Geneva, NY, 14456, United States; Division of Plant Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, 65211, United States; Corresponding author.
Lance Cadle-Davidson
United States Department of Agriculture–Agricultural Research Service, Grape Genetics Research Unit, Geneva, NY, 14456, United States
Zhiwei Fang
Division of Plant Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, 65211, United States
Wayne F. Wilcox
Section of Plant Pathology and Plant-Microbe Biology, School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, NYS Agricultural Experiment Station, Geneva, NY, 14456, United States
Isolating DNA from microbes on the surface of a grape berry is a challenge due to their adhesion to the thick berry skin and cuticle, making studies of the grape microbiome challenging. We developed a field-to-lab DNA extraction procedure that starts in the vineyard, disrupts the grape berry surface while en route to the lab through agitation, and efficiently extracts microbial DNA from the surface of the grape. It is cost effective and utilizes commonly available laboratory chemicals with low toxicity (Table 1). This protocol allows researchers to extract DNA from the grape berry surface in the field, therefore undergoing minimal manipulation of those microbiomes before DNA extraction.
