Differentially expressed genes and proteins upon drought acclimation in tolerant and sensitive genotypes ofCoffea canephora

• Published in: Journal of experimental botany Vol. 63; no. 11; pp. 4191 - 4212
• Main Authors: Marraccini, Pierre, Vinecky, Felipe, Alves, Gabriel S.C., Ramos, Humberto J.O., Elbelt, Sonia, Vieira, Natalia G., Carneiro, Fernanda A., Sujii, Patricia S., Alekcevetch, Jean C., Silva, Vânia A., DaMatta, Fábio M., Ferrão, Maria A.G., Leroy, Thierry, Pot, David, Vieira, Luiz G.E., da Silva, Felipe R., Andrade, Alan C.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford University Press 01.01.2012
• Subjects: CDNA libraries; Complementary DNA; Drought; Drought tolerance; Gels; Genes; Genomics; Plant physiology; Plants; RESEARCH PAPER; Transcription factors
• ISSN: 0022-0957; 1460-2431

The aim of this study was to investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying drought acclimation in coffee plants by the identification of candidate genes (CGs) using different approaches. The first approach used the data generated during the Brazilian Coffee expressed sequence tag (EST) project to select 13 CGs by anin silicoanalysis (electronic northern). The second approach was based on screening macroarrays spotted with plasmid DNA (coffee ESTs) with separate hybridizations using leaf cDNA probes from drought-tolerant and susceptible clones ofCoffea canephoravar. Conilon, grown under different water regimes. This allowed the isolation of seven additional CGs. The third approach used two-dimensional gel electrophoresis to identify proteins displaying differential accumulation in leaves of drought-tolerant and susceptible clones ofC. canephora. Six of them were characterized by MALDITOF-MS/MS (matrix-assisted laser desorption-time of flight-tandem mass spectrometry) and the corresponding proteins were identified. Finally, additional CGs were selected from the literature, and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) was performed to analyse the expression of all identified CGs. Altogether, >40 genes presenting differential gene expression during drought acclimation were identified, some of them showing different expression profiles between drought-tolerant and susceptible clones. Based on the obtained results, it can be concluded that factors involved a complex network of responses probably involving the abscisic signalling pathway and nitric oxide are major molecular determinants that might explain the better efficiency in controlling stomata closure and transpiration displayed by drought-tolerant clones ofC. canephora.