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Elevated Temperatures Impose Transcriptional Constraints and Elicit Intraspecific Differences Between Coffee
Raphael Ricon de Oliveira1, Thales Henrique Cherubino Ribeiro1, Carlos Henrique Cardon1
1Plant Physiology Sector, Biology Department, Universidade Federal de Lavras (UFLA), Lavras, Brazil.
Frontiers in Plant Science
|August 28, 2020
Summary
Global warming impacts coffee production, necessitating heat-adapted varieties. This study reveals distinct cellular strategies in Coffea arabica genotypes responding to elevated temperatures, offering insights for climate-resilient breeding.
Area of Science:
- Plant Science
- Climate Change Biology
- Agricultural Science
Background:
- Global warming poses a significant threat to coffee production, potentially requiring heat-adapted coffee genotypes.
- Understanding cellular responses to heat stress is crucial for developing climate-resilient coffee varieties.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the physiological, transcriptomic, and metabolic responses of two Coffea arabica L. genotypes to elevated temperatures.
- To identify cellular strategies and molecular pathways associated with thermotolerance in coffee.
Main Methods:
- Comparison of two coffee genotypes (cv. Acauã and cv. Catuaí) under optimal (23/19°C) and warmer (30/26°C) temperature conditions.
- Analysis of leaf physiology, leaf temperature (Tleaf), leaf transcriptome via RNA-seq, and carbohydrate/protein composition.
- Identification of differentially-expressed genes (DEGs) and their association with metabolic pathways.
Main Results:
- Cv. Acauã exhibited lower Tleaf than cv. Catuaí under both temperature regimes.
- A transcriptional constraint was observed at warmer temperatures, with a decrease in DEGs in both genotypes.
- Differentially-expressed genes responsive to warmer temperatures were primarily linked to carbohydrate metabolism, with genotype-specific variations.
- Warmer temperatures led to decreased leaf starch, sucrose, and protein levels in both genotypes, with differing soluble sugar responses.
Conclusions:
- Intraspecific differences in transcriptional and metabolic pathways contribute to thermotolerance in Coffea arabica.
- These findings highlight potential biomarkers for breeding climate-resilient coffee varieties.
- Cellular strategies in response to warmer temperatures vary between coffee genotypes, offering targets for adaptation strategies.
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