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Comparative Study
. 2022 Mar;64(3):263-277.
doi: 10.1007/s12033-021-00405-9. Epub 2021 Sep 30.

Constitutive Defense Strategy of Coffee Under Field Conditions: A Comparative Assessment of Resistant and Susceptible Cultivars to Rust

Tharyn Reichel  1 , Mário Lúcio Vilela de Resende  2 , Ana Cristina Andrade Monteiro  3 , Natália Chagas Freitas  4 , Deila Magna Dos Santos Botelho  1
Affiliations
Comparative Study

Constitutive Defense Strategy of Coffee Under Field Conditions: A Comparative Assessment of Resistant and Susceptible Cultivars to Rust

Tharyn Reichel et al. Mol Biotechnol. 2022 Mar.

Abstract

Coffea arabica is the most economically important coffee species worldwide. However, its production is severely limited by diseases such as rust. The mechanisms underlying constitutive defense responses in coffee are still poorly understood, compared with induced defense mechanisms. We aimed to characterize constitutive defense responses of thirteen cultivars of C. arabica. Cultivars were classified under field conditions according to the level of resistance to rust: resistant (R), moderately resistant (MR), and susceptible (S). Based on this classification, the stability of eight reference genes (RGs) was evaluated. The most stable RGs were EF1α, APT1, and 24S. We also evaluated the expression of CaWRKY1, CaPAL1, CaCAD1, and CaPOX1, and activities of PAL, CAD, and POX, which are involved in lignin biosynthesis, and leaf content of total phenolic compounds and lignin. Gene expression and enzymatic activity were not correlated with defense metabolites in the R cultivar group but showed a negative correlation with phenolic compounds in MR cultivars. Cultivar S showed positive correlations of gene expression and enzyme activity with phenolic compounds. These results may assist coffee breeding programs regarding selection of genotypes and in optimization of rust resistance.

Keywords: Coffea arabica; Gene expression; Hemileia vastatrix; Integrated analyses; Lignin; Reference genes.

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