Caracterização funcional de genes da família multdrug and toxic compound extrusion (MATE) envolvidos na adaptação de Coffea arabica à solos ácidos

Abstract

Since the agricultural boundaries expansion, the cultivation of Coffea genus species expanded to poor soil fertility areas, like the Brazilian Cerrado. The precursors works on survey of this environmental characteristics revealed, beside other factors, the aluminium toxicity and low phosphate bioavailability problems. Although the techniques to overcome this issue were quickly widespread, they are not simple to apply on perennial crops and are based on environmental modifications to sustain the cultivation. On this way, the elucidation of molecular mechanisms related to crop adaptation can stimulate coffee breeding programs development, both on conventional and biotechnological ways, that could maintain the productivity in a sustainable mode. So, the aim with this work was to elucidate the Multi drug and toxic compound (MATE) gene family on Coffea canephora to identifiy, among other members of this multinfunctional family, related genes to aluminium tolerance and to analyze its influence over Coffea arabica tolerance mechanisms. 60 MATE members were identified on C. canephora, divided in many groups and possibly related to specific functions. Some proteins were highlighted, CcMATE7 and CcMATE43, related to alkaloid transport, some flavonoids transporters, CcMATE18 and CcMATE20 and CcMATE 42, potentially associated to citrate efflux that can minimize acid soils constraints. Through this, homeologs genes on Coffea Arabica were identified, related to subgenomes derived by C. canephora (CaMATE_C) ancestor and other by Coffea eugenioides (CaMATE_E). With an experiment conducted on hydroponic culture, it was demonstrated through RT-qPCR that this homeologs have distinct gene expression profiles under aluminium stress and CaMATE_E was consider more responsive to this condition, with the citrate release consistent to expression profile, even any differences on cis-regulatory elements specifically related to aluminium tolerance were found. By conclusion, this work can sustain relevant information to Coffea adaptative mechanism to acid soils, important for the sustainable and productive coffee cultivation.