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Research Project
A systems approach to understand the impact of climate changes in Coffea spp.
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Publications
Protective Responses at the Biochemical and Molecular Level Differ between a Coffea arabica L. Hybrid and Its Parental Genotypes to Supra-Optimal Temperatures and Elevated Air [CO2]
Publication . Vinci, Gabriella; Marques, Isabel; Rodrigues, Ana P.; Martins, Sónia; Leitão, António E.; Semedo, Magda C.; Silva, Maria J.; Lidon, Fernando C.; DaMatta, Fábio; Ribeiro-Barros, Ana I.; Ramalho, José C.
Climate changes with global warming associated with rising atmospheric [CO2] can
strongly impact crop performance, including coffee, which is one of the most world’s traded agricultural
commodities. Therefore, it is of utmost importance to understand the mechanisms of heat
tolerance and the potential role of elevated air CO2 (eCO2) in the coffee plant response, particularly
regarding the antioxidant and other protective mechanisms, which are crucial for coffee
plant acclimation. For that, plants of Coffea arabica cv. Geisha 3, cv. Marsellesa and their hybrid
(Geisha 3 Marsellesa) were grown for 2 years at 25/20 C (day/night), under 400 (ambient CO2,
aCO2) or 700 L (elevated CO2, eCO2) CO2 L-1, and then gradually submitted to a temperature increase
up to 42/30 C, followed by recovery periods of 4 (Rec4) and 14 days (Rec14). Heat (37/28 C
and/or 42/30 C) was the major driver of the response of the studied protective molecules and
associated genes in all genotypes. That was the case for carotenoids (mostly neoxanthin and lutein),
but the maximal (a + b) carotenes pool was found at 37/28 C only in Marsellesa. All genes (except
VDE) encoding for antioxidative enzymes (catalase, CAT; superoxide dismutases, CuSODs; ascorbate
peroxidases, APX) or other protective proteins (HSP70, ELIP, Chape20, Chape60) were strongly upregulated
at 37/28 C, and, especially, at 42/30 C, in all genotypes, but with maximal transcription
in Hybrid plants. Accordingly, heat greatly stimulated the activity of APX and CAT (all genotypes)
and glutathione reductase (Geisha3, Hybrid) but not of SOD. Notably, CAT activity increased even at
42/30 C, concomitantly with a strongly declined APX activity. Therefore, increased thermotolerance
might arise through the reinforcement of some ROS-scavenging enzymes and other protective
molecules (HSP70, ELIP, Chape20, Chape60). Plants showed low responsiveness to single eCO2 under
unstressed conditions, while heat promoted changes in aCO2 plants. Only eCO2 Marsellesa plants
showed greater contents of lutein, the pool of the xanthophyll cycle components (V + A + Z), and
b-carotene, compared to aCO2 plants at 42/30 C. This, together with a lower CAT activity, suggests
a lower presence of H2O2, likely also associated with the higher photochemical use of energy under
eCO2. An incomplete heat stress recovery seemed evident, especially in aCO2 plants, as judged
by the maintenance of the greater expression of all genes in all genotypes and increased levels of zeaxanthin (Marsellesa and Hybrid) relative to their initial controls. Altogether, heat was the main
response driver of the addressed protective molecules and genes, whereas eCO2 usually attenuated
the heat response and promoted a better recovery. Hybrid plants showed stronger gene expression
responses, especially at the highest temperature, when compared to their parental genotypes, but
altogether, Marsellesa showed a greater acclimation potential. The reinforcement of antioxidative and
other protective molecules are, therefore, useful biomarkers to be included in breeding and selection
programs to obtain coffee genotypes to thrive under global warming conditions, thus contributing to
improved crop sustainability
Overexpression of water-responsive genes promoted by elevated CO2 reduces ROS and enhances drought tolerance in coffea species
Publication . Marques, Isabel; Fernandes, Isabel; Paulo, Octávio S.; Batista, Dora; Lidon, Fernando C.; Partelli, Fábio; DaMatta, Fábio M.; Ribeiro-Barros, Ana I.; Ramalho, José C.
Drought is a major constraint to plant growth and productivity worldwide and will
aggravate as water availability becomes scarcer. Although elevated air [CO2] might mitigate some of
these effects in plants, the mechanisms underlying the involved responses are poorly understood
in woody economically important crops such as Coffea. This study analyzed transcriptome changes
in Coffea canephora cv. CL153 and C. arabica cv. Icatu exposed to moderate (MWD) or severe water
deficits (SWD) and grown under ambient (aCO2) or elevated (eCO2) air [CO2]. We found that
changes in expression levels and regulatory pathways were barely affected by MWD, while the SWD
condition led to a down-regulation of most differentially expressed genes (DEGs). eCO2 attenuated
the impacts of drought in the transcripts of both genotypes but mostly in Icatu, in agreement with
physiological and metabolic studies. A predominance of protective and reactive oxygen species
(ROS)-scavenging-related genes, directly or indirectly associated with ABA signaling pathways, was
found in Coffea responses, including genes involved in water deprivation and desiccation, such as
protein phosphatases in Icatu, and aspartic proteases and dehydrins in CL153, whose expression
was validated by qRT-PCR. The existence of a complex post-transcriptional regulatory mechanism
appears to occur in Coffea explaining some apparent discrepancies between transcriptomic, proteomic,
and physiological data in these genotypes.
Next-Generation Proteomics Reveals a Greater Antioxidative Response to Drought in Coffea arabica Than in Coffea canephora
Publication . Marques, Isabel; Gouveia, Duaret; Gaillard, Jean-Charles; Martins, Sónia; Semedo, Magda C.; Lidon, Fernando C.; DaMatta, Fábio M.; Ribeiro-Barros, Ana I.; Armengaud, Jean; Ramalho, José C.
Drought is a major threat to coffee, compromising the quality and quantity of its production.
We have analyzed the core proteome of 18 Coffea canephora cv. Conilon Clone 153 and C. arabica
cv. Icatu plants and assessed their responses to moderate (MWD) and severe (SWD) water deficits.
Label-free quantitative shotgun proteomics identified 3000 proteins in both genotypes, but less than
0.8% contributed to ca. 20% of proteome biomass. Proteomic changes were dependent on the severity
of drought, being stronger under SWD and with an enrolment of different proteins, functions, and
pathways than under MWD. The two genotypes displayed stress-responsive proteins under SWD,
but only C. arabica showed a higher abundance of proteins involved in antioxidant detoxification
activities. Overall, the impact of MWD was minor in the two genotypes, contrary to previous
studies. In contrast, an extensive proteomic response was found under SWD, with C. arabica having
a greater potential for acclimation/resilience than C. canephora. This is likely supported by a wider
antioxidative response and an ability to repair photosynthetic structures, being crucial to develop
new elite genotypes that assure coffee supply under water scarcity levels
Tropical Plant Responses to Climate Change
Publication . Marques, Isabel; Ribeiro-Barros, Ana; Ramalho, José C.
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Funders
Funding agency
Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia
Funding programme
3599-PPCDT
Funding Award Number
PTDC/ASP-AGR/31257/2017