A consortium of scientists includes the Arabica coffee genome from Brazil for sequencing

Published Apr 20, 2024

Tridge summary

A consortium of scientists from over ten countries, including Brazil, has made a groundbreaking advancement by sequencing the reference genome of Arabica coffee, as reported in Nature Genetics. This research, supported in part by the São Paulo State Research Support Foundation (Fapesp), utilized a dihaploid Arabica plant for a clearer genetic analysis, aiding in the identification of genes linked to disease resistance and aroma. The study not only estimates the fusion of Arabica's progenitor species to between 350,000 and 600,000 years ago but also explores the genetic diversity between wild Ethiopian Arabica coffees and those cultivated worldwide. Additionally, the article highlights the historical efforts of Brazil's Agronomic Institute of Campinas (IAC) since the 1930s, particularly in breeding rust-resistant Arabica varieties through the development of the Timor hybrid in the 1960s and 1970s. These advancements mark significant progress in the genetic improvement of coffee, offering new pathways for developing varieties more resilient to climate change and diseases.

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Original content

Coffee is one of the most traded commodities in the world and Arabica coffee is the most consumed among the approximately 130 that exist. It is the result of the fusion of two other species: Coffea canephora (known in Brazil as conilon coffee or Robusta) and Coffea eugenioides. In the last ten years, almost every major commodity in the world has had a reference genome sequenced, but coffee recently joined this list. The reference genome is crucial for the development of cultivars that are more adapted to climate change and resistant to diseases. By sequencing the reference genome of Arabica coffee in an unprecedented work, a consortium of scientists managed to select genes possibly responsible (candidate genes) for coffee's resistance to rust and other diseases. In parallel, it identified the expression of some genes related to the aroma of arabica. “With knowledge of the genome it is possible to obtain information that allows us to go both ways: the development of varieties ...

Source: CanalRural