Study of drought-tolerance mechanisms in coffee plants by an integrated analysis : [B212]

The principal aim of this study was to investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying the response to drought stress in coffee plants by different approaches. In order to indentify candidate genes involved in controlling drought tolerance in coffee plants, different strategies were followed in our laboratories. The first used the nucleic data generated by the Brazilian Coffee EST project to identify candidate genes (CG) by in silico analysis (electronic Northern-blot). Differential expression of these CG was verified in leaves and roots from drought-tolerant and susceptible clones of C. canephora var. Conilon by Northern-blot and quantitative PCR experiments. The second was based on the screening of macroarray membranes spotted with coffee ESTs which were hybridized separately with leaf cDNA probes of the same clones. Finally, 2D gel electrophoresis was also performed to selected proteins presenting differential accumulation in leaves of the same clones. These proteins were analyzed by MALDI-TOF-MS/MS leading to the identification of a new set of CG. Results concerning the identification of CG by these different approaches are presented and discussed. (Résumé d'auteur