Genome‑wide analysis of the CaWRKY transcription factors reveals CaWRKY28 as a candidate gene for cold tolerance breeding in Coffea arabica L.

Description

Tianci Hu leads a seven-author team reporting a 2026 genome-wide survey of WRKY transcription factors in Coffea arabica. That coffee species supplies over 70 percent of world beans and nearly all of China's crop in Yunnan. Cold snaps during fruiting are a major constraint there. Scanning four arabica genomes, the team catalogued 400 WRKY family members in three phylogenetic groups, with segmental duplication as the main engine of expansion. Cold-stress physiology tests on fruiting trees showed rising electrolyte leakage and soluble sugars alongside falling photosynthesis.

Transcriptome profiling flagged 47 cold-responsive WRKY genes in five clusters. Five of them, including CaWRKY28, switched on under cold treatment. When CaWRKY28 was expressed in yeast, the yeast tolerated cold far better, confirming the gene's protective role. The authors nominate CaWRKY28 as a prime candidate for breeding cold-tolerant coffee, and present the family catalogue as a resource for further work.

Catalog record

Source: https://europepmc.org/article/MED/PMC13501684