OUTLINE

1.Introduction
2.Overview about structure of the genome
3.Evolution of coffee genome
(compared to other plants, e.g. tea, cacao, etc.)
4. Summary
 1. INTRODUCTION
 Valuable beverage crop

 Rubiaceae family,
more than 11,000 species in 660 genera

Highest caffeine content plant

Reference: The coffee genome provides insight into the convergent evolution of caffeine
biosynthesis (France Denoeud et al.)
• Scientific name: Coffea canephora
• Nomenclature:
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Plantae – Plants
Subkingdom: Tracheobionta – Vascular plants
Phylum: Spermatophyta – Seed plants
Division: Magnoliophyta – Flowering plants
(angiosperms)
Class: Magnoliopsida – Dicotyledons
Order: Rubiales
Family: Rubiaceae – Madder family
Genus: Coffea L. – coffee
Species: Coffea canephora Pierre ex Froehner –
robusta coffee

• Outcrossing,
• Heterozygous diploid (2n = 22
Reference: United States Department of Agriculture – Natural Resources Conservation Service
http://plants.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=COCA39
2. STRUCTURE OF GENOME

 NO sign of a whole-genome POLYPLOIDIZATION

Reference: The coffee genome provides insight into the convergent evolution of caffeine
biosynthesis (France Denoeud et al.)
 Defense
response
Gene families
Different
Metabolic
catalytic
process
activities

Reference: The coffee genome provides insight into the convergent evolution of caffeine
biosynthesis (France Denoeud et al.)
3. EVOLUTION OF GENOME
Plant evolved caffeine
production
independently
(an example of
convergent evolution).
Caffeine accumulates
in different parts of
plants:
In aerial parts of
coffee plant
In leaves of tea
In seeds of cacao
 23 unique genes in ORTHOMCL170 gene family
Encode special methyltransferase enzymes
Ability to produce caffeine evolved at least TWICE

Reference: The coffee genome provides insight into the convergent evolution of caffeine
biosynthesis (France Denoeud et al.)
 No expansion in genome BUT expansion of family
of genes

Reference: The coffee genome provides insight into the convergent evolution of caffeine
biosynthesis (France Denoeud et al.)
 SUMMARY
• NO sign of a whole-genome POLYPLOIDIZATION
• Less gene-order divergence to all other rosids
• Little syntenic divergence relative to other
asteroids
• 23 unique genes produce caffeine evolved at
least TWICE
• No expansion in genome BUT expansion of
family of genes