A genome wide expression profile of yerba mate (Ilex paraguariensis A. St.-Hil.)

DEBAT, H. J.; GRABIELE, M.; AGUILERA P.M.; BUBILLO R.E.; OTEGUI M. B.; DUCASSE, D. A.; ZAPATA P.D.; MARTÍ, D. A.

Rosario

Congreso; SAIB 2014; 2014

Sociedad Argentina de Investigación Bioquímica y Biología Molecular

Yerba mate is cultivated on 326,000 ha in Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay, with a total yield production of more than 1,000,000 t. Yerba mate gene sequence information is scarce. In order to elucidate the yerba mate gene landscape by means of NGS, we explored and discovered a vast collection of Ilex paraguariensis transcripts. Total RNA was sequenced by Illumina HiSeqTM-2000 obtaining 72,031,388 pair-end 100 bp sequences. High quality reads were de novo assembled into 44,907 transcripts encompassing 40 million bases and ~180X coverage. Multiple sequence analysis allowed us to predict that yerba mate contains ~32,355 genes and 12,551 gene variants. Based in sequence conservation we were able to annotate 77% of the transcripts. We identified and categorized members of more than 150 metabolic pathways. Overall, we have identified ~1,000 putative transcription factors, and hundreds of genes related to biotic and abiotic stress. We have pinpointed several members of the gene silencing pathway, and characterized the silencing effector AGO1. We predicted a diverse supply of putative microRNA precursors involved in developmental processes. We present here the first draft of the transcribed genomes of the yerba mate chloroplast and mitochondrion. This contribution broadly expands the limited knowledge of yerba mate genes, and is presented as the first genomic resource of this important crop.