The transcriptional landscape of the subtropical tree crop yerba mate (Ilex paraguariensis A. St.-Hil.)

HUMBERTO J. DEBAT; MAURO GRABIELE; PATRICIA M. AGUILERA; PEDRO D. ZAPATA & DARDO A. MARTI

Foz do Iguacu

Congreso; 11 th International Plant Molecular Biology Congress; 2015

The Brazilian Genetics Society, SBG

Ilex paraguariensis is a crop tree native to the subtropical rainforest of Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay, where it is widely cultivated. Yerba mate is consumed as a hot infusion made from dried milled leaves of I. paraguariensis, with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-mutagenic and lipid-lowering properties. Besides the agricultural and economic importance of yerba mate, it has a profound and omnipresent influence in Latin American socio-cultural dynamics. Yerba mate widespread consumption extends ubiquitously in South America.Yerba mate gene sequence information is scarce. In order to elucidate the yerba mate gene landscape we explored and discovered a vast collection of Ilex paraguariensis transcripts by NGS and de novo transcriptome assembly. Multiple sequence analysis allowed us to predict that yerba mate contains ~32,355 genes and 12,551 gene variants. We identified and categorized members of more than 150 metabolic pathways. Overall, we have identified numerous transcription factors, genes involved in disease resistance and hormone response. We have also identified, novel transcripts related to osmotic, drought, salinity and cold stress. We have pinpointed several members of the gene silencing pathway. 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. Moreover, we provide a collection of over 10,800 SSR accessible to the scientific community interested in yerba mate genetic improvement. This contribution broadly expands the limited knowledge of yerba mate genes, and is presented as the first genomic resource of this important crop.