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The urea transporter DUR3 is differentially regulated by abiotic and biotic stresses in coffee plants

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Abstract

The high costs of N fertilizers in the coffee production emphasizes the need to optimize fertilization practices and improve nitrogen use efficiency. Urea is widespread in nature, characterizing itself as a significant source of nitrogen for the growth and development of several organisms. Thus, the characterization of genes involved in urea transport in coffee plants is an important research topic for the sustainable production of this valuable cash crop. In the current study, we evaluated the expression of the DUR3 gene under abiotic and biotic stresses in coffee plants. Here, we show that the expression of a high-affinity urea transporter gene (CaDUR3) was up-regulated by N starvation in leaves and roots of two out of three C. arabica cultivars examined. Moreover, the CaDUR3 gene was differentially expressed in coffee plants under different abiotic and biotic stresses. In plants of cv. IAPAR59, CaDUR3 showed an increased expression in leaves after exposure to water deficit and heat stress, while it was downregulated in plants under salinity. Upon infection with H. vastatrix (coffee rust), the CaDUR3 was markedly up-regulated at the beginning of the infection process in the disease susceptible Catuaí Vermelho 99 in comparison with the resistant cultivar. These results indicate that besides urea acquisition and N-remobilization, CaDUR3 gene may be closely involved in the response to various stresses.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by of the Brazilian Coffee Research Consortium and National Council of Technological and Scientific Development (CNPq). Special acknowledge to Dr. Anderson Rotter Meda for participating in the beginning of these studies.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratório de Biotecnologia Vegetal, Instituto Agronômico Do Paraná (IAPAR), Londrina, Londrina, 86047-902, Brazil

    Tiago Benedito dos Santos & Viviane Y. Baba

  2. Universidade Do Oeste Paulista (UNOESTE), Rodovia Raposo Tavares, Km 572, Presidente Prudente, 19067-175, Brazil

    Tiago Benedito dos Santos & Luiz Gonzaga Esteves Vieira

  3. Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária (Embrapa Café), Brasília, 70770-901, Brazil

    Luiz Filipe Protasio Pereira

  4. Departamento de Botânica, Instituto de Biociências de Rio Claro, Universidade Estadual Paulista, (UNESP), Avenida 24-A, 1515, Rio Claro, 13506-900, Brazil

    Douglas Silva Domingues

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  1. Tiago Benedito dos Santos
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Correspondence to Tiago Benedito dos Santos.

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dos Santos, T.B., Baba, V.Y., Vieira, L.G.E. et al. The urea transporter DUR3 is differentially regulated by abiotic and biotic stresses in coffee plants. Physiol Mol Biol Plants 27, 203–212 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12298-021-00930-6

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