Traditional breeding could be used to develop new coffee cultivars with a higher productivity under these harsh conditions, and a biotechnological approach can also be used to improve coffee plants in a relatively short period of time. To develop new coffee cultivars via a biotechnological approach, it is necessary to discover potential candidate genes and determine their functions in coffee plants. | TAÏP CHÍ PHAÙT TRIEÅN KH&CN, TAÄP 19, SOÁ T3- 2016 Gene cloning and transformation of Arabidopsis plant to study the functions of the Early Responsive to Dehydration gene (ERD4) in coffee genome Nguyen Dinh Sy Institute of Environment and Biotechnology, Taynguyen University Hunseung Kang College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Chonnam National University (Received on 23 th November 2015, accepted on May 5 th 2016) ABSTRACT Coffee plant is one of the most important period of time. To develop new coffee cultivars industrial crops, and the two popular cultivars, via a biotechnological approach, it is necessary Coffea arabica and Coffea canephora, contribute to discover potential candidate genes and to the production of almost all coffee beans determine their functions in coffee plants. around the world. Although the demand for However, it is technically difficult to introduce coffee beans is continually increasing, the steady foreign genes into coffee genome and takes long production of coffee beans is hampered by many time to analyze gene function in coffee plants. To factors, such as environmental stresses, insect overcome these technical difficulties, the pests, and diseases. Traditional breeding could potential coffee genes could be cloned and be used to develop new coffee cultivars with a introduced into Arabidopsis for the rapid higher productivity under these harsh conditions, analysis of its biological functions under harsh environmental conditions. and a biotechnological approach can also be used to improve coffee plants in a relatively short Keywords: Arabidopsis, Coffee genome, gene cloning, transgenic plant INTRODUCTION Coffee plant is a tropical crop belonging to Rubiaceae family that has more than 100 species which are native of African continent, Madagascar, and the Mascarene Islands [1]. Although many varieties of coffee cultivars exist, most of the coffee beverages are made from two species, Arabica coffee (Coffea Arabica) and Robusta .
