Characterization and expression of two cDNA encoding 3-Hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase isoforms in coffee (Coffea arabica L.).

In higher plants there are two independent pathways for isoprenoid biosynthesis, located in the cytosol (mevalonic acid or MVA pathway) or in the plastids [methylerythritol phosphate (MEP) pathway]. The 3-hydroxy-3-methyglutaryl-CoA reductase (HMGR) is the first committed step in the MVA pathway. Using the information available from the Brazilian Coffee Genome Project, we found 13 ESTs that originated two isoforms, CaHMGR1 and CaHMGR2, for the enzyme HMGR of Coffea arabica.