Theobroma grandiflorum

Theobroma grandiflorum (Willd. Ex Spreng.) Schumm, cupuassu, is a species native to the Amazon, which belongs to the family of Malvaceae such as cocoa (T. cacao L). Cupuassu presents an economic potential for the Amazon region of Brazil due to multiple uses of the seed itself but mainly for the very aromatic pulp that surrounds it, that are used in the food and cosmetic industry. It can be grown in an agroforestry system, making it a kind of sustainable farming, thus assuming a significant socioeconomic and environmental importance to the region. Its cultivation could also become more important in Brazil and in other countries in the future. The cupuassu is affected by witches' broom, a fungal disease caused by a basidiomycete Moniliophthora perniciosa, the same one that affects cocoa, which is a limiting factor for fruit production. The cupuassu molecular genetics knowledge, as well as the knowledge of the molecular basis of the plant-M.perniciosa interaction are scarce, impairing the development of its breeding program. Thus, the characterization of genes involved in this interaction is of great interest. The present database catalogs the transcriptome of seed and apical shoots challenged with M.perniciosa, being an important source for cupuassu-M.perniciosa interaction studies that, ultimately, can help to obtain witches’ broom resistant plant through genetic breeding.