TITLE:
A Differentially Expressed Gene from a High Oil Producer Cultivar of Castor Bean (Ricinus communis) Is Involved in the Biosynthesis of Ricinoleic Acid
AUTHORS:
Héctor A. Rodríguez-Cabal, Claudia Y. Jaramillo-Mazo, Nicolás D. Franco-Sierra, Diego F. Villanueva-Mejía, Javier C. Alvarez
KEYWORDS:
Tropical Cultivars, Castor Oil, FAD2, FAH12, Oilseed Crop
JOURNAL NAME:
American Journal of Plant Sciences,
Vol.11 No.3,
March
25,
2020
ABSTRACT: Ricinus
communis or castor bean is a non-edible oilseed plant widely
cultivated worldwide for the high content of castor oil in its seeds and the
different uses the oil has in the industry. An increase in its oil content and
production efficiency is difficult, making understanding the molecular
mechanisms underlying the synthesis of oils in the seed necessary. Here, a
combined analysis of protein-protein interaction networks was performed using public
data on differential gene expression in castor bean seeds at different stages
of development. From this analysis, four key enzymes were selected and analyzed
in the polyunsaturated fatty acids pathways, whose gene expression was
subsequently quantified during the development of the seeds in a Colombian
cultivar that produces high amounts of oils and contrasted with a lower
producing cultivar. The gene coding FAH12 was differentially expressed in the
early stages of seed development in the high oil-producing cultivar and has
differences in amino acids A242V and Q319H. The analysis presents this gene as
one of those responsible for early ricinoleic acid synthesis, making it a
candidate for use in crop genetic improvement programs to increase the oil content
in castor bean.