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.
Highlights
From the protein network obtained for the castor bean plant, FAH12 protein was overexpressed 10.77 times in advanced seed development stages compared with the initial development stages and other tissues (Figure 2)
We studied the gene expression related with the biosynthesis pathway of triacylglycerols in fruits of two castor bean tropical cultivars (VERC-03, originally from Colombia, and VERC-12, originally from Brazil), which were chosen as promising materials adapted to warm agro-ecological zones according to previous agronomic trials developed by the Colombian Agricultural and Livestock Research Corporation (AGROSAVIA, before CORPOICA) (CITA 10), which showed that VERC03 cultivar has slightly higher yields per hectare compared with VERC12 cultivar
Previous studies led to the need for deepening the understanding of genetic processes related to the biosynthesis of fatty acids in castor bean cultivars, looking forward to finding out key genes involved in seed oil production, accumulation of long-chain acids in different seeds stages and thereby contribute to crop genetic improvement with high precision and less uncertainty
Summary
85% of Castor oil is obtained from its seeds and it has been widely used in cosmetics, plastics, and health (drugs) industries [5] and, more recently, in the industrial sector for biodiesel production [6]. Characteristics such as growth habitat, seed size, oil content, and foliage and stem color, vary significantly among castor bean trees [7], presenting a great genotypic and phenotypic diversity that, similar to the case of the genes involved in the production of fatty acids, requires further study [8]
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