Abstract
As a result of the breeding process, there are two main types of flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) plants. Linseed is used for obtaining seeds, while fiber flax is used for fiber production. We aimed to identify the genes associated with the flax plant type, which could be important for the formation of agronomically valuable traits. A search for polymorphisms was performed in genes involved in the biosynthesis of cell wall components, lignans, fatty acids, and ion transport based on genome sequencing data for 191 flax varieties. For 143 of the 424 studied genes (4CL, C3′H, C4H, CAD, CCR, CCoAOMT, COMT, F5H, HCT, PAL, CTL, BGAL, ABC, HMA, DIR, PLR, UGT, TUB, CESA, RGL, FAD, SAD, and ACT families), one or more polymorphisms had a strong correlation with the flax type. Based on the transcriptome sequencing data, we evaluated the expression levels for each flax type-associated gene in a wide range of tissues and suggested genes that are important for the formation of linseed or fiber flax traits. Such genes were probably subjected to the selection press and can determine not only the traits of seeds and stems but also the characteristics of the root system or resistance to stresses at a particular stage of development, which indirectly affects the ability of flax plants to produce seeds or fiber.
Highlights
Flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) is traditionally grown for obtaining fiber from stems and oil from seeds [1,2]
We focused our attention on genes that are important for cell wall formation, because these genes are crucial for the determination of flax stem traits; genes involved in the biosynthesis of lignans and fatty acids, the content of which is an important characteristic of seeds; and ABC transporter and heavy metal–associated genes, which participate in numerous processes in flax plants
An important role in the formation of fiber and oil flax plants capable of producing high yields of fiber and seeds, respectively, is probably played by different genes, some of which ensure the optimal development of linseed, while others, fiber flax, due to the distinctive features that are typical for two types of flax plants
Summary
Flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) is traditionally grown for obtaining fiber from stems and oil from seeds [1,2]. The differences in the use of flax products resulted in the appearance of two main varieties: fiber flax and oil flax (linseed). Fiber flax varieties predominantly have a higher fiber content than oil flax [4]. Agronomically important traits are associated with seed characteristics, such as size, yield, and biochemical composition, while for fiber flax, fiber properties that attract attention include yield, tensile strength, density, flexibility, and biochemical composition (including the cellulose and lignin contents). Linseed is rich in unsaturated fatty acids (primarily omega-3) and lignans, which are beneficial for health and reduce the risk of cancer and cardiac diseases and is, used in pharmaceutical and food products as well as animal feed; flax oil is a component of paints and varnishes [1,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14]. Flax bast fiber is rich in cellulose and low in lignin, which makes fiber flax a good source for the production of high-quality textiles, medicine, and promising composite materials for the automobile, aerospace, and packaging industries [12,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23]
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