Insights into membrane-bound fatty acid desaturase genes in tigernut (Cyperus esculentus L.), an oil-rich tuber plant in Cyperaceae.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Tigernut (Cyperus esculentus L.), an oil-rich tuber plant of the Cyperaceae family, is typical for the naturally high content of oleic acid. However, to date, genes contributing to oil composition have not been well characterized.

Results

In this study, the first genome-wide analysis of tigernut genes encoding membrane-bound fatty acid desaturases (FADs), the key contributors to oil composition, is presented. According to phylogenetic analysis, ten members identified from the tigernut genome were assigned into seven out of eight evolutionary groups as defined in Arabidopsis thaliana, i.e., FAD2 (3), FAD6 (1), FAD3 (1), FAD7 (1), FAD4 (1), DES (1), and SLD (2). In contrast to the absence of an FAD5 homolog, FAD2 and SLD in tigernut were shown to have expanded via t

SUBMITTER: Zou Z 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11938719 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature