Transcriptome and functional analysis reveals hybrid vigor for oil biosynthesis in oil palm. Issue 1 (December 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Jin, Jingjing; Sun, Yanwei; Qu, Jing; syah, Rahmad; Lim, Chin-Huat; Alfiko, Yuzer; Rahman, Nur; Suwanto, Antonius; Yue, Genhua; Wong, Limsoon; Chua, Nam-Hai; Ye, Jian
• Is Part Of: Scientific reports. Volume 7:Issue 1(2017)
• Page Start: 1
• Page End: 12
• Publication Date: 2017-12
• Subjects: Natural history -- Research -- Periodicals; Biology -- Research -- Periodicals; Physical sciences -- Research -- Periodicals; Earth sciences -- Research -- Periodicals; Environmental sciences -- Research -- Periodicals; 502.85
• DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-00438-8
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2045-2322

Abstract

Abstract Oil palm is the most productive oil crop in the world and composes 36% of the world production. However, the molecular mechanisms of hybrids vigor (or heterosis) betweenDura, Pisifera and their hybrid progenyTenera has not yet been well understood. Here we compared the temporal and spatial compositions of lipids and transcriptomes for two oil yielding organs mesocarp and endosperm fromDura, Pisifera andTenera . Multiple lipid biosynthesis pathways are highly enriched in all non-additive expression pattern in endosperm, while cytokinine biosynthesis and cell cycle pathways are highly enriched both in endosperm and mesocarp. Compared with parental palms, the high oil content inTenera was associated with much higher transcript levels ofEgWRI1, homolog ofArabidopsis thaliana WRINKLED1. Among 338 identified genes in lipid synthesis, 207 (61%) has been identified to contain the WRI1 specific binding AW motif. We further functionally identifiedEgWRI1 -1, one of threeEgWRI1 orthologs, by genetic complementation of theArabidopsis wri1 mutant. Ectopic expression ofEgWRI1 -1 in plant produced dramatically increased seed mass and oil content, with oil profile changed. Our findings provide an explanation forEgWRI1 as an important gene contributing hybrid vigor in lipid biosynthesis in oil palm.