In Indonesia, a study published in Plant Biotechnology Journal, researchers from the Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden (XTBG) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences identified a key gene, JcSPL9, that can significantly increase both seed yield and oil content in Jatropha.
Focusing on plant development genetics, researchers highlighted the important role of a gene called JcSPL9 which belongs to the squamosa promoter binding protein-like (SPL) family. This gene acted as a master switch, controlling when the plant shifted from growing leaves to producing flowers and seeds.
Experiments showed that plants engineered to overexpress a modified form of JcSPL9 (called rJcSPL9) produced 80.76% more seeds and had 12.6% higher oil content compared to normal plants. In contrast, boosting a related molecule called JcmiR156a led to a 51.67% drop in seed yield and an 8.28% decrease in oil content.
Further analysis revealed that rJcSPL9 turned on genes involved in oil production, while JcmiR156a turned them off, which confirmed that JcSPL9 enhanced oil accumulation by regulating metabolic pathways. Besides, changes were found in the types of fatty acids produced in the seeds, indicating that this genetic mechanism largely affected oil composition.
Tags: Indonesia, jatropha gene
Category: Research
