MicroRNAs (miRNAs) and small interfering RNAs are important regulators of plant development and seed formation, yet their population and abundance in the oil crop Brassica napus are still not well understood, especially at different developmental stages and among cultivars with varied seed oil contents. Here, we systematically analyzed the small RNA expression profiles of Brassica napus seeds a...

Citation: Shen Y, Xiang Y, Xu E, Ge X and Li Z (2018) Major Co-localized QTL for Plant Height, Branch Initiation Height, Stem Diameter, and Flowering Time in an Alien Introgression Derived Brassica napus DH Population. Front. Plant Sci. 9:390. doi: 10.3389/fpls.2018.00390 Major Co-localized QTL for Plant Height, Branch Initiation Height, Stem Diameter, and Flowering Time in an Alien Introgressi...

The apetalous genotype is a morphological ideotype for increasing seed yield and should be of considerable agricultural use; however, only a few studies have focused on the genetic control of this trait in Brassica napus. In the present study, a recombinant inbred line, the AH population, containing 189 individuals was derived from a cross between an apetalous line 'APL01' and a normally petall...

Flavonoids, the compounds that impart color to fruits, flowers, and seeds, are the most widespread secondary metabolites in plants. However, a systematic analysis of these loci has not been performed in Brassicaceae. In this study, we isolated 649 nucleotide sequences related to flavonoid biosynthesis, i.e., the Transparent Testa (TT) genes, and their associated amino acid sequences in 17 Brass...

DGAT1 enzymes (acyl-CoA:diacylglycerol acyltransferase 1, EC 2.3.1.20) catalyse the formation of triacylglycerols (TAGs), the most abundant lipids in vegetable oils. Thorough understanding of the enzymology of oil accumulation is critical to the goal of modifying oilseeds for improved vegetable oil production. Four isoforms of BnDGAT1, the final and rate-limiting step in triacylglycerol synthes...

The importance of SPX domain-encoding proteins to phosphate (Pi) homeostasis and signaling pathways has been well-documented in rice and Arabidopsis. However, global information and responses of SPX members to P stress in allotetraploid Brassica napus, one of the world's major oil crops that is sensitive to P deficiency, remain undefined. We identified a total of 69 SPX domain-containing genes ...

Flowering time adaptation is a major breeding goal in the allopolyploid species Brassica napus. To investigate the genetic architecture of flowering time, a genome-wide association study (GWAS) of flowering time was conducted with a diversity panel comprising 523 B. napus cultivars and inbred lines grown in eight different environments. Genotyping was performed with a Brassica 60K Illumina Infi...

An investigation was carried out to monitor the escape and spread of oilseed rape (Brassica napus) transgenic plants and the introgression of transgenes to its closely related feral species in Japan. We screened a total of about 7500 feral B. napus, 300 B. rapa, and 5800 B. juncea seedlings from maternal plants in 143 locations at several ports, roadsides, and riverbanks. The presence of glufos...

The enzyme sn-glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase 4 (GPAT4) is involved in the biosynthesis of plant lipid poly-esters. The present study further characterizes the enzymatic activities of three endoplasmic reticulum-bound GPAT4 isoforms of Brassica napus and examines their roles in the development of reproductive organs and the embryo. All three BnGPAT4 isoforms exhibited sn-2 acyltransferase ...