Transcriptome analysis of the oil-rich seed of the bioenergy crop Jatropha curcas L.
BACKGROUND
To date, oil-rich plants are the main source of biodiesel products. Because concerns have been voiced about the impact of oil-crop cultivation on the price of food commodities, the interest in oil plants not used for food production and amenable to cultivation on non-agricultural land has soared. As a non-food, drought-resistant and oil-rich crop, Jatropha curcas L. fulfils many of the requirements for biofuel production.


RESULTS
We have generated 13,249 expressed sequence tags (ESTs) from developing and germinating Jatropha seeds. This strategy allowed us to detect most known genes related to lipid synthesis and degradation. We have also identified ESTs coding for proteins that may be involved in the toxicity of Jatropha seeds. Another unexpected finding is the high number of ESTs containing transposable element-related sequences in the developing seed library (800) when contrasted with those found in the germinating seed library (80).


CONCLUSIONS
The sequences generated in this work represent a considerable increase in the number of sequences deposited in public databases. These results can be used to produce genetically improved varieties of Jatropha with increased oil yields, different oil compositions and better agronomic characteristics.
Costa
Gustavo G L
GG
Centre for Molecular Biology and Genetic Engineering, State University of Campinas, UNICAMP, Campinas, SP, Brazil.
Cardoso
Kiara C
KC
Del Bem
Luís E V
LE
Lima
Aline C
AC
Cunha
Muciana A S
MA
de Campos-Leite
Luciana
L
Vicentini
Renato
R
Papes
Fábio
F
Moreira
Raquel C
RC
Yunes
José A
JA
Campos
Francisco A P
FA
Da Silva
Márcio J
MJ
D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D030561:Databases, Nucleic Acid; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D018525:Germination; D031286:Jatropha / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D010938:Plant Oils / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D012639:Seeds / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D010938:Plant Oils