title: Global analysis of gene expression profiles in developing physic nut (Jatropha curcas L.) seeds.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Physic nut (Jatropha curcas L.) is an oilseed plant species with high potential utility as a biofuel. Furthermore, following recent sequencing of its genome and the availability of expressed sequence tag (EST) libraries, it is a valuable model plant for studying carbon assimilation in endosperms of oilseed plants. There have been several transcriptomic analyses of developing physic nut seeds using ESTs, but they have provided limited information on the accumulation of stored resources in the seeds.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We applied next-generation Illumina sequencing technology to analyze global gene expression profiles of developing physic nut seeds 14, 19, 25, 29, 35, 41, and 45 days after pollination (DAP). The acquired profiles reveal the key genes, and their expression timeframes, involved in major metabolic processes including: carbon flow, starch metabolism, and synthesis of storage lipids and proteins in the developing seeds. The main period of storage reserves synthesis in the seeds appears to be 29-41 DAP, and the fatty acid composition of the developing seeds is consistent with relative expression levels of different isoforms of acyl-ACP thioesterase and fatty acid desaturase genes. Several transcription factor genes whose expression coincides with storage reserve deposition correspond to those known to regulate the process in Arabidopsis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results will facilitate searches for genes that influence de novo lipid synthesis, accumulation and their regulatory networks in developing physic nut seeds, and other oil seeds. Thus, they will be helpful in attempts to modify these plants for efficient biofuel production.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Plant Resources Conservation and Sustainable Utilization, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Huawu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Pingzhi
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Sheng
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Chi
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Yaping
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Meiru
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Yongxia
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Jia
authors.forename: Xiaohua
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Fang
authors.forename: Fan
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Guojiang
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Wu
mesh_terms: D020224:Expressed Sequence Tags / Q000378:metabolism; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000096:biosynthesis; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D017343:Genes, Plant / Q000235:genetics; D031286:Jatropha / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism; D010710:Phosphates / Q000378:metabolism; D012639:Seeds / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism; D017421:Sequence Analysis; D013213:Starch / Q000378:metabolism; D013395:Sucrose / Q000378:metabolism; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D005227:Fatty Acids; D010710:Phosphates; D014157:Transcription Factors; D013395:Sucrose; D013213:Starch