The Brassica napus team from Huazhong Agricultural University, in collaboration with the Yazhouwan National Laboratory, recently published a research paper titled Manipulation of seed coat content for increasing oil content via modulating BnaMYB52 in Brassica napus in Cell Reports.

The study involved the cloning of the first seed coat content quantitative trait loci (QTL) (qSCC.A09) in Brassica napus and elucidated the genetic and molecular mechanisms by which the QTL candidate gene BnaA09.MYB52 regulates seed coat content and oil content.

The study utilized a joint Genome-Wide Association Study (GWAS) analysis of seed coat content and oil content traits in a Brassica napus association population and identified a co-located major-effect QTL locus on chromosome A09. Using the bioinformatics POCKET algorithm, BnaA09.MYB52 was identified as the candidate gene for the QTL ZS11_qSCC.A09.

BnaA09.MYB52 is identified as the candidate gene for the QTL ZS11_qSCC.A09. [Photo/news.hzau.edu.cn]

Experimental results indicate that BnaA09.MYB52 is highly expressed in the developing seed coat of Brassica napus, positively regulating seed coat ratio/seed coat thickness and negatively regulating seed oil content. Furthermore, mutations in BnaMYB52 significantly increased the oil content of Brassica napus seeds, reduced lignin content, and improved the nutritional quality of Brassica napus meal.

The study reveals that BnaA09.MYB52 regulates the distribution of carbon sources in the seed coat and embryo, affecting the molecular mechanisms of seed coat content and oil content and further enhancing the understanding of how seed coat development influences oil accumulation. This provides a theoretical basis and genetic resources for breeding high-oil content and high-quality Brassica napus varieties.