The Brassica napus team from Huazhong Agricultural University (HZAU), in collaboration with Yazhouwan National Laboratory, recently published a research paper titled "Integrative omics analysis reveals the genetic basis of fatty acid composition in Brassica napus seeds" in Genome Biology.
The study elucidated the genetic basis of fatty acid composition in Brassica napus seeds through multi-omics association analysis and cloned and validated four genes – BnaA09.PYRD, BnaA08.PSK1, BnaA08.SWI3, and BnaC02.LTP15 – that influence the fatty acid composition of Brassica napus seeds.
Furthermore, the research found differences in the dynamic selection of the optimal haplotypes of the four functional genes in the breeding process. Among them, the optimal haplotypes of BnaA09.PYRD, BnaA08.SWI3, and BnaC02.LTP15 have been actively used for targeted improvement of fatty acids, while the optimal haplotype of BnaA08.PSK1 has not shown significant changes in historical breeding, indicating untapped breeding potential and possibly serving as a new target for future breakthroughs in high oleic acid and low erucic acid varieties.
This study provides a genetic basis for more deeply understanding plant oil biosynthesis processes and offers theoretical foundations and rich genetic resources for fatty acid improvement in Brassica napus varieties, commercialization of research results, and molecular marker-assisted breeding.

The utilization of candidate genes in the breeding potential of Brassica napus. [Photo/news.hzau.edu.cn]