Differential metabolite profiles during fruit development in high-yielding oil palm mesocarp

• Published in: PloS one 2013-04, Vol.8 (4), p.e61344-e61344
• Main Authors: Teh, Huey Fang, Neoh, Bee Keat, Hong, May Ping Li, Low, Jaime Yoke Sum, Ng, Theresa Lee Mei, Ithnin, Nalisha, Thang, Yin Mee, Mohamed, Mohaimi, Chew, Fook Tim, Yusof, Hirzun Mohd, Kulaveerasingam, Harikrishna, Appleton, David R
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Agriculture; Amino acids; Amino Acids - metabolism; Arecaceae - genetics; Arecaceae - metabolism; Biology; Biomarkers - metabolism; Biosynthesis; Breeding; Breeding - methods; Carbohydrates; Carbon; Chemistry; Chromatography; Chromatography, Liquid; Citric acid; Citric Acid - metabolism; Developmental stages; Divergence; Elaeis guineensis; Fatty acids; Fruit - growth & development; Fruit - metabolism; Fruits; Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; Gene expression; Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental - physiology; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant - physiology; Gene regulation; Genomics; Glycerol; Glycerol-3-phosphate; Glycolysis; Lipids; Lipids - biosynthesis; Malates - metabolism; Malic acid; Mass spectrometry; Metabolism; Metabolites; Metabolomics; Metabolomics - methods; Phosphates; Principal Component Analysis; Scientific imaging; Seeds; Studies; Tricarboxylic acid cycle; Vegetable oils
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0061344

To better understand lipid biosynthesis in oil palm mesocarp, in particular the differences in gene regulation leading to and including de novo fatty acid biosynthesis, a multi-platform metabolomics technology was used to profile mesocarp metabolites during six critical stages of fruit development in comparatively high- and low-yielding oil palm populations. Significantly higher amino acid levels preceding lipid biosynthesis and nucleosides during lipid biosynthesis were observed in a higher yielding commercial palm population. Levels of metabolites involved in glycolysis revealed interesting divergence of flux towards glycerol-3-phosphate, while carbon utilization differences in the TCA cycle were proven by an increase in malic acid/citric acid ratio. Apart from insights into the regulation of enhanced lipid production in oil palm, these results provide potentially useful metabolite yield markers and genes of interest for use in breeding programmes.