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The main objective of this study was to evaluate the quality and select the best varieties from 85 olive varieties in the Liangshan region, China, from the perspective of oil content, fatty acid, and triacylglycerol compositions. Although 85 varieties of olive oil showed no difference in the type of fatty acid composition and the distribution of triglycerides, they varied greatly in the oil content, the relative proportion of fatty acids, and triglycerides. Principal component analysis (PCA) and cluster and heatmap analysis clearly divided the 85 samples into three groups. Group A included 36 varieties and was characterized by high oleic acid, mono-unsaturated fatty acids (MUFA), eicosenoic acid, OOO (glyceryl trioleate), and OOL (1-oleic acid-2-oleic acid-3-linoleic acid glycerides) contents, but rare palmitoleic acid, SFA (saturated fatty acid), and POP (1-palmitic acid-2-oleic acid-3-palmitic acid glycerides) levels. Group B contained 9 varieties of olive, with the main characteristics of high oleic acid, linolenic acid, MUFA, MUFA/PUFA, SFA, and OLnO (1-oleic acid-2-linolenic acid-3-oleic acid glycerides) content, but low in linoleic acid, PUFA (polyunsaturated fatty acid), PLL levels and ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. Group C comprised 40 varieties, identified by high linoleic acid and PUFA levels but low ratios of oleic acid, MUFA, OOO, MUFA/PUFA, and the ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. Combined with the oil content (FW) (%) of 85 varieties, we suggested four distinguished varieties in Group A, namely Lechín, Coratina, Koroneiki, and Arbosana; three distinguished varieties in Group B, namely Picual, Ezhi, Cornicabra; two distinguished varieties in Group C namely Frantoio and Arbequina as the objects of large-scale cultivation by Chinese cultivators. More importantly, the obtained data also demonstrated that some locally bred specific varieties, such as Zhongze-3 and Yuntai, had interesting unsaturated fatty acids and had cultivation and popularization value in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As one of the most important crops for oil, olive (Olea europaea L.) is well-known worldwide for its commercial product "virgin olive oil" containing high-content fatty acids and many secondary metabolites. The molecular mechanisms underlying the enhanced oil content in olive remain unclear. To further investigate the molecular mechanisms of olive oil biosynthesis, we selected two olive cultivars, i.e., Kalinjot (JZ) and Coratina (KLD), at three maturity stages (MI-1, MI-3, and MI-6) for transcriptomic analysis based on Nanopore sequencing. Significant differences were observed in oil content between JZ and KLD during three maturity stages. Enrichment analysis revealed significant enrichment of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in metabolic pathways of photosynthesis, amino acid biosynthesis, response to stress, and energy metabolism, in particular, fatty acid metabolism. A total of 170 (31.54% of 539 genes involved in oil synthesis) DEGs were further investigated based on expression analysis to identify their molecular functions in oil biosynthesis in olive. A co-expression network based on 714 transcription factors and their targeted genes in oil biosynthesis was constructed. Our study provided novel experimental evidence to investigate the molecular mechanisms of olive oil biosynthesis and to improve the breeding of olive varieties with enhanced oil contents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Double-flower ornamental crabapples display eye-catching morphologies in comparison to single flower, but the genetic basis of double-flower development is not yet well known in apples. In order to comprehensively understand the differential expression of genes (DEGs) between single and double flower, the transcriptome of double flower crabapples Malus Kelsey, Malus micromalus, Malus Royalty, and a single flower cultivar Malus Dolgo were compared by RNA-sequencing. The results showed that there were 1854 genes in overlapped DEGs among all sample comparisons in apple single and double flower varieties. A large number of development and hormone related DEGs were also recognized on the basis of GO and KEGG annotations, and most of the genes were found to be down-regulated in double flowers. Particularly, an AGL24-MADS-box gene (MD08G1196900) and an auxin responsive gene (MD13G1137000) were putatively key candidate genes in the development of double flower by weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA). The study provides insights into the complex molecular mechanism underlying the development of the double flower in apple. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]