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Endosperm Oil Biosynthesis: A Case Study for Trait Related Gene Evolution in Coconut

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The Coconut Genome

Part of the book series: Compendium of Plant Genomes ((CPG))

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Abstract

Coconut palm is one of the important vegetable oil crops of the tropics and sub-tropics. Studies delineating the oil biosynthesis in coconut palm are of paramount importance due to its market potential and quality [high proportion of medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs), especially lauric acid]. The availability of coconut transcriptome data, coconut genome assemblies, and functional gene expression profiles has greatly aided in systematically identifying Arabidopsis orthologs involved in lipid and carbohydrate metabolic pathways. These findings could provide valuable information into the evolutionary relationships between the lipid and carbohydrate metabolism pathways, identifying genes involved in regulating quantitative and qualitative variation in fatty acid and lipid components. This chapter reviews the genes involved in coconut endosperm fatty acid and triacylglycerol (TAG) synthesis and the findings of comparative genomics into the fruit composition, oil biosynthesis, fatty acid composition, and oil quality in coconut. A roadmap for future work on the subject is highlighted for exploiting the oil biosynthesis genes in the coconut palm.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. ICAR-Central Coastal Agricultural Research Institute, Ela, Old Goa, India

    V. Arunachalam

  2. ICAR-Central Plantation Crops Research Institute, Kasaragod, Kerala, India

    S. V. Ramesh, S. Paulraj, K. S. Muralikrishna & M. K. Rajesh

  3. ICAR-Indian Institute Of Oil Palm Research, Pedavegi, Andhra Pradesh, India

    B. Kalyana Babu

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  1. V. Arunachalam
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  2. S. V. Ramesh
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  3. S. Paulraj
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  4. B. Kalyana Babu
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  5. K. S. Muralikrishna
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  6. M. K. Rajesh
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Correspondence to V. Arunachalam .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. ICAR-Central Plantation Crops Research Institute, Kasaragod, Kerala, India

    M. K. Rajesh

  2. ICAR-Central Plantation Crops Research Institute, Kasaragod, Kerala, India

    S. V. Ramesh

  3. Coconut Research Institute, Lunuwila, Sri Lanka

    Lalith Perera

  4. ICAR-National Institute for Plant Biotechnology, New Delhi, India

    Chittaranjan Kole

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Arunachalam, V., Ramesh, S.V., Paulraj, S., Babu, B.K., Muralikrishna, K.S., Rajesh, M.K. (2021). Endosperm Oil Biosynthesis: A Case Study for Trait Related Gene Evolution in Coconut. In: Rajesh, M.K., Ramesh, S.V., Perera, L., Kole, C. (eds) The Coconut Genome. Compendium of Plant Genomes. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-76649-8_10

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