FATTY ACID COMPOSITION AND FAD3 GENE EXPRESSION IN ROOTS OF WATERMELON AND GOURD UNDER LOW TEMPERATURE

Watermelon is a chilling sensitive plant and low temperature causes reduction in growth and number of lateral roots.
Chilling response of watermelon and bottle gourd seedlings was investigated.
Watermelon seedlings were more sensitive than gourd plants at 15°C. When both watermelon and bottle gourd fatty acid compositions were compared, the relative content 18:3 of bottle gourd was about 10.7% higher than watermelon.
No difference was observed between bottle gourd and watermelon roots in 16:0, 18:0, and 18:1 content.
Linolenic acid (18:3) level played an important role in plant chilling tolerance.
Transcript levels for the fad3 gene that codes for desaturase markedly increased in response to decreased temperature in bottle gourd.
Increase in double bond index (DBI) and 18:3/18:2 ratio connected to 18:3 levels of the root fatty acids have been assumed to occur in response to cold resistance.

International Symposium on Greenhouses, Environmental Controls and In-house Mechanization for Crop Production in the Tropics and Sub-Tropics

B.R. Ko, S.W. Kwon, M.J. Jaskani, J.S. Choi

watermelon, fatty acid, fad3 gene, chilling, double bond index

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2006.710.45