Makapuno is a coconut cultivar with a naturally overproliferating solid endosperm almost filling the nut cavity. At 6-7 months after pollination (MAP), makapuno solid endosperm is phenotypically indistinguishable from the normal type Laguna Tall while at 8-9 MAP makapuno starts to soften and thicken in contrast to the hard and compact appearance of the normal. Here, the expression profiles of 6-7 and 8-9 MAP de novo assembled RNA Sequencing (RNA-Seq) transcriptomes of normal and makapuno were analyzed, and corresponding stages were compared to determine the differentially expressed genes (DEGs).
Transcriptome Analysis of ‘Philippine Lono Tall’ Coconut (Cocos nucifera L.) Endosperm Reveals Differential Expression of Genes Involved in Oil Biosynthesis
The ‘Philippine Lono Tall’ (PLNT) is a variant of the more common ‘Philippine Laguna Tall’ (LAGT), which produces fruits with soft endosperm and reported higher fat content. To understand patterns of fatty acid (FA) and oil accumulation in LAGT and PLNT fruits, transcriptomes of 6–7 month-old endosperm samples were analyzed by RNA-Seq. Quantitative PCR was performed to analyze the differential expression of selected genes related to oil biosynthesis. Further, oil samples from the PLNT endosperm were analyzed to determine their FA composition across developmental stages.
De Novo Genome Sequence Assembly of Dwarf Coconut (Cocos nucifera L. ‘Catigan Green Dwarf’) Provides Insights into Genomic Variation Between Coconut Types and Related Palm Species
A total of 34,958 high-confidence gene models were predicted and functionally associated to various economically important traits, such as pest/disease resistance, drought tolerance, coconut oil biosynthesis, and putative transcription factors.