FAD2 — Camelina sativa

Summary

CsFAD2 (CSA15G016000) in Camelina sativa encodes a fatty acid desaturase with oleate D12-hydroxylase, omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acid desaturase, and delta12 fatty acid acetylenase activities, as well as broader oxidoreductase and monooxygenase functions. The gene is associated with fatty acid elongation, unsaturated fatty acid anabolism, lipid metabolism, and post-transcriptional gene silencing, and its product localises to the endoplasmic reticulum membrane. CsFAD2 is associated with alpha-linolenic acid, linoleic acid, and xanthophyll content, as well as seed viability, water use efficiency, stomatal resistance, temperature stress responses, disease tolerance, and flower and seed development traits. Phenotypic associations include altered fatty acid composition, desaturation deficiency, tocopherol loss, and suppressed cold stress responses. Studies of related genes in other species connect the family to salt tolerance, Botrytis resistance, and aphid resistance.