Characterization of Seed, Oil, and Fatty Acid Methyl Esters of an Ethyl Methanesulfonate Mutant of Camelina sativa with Reduced Seed‐Coat Mucilage

Abstract

Camelina sativa L. Crantz (large-seeded false flax) is a promising oilseed crop for the production of edible oil and biodiesel. An ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS) mutant of C. sativa was identified that lacked seed coat mucilage (SCM) using Ruthenium Red (RR) colorimetric staining. Compared with wild-type (WT) plants, the mucilage-defect mutant line (Cs98) had smaller seeds and seeds with significantly less SCM, but exhibited significantly taller plant height. The seed mass and oil content of the seeds of Cs98 were significantly lower than those of WT plants.

Realizing the Potential of Camelina sativa as a Bioenergy Crop for a Changing Global Climate

“…Screening of a spring panel of 211 C. sativa accessions followed by GWAS revealed a total of 17 significant trait-associated SNPs for germination rates and dry weight with potential roles in root development through mediation of phosphate metabolism, signaling, and cell membrane activities [ 303 ]. In addition, mutational breeding using gamma-ray irradiation was successfully used to alter the fatty acid profile in C. sativa , resulting in the identification of M 2 mutants with increased α linolenic acid content or decreased erucic acid content [ 304 ]. Screening of ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS) mutant populations resulted in the isolation of a C. sativa mutant with reduced seed coat mucilage, which could potentially improve the flow characteristics of the oil and reduce the washing requirements of the resultant biodiesel [ 305 ].…”