Open Access

ARTICLE

Integrated Transcriptome and Lipidome to Analyze the Characteristics of Oil Accumulation in Seeds of Acer truncatum

Shengqun Chen^1,2,#, Lianwen Shen^1,2,#, Shuang Qu^1,2, Xia Jiang^1,2,3,*, Gang Wang^1,2,4,*

1 Key Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration on Biodiversity Conservation in Karst Mountainous Areas of Southwestern China, Guizhou Academy of Forestry, Guiyang, China
2 Guizhou Academy of Forestry, Guiyang, China
3 Guizhou Liping Rocky Desertification Ecosystem Observation and Research Station, Qiandongnan Prefecture, China
4 Qianxing Agricultural and Forestry Economic Development Co., Ltd., Liuzhi Special Zone, Liupanshui, China

* Corresponding Authors: Xia Jiang. Email: ; Gang Wang. Email:
# These authors contributed equally to this work

(This article belongs to the Special Issue: Advances in Plant Breeding and Genetic Improvement: Leveraging Molecular Markers and Novel Genetic Strategies)

Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany 2026, 95(4), 5 https://doi.org/10.32604/phyton.2026.078590

Received 04 January 2026; Accepted 05 March 2026; Issue published 28 April 2026

Abstract

Acer truncatum is a significant woody oil-bearing tree species known for its ability to synthesize various unsaturated fatty acids. This study systematically analyzes the lipid metabolic pathways and the associated transcript abundance changes involved in the biosynthesis and accumulation of seed oil in A. truncatum. By integrating lipidomics and transcriptomics analyses across different developmental stages of A. truncatum seeds, we thoroughly investigate the dynamic characteristics of oil metabolism. The results show that triacylglycerols (TAGs) become the dominating lipid class throughout seed development and that their amount increases greatly as the seeds mature, whereas diacylglycerols (DAGs) show a significantly decreased relative abundance. Numerous differentially expressed genes (DEGs) linked to lipid biosynthesis were identified by transcriptome analysis, including AcACCase, AcKAS, AcKCS, AcGPAT, AcDGAT, and AcOLE. The expression patterns of DGAT- and KCS-encoding genes differ noticeably between immature and mature seeds. Integrated lipidomics and transcriptomics analyses suggest stage-associated lipid metabolic changes during seed development of A. truncatum. This study also highlights candidate genes and metabolic pathways with TAG accumulation. These findings improve our understanding of seed oil metabolism in A. truncatum by linking AcDGAT-related TAG assembly and AcKCS-driven very-long-chain fatty acid elongation to the developmental regulation of the Kennedy pathway (TAG biosynthesis) and fatty acid elongation (VLCFA/NA-related), providing essential molecular insights for the genetic improvement of oil yield and fatty acid quality in this species.

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Supplementary Material

Supplementary Material File

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