{
  "abstract": "Background/Objectives: Rapeseed (Brassica napus L.) is a major oilseed crop, and enhancing seed oil accumulation is a key breeding objective. However, the transcriptional regulation underlying natural variation in seed oil accumulation and fatty acid composition remains unclear. This study aimed to identify key lipid-associated modules and candidate genes and validate a selected gene. Methods: Twelve rapeseed lines with contrasting oil content were classified into high-, medium-, and low-oil groups. Phenotypic traits were evaluated across field seasons. Fatty acid composition was determined by gas chromatography with flame ionization detection (GC-FID). Transcriptome sequencing was performed on 30-day-after-pollination (DAP) developing seeds, followed by differential expression analysis and weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA). A candidate gene, BnaA08.NDPK (nucleoside diphosphate kinase), was screened and validated by qRT-PCR. For heterologous functional characterization, BnaA08.NDPK was overexpressed in Arabidopsis, and separate CRISPR/Cas9-edited Arabidopsis lines with disrupted endogenous AtNDPK were generated. Results: Five major fatty acids (C16:0, C18:0, C18:1n9c, C18:2n6c, and C18:3) accounted for >90% of total fatty acids. High-oil materials had higher C18:1n9c but lower C18:2n6c and C18:3, and lower desaturation ratios, than low-oil materials. Up-regulated differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in high-oil lines were enriched in fatty acid biosynthesis, elongation, and glycerolipid metabolism, while down-regulated DEGs were linked to fatty acid degradation and phenylpropanoid biosynthesis. WGCNA identified MEturquoise (positive) and MEgreen (negative) modules correlated with oil content. BnaA08.NDPK was highly expressed in high-oil lines and positively correlated with oil content. In transgenic Arabidopsis, overexpression of BnaA08.NDPK increased seed size, thousand-seed weight, and oil content, with higher C18:1n9c and lower C18:2n6c, whereas CRISPR/Cas9-edited Arabidopsis lines with disrupted AtNDPK showed the opposite trends. Conclusions: Heterologous functional characterization in Arabidopsis supports a positive role of BnaA08.NDPK in seed development and oil accumulation. These findings identify BnaA08.NDPK as a promising candidate gene for improving seed oil accumulation and fatty acid composition, and provide a valuable framework for gene discovery and molecular breeding in rapeseed.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Oil Crops Research Institute, Chongqing Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Chongqing 401329, China"
  ],
  "article_type": null,
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 5,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Shijie Yu",
      "orcid": "0009-0004-1370-1030"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Zhi Zhao"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Zhi Li"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Cheng Zhu"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Taocui Huang"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/che23bsnaccnz.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.3390/metabo16110860",
  "fulltext_url": null,
  "id": "che23bsnaccnz",
  "issns": [
    "2218-1989"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://www.mdpi.com/2218-1989/16/11/860",
  "language": null,
  "licence": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "licence_label": "CC BY 4.0",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [],
  "openalex": null,
  "pdf_url": null,
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-11-06",
  "publisher": "MDPI AG",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/che23bsnaccnz.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-11-07T00:21:13Z",
      "native_id": "10.3390/metabo16110860",
      "source": "crossref",
      "url": "https://www.mdpi.com/2218-1989/16/11/860"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "biochemistry",
      "origin": "issn:2218-1989",
      "subfield": "proteomics-metabolomics"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Overexpression of BnaA08.NDPK Enhances Seed Oil Content and Modulates Fatty Acid Composition in Transgenic Arabidopsis: Insights from Comparative Transcriptomics and Co-Expression Network Analysis",
  "title_text": "Overexpression of BnaA08.NDPK Enhances Seed Oil Content and Modulates Fatty Acid Composition in Transgenic Arabidopsis: Insights from Comparative Transcriptomics and Co-Expression Network Analysis",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-11-08T00:22:29Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/che23bsnaccnz",
  "venue": "Metabolites",
  "versions": []
}