EgKT2-1, an inwardly rectifying Shaker‑type potassium channel in oil palm that correlates with oil yield
Abstract
Key message: EgKT2-1, an inwardly rectifying Shaker K⁺ channel in oil palm, is expressed in roots, leaves, and early fruit development suggesting involvement in K⁺ allocation during fruit development and oil accumulation. Abstract: The oil extracted from the mesocarp of oil palm (Elaeis guineensis, Jacq.) drupes is the world's leading source of vegetable oil. Oil palm cultivation requires large amounts of mineral nutrients supplied through fertilization, representing a major production cost. Among essential nutrients, potassium (K⁺) plays a critical role in plant growth and fruit development. However, the mechanisms underlying K⁺ transport and its relationship with yield remain poorly understood. Here, we identified and characterized EgKT2-1, a Shaker-like potassium channel belonging to the AKT2-like subfamily. Quantitative PCR analyses showed that EgKT2-1 is expressed in leaves, meristem, and during early fruit development, with higher transcript abundance during early fruit development coinciding with increased K⁺ accumulation. In situ hybridization localized EgKT2-1 transcripts to the root cortex and phloem tissues, leaf palisade parenchyma, and mesocarp cells during early fruit development. These expression patterns are consistent with a potential contribution of EgKT2-1 to K⁺ transport and allocation between source and sink tissues. Although sequence similarity places EgKT2-1 within the weakly rectifying AKT2-like subfamily, electrophysiological characterization in Xenopus laevis oocytes revealed inwardly rectifying channel activity, suggesting a potential role in K⁺ uptake. EgKT2-1 expression was higher in an oil palm progeny C3 which exhibited greater K⁺ allocation to aerial organs and greater oil yield. Together, these findings identify EgKT2-1 as an inwardly rectifying K⁺ channel potentially involved in K⁺ transport and redistribution during oil palm development and suggest a correlation between EgKT2-1 expression, K⁺ allocation, and oil yield variation.
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BibTeX
@article{monder2026egkt21,
title = {{EgKT2-1, an inwardly rectifying Shaker‑type potassium channel in oil palm that correlates with oil yield}},
author = {Houssein Monder and Sandra Espeout and Sabine Zimmermann and Norbert Billotte and Jean‐luc Verdeil and Stéphanie Bocs and Jean Ollivier and Reinout Impens and Florence Jacob and Isabelle Gaillard and Teresa Cuéllar},
journal = {Plant Cell Reports},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.1007/s00299-026-03975-7},
url = {https://hal.inrae.fr/hal-05774115v1},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - EgKT2-1, an inwardly rectifying Shaker‑type potassium channel in oil palm that correlates with oil yield
AU - Houssein Monder
AU - Sandra Espeout
AU - Sabine Zimmermann
AU - Norbert Billotte
AU - Jean‐luc Verdeil
AU - Stéphanie Bocs
AU - Jean Ollivier
AU - Reinout Impens
AU - Florence Jacob
AU - Isabelle Gaillard
AU - Teresa Cuéllar
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/30
JO - Plant Cell Reports
DO - 10.1007/s00299-026-03975-7
UR - https://hal.inrae.fr/hal-05774115v1
AB - Key message: EgKT2-1, an inwardly rectifying Shaker K⁺ channel in oil palm, is expressed in roots, leaves, and early fruit development suggesting involvement in K⁺ allocation during fruit development and oil accumulation. Abstract: The oil extracted from the mesocarp of oil palm (Elaeis guineensis, Jacq.) drupes is the world's leading source of vegetable oil. Oil palm cultivation requires large amounts of mineral nutrients supplied through fertilization, representing a major production cost. Among essential nutrients, potassium (K⁺) plays a critical role in plant growth and fruit development. However, the mechanisms underlying K⁺ transport and its relationship with yield remain poorly understood. Here, we identified and characterized EgKT2-1, a Shaker-like potassium channel belonging to the AKT2-like subfamily. Quantitative PCR analyses showed that EgKT2-1 is expressed in leaves, meristem, and during early fruit development, with higher transcript abundance during early fruit development coinciding with increased K⁺ accumulation. In situ hybridization localized EgKT2-1 transcripts to the root cortex and phloem tissues, leaf palisade parenchyma, and mesocarp cells during early fruit development. These expression patterns are consistent with a potential contribution of EgKT2-1 to K⁺ transport and allocation between source and sink tissues. Although sequence similarity places EgKT2-1 within the weakly rectifying AKT2-like subfamily, electrophysiological characterization in Xenopus laevis oocytes revealed inwardly rectifying channel activity, suggesting a potential role in K⁺ uptake. EgKT2-1 expression was higher in an oil palm progeny C3 which exhibited greater K⁺ allocation to aerial organs and greater oil yield. Together, these findings identify EgKT2-1 as an inwardly rectifying K⁺ channel potentially involved in K⁺ transport and redistribution during oil palm development and suggest a correlation between EgKT2-1 expression, K⁺ allocation, and oil yield variation.
SN - 0721-7714
SN - 0721-7714
ER -