Cleaved Amplified Polymorphic Sequences (CAPS) Markers for Characterization of the LuFAD3A Gene from Various Flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) Cultivars

Abstract

Depending on the variety, flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) provides an oil rich in omega-3 acids (especially 50% α-linolenic acid) with proven health properties, and is used as a raw industrial material. Alpha-linolenic acid is a polyunsaturated fatty acid easily subject to oxidative transformation. The auto-oxidation of α-linolenic acid is the main process contributing to off-flavor, color loss, and change in the nutritional value of flax oil. We used six flax genotypes differing in fatty acid content in our research. For all the DNA samples extracted from the leaf tissue of the studied flax, the new, cleaved amplified polymorphic sequences (CAPS) markers specific to the LuFAD3A desaturase gene were applied. A specific PCR product from the LuFAD3A flax gene comprising fragments of exon 5, exon 6, and the intron between these exons was digested using six various restriction enzymes. These experiments could differentiate between some of the studied varieties of flax. We also proved that the LuFAD3A gene mutation previously detected by other authors in the low-linolenic forms of flax (solin line 593–708) was absent in the low-linolenic forms of flax that we studied (Linola KLA and Linola KLB).