Lipid characterization in vegetative tissues of high saturated fatty acid sunflower mutants

Modifications of the fatty acid composition of plant vegetative tissues pro duce deficient plant growth. To determine the expression of the seed high-s aturated sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) mutant character during the veget ative cycle, five sunflower mutant lines (three high-stearic and two high-p almitic) have been studied during their germination and vegetative cycle. N o significant variations with regard to the control Lines were observed in the mutant vegetative tissue Lipids; however, during seed germination impor tant differences between lines were found. Although in the early steps of g ermination the palmitic and stearic acid levels in the respective mutants s eedling cotyledons continued being higher than those of the control lines, they decreased and reached values similar to the controls, except in CAS-3. Variations in the cotyledon palmitic acid content with regard to the contr ol line were also observed in high-stearic mutants, suggesting the expressi on of a modified acyl-ACP thioesterase or recycling of seed fatty acids dur ing seedling development.