Changes in fatty acids contents and growth characteristics in transformed oilseed rape (Brassica napus)

Spring oilseed rapeBrassica napus L. ssp.oleifera cv. HM-81 was transformed with TL-DNA of the Ri plasmid of the agropine strainAgrobacterium rhizogenes 15834. Selfed progenies (R2 and R3 generations) were studied for changes in values of growth characteristics and fatty acids contents. Transformants are ‘homozygous’ for TL-DNA. Both generations of transformants differed significantly from the nontransformed control plants in reduced length, lower number of pods per plant, lower total mass of seeds and the higher number of branches. The contents of palmitic, linoleic and linolenic acids were significantly higher in transformants when compared with the control. On the contrary, the contents of both stearic and oleic acids were in most of transformants significantly lower. Only traces of erucic acid (less than 0.05 % ) were found, both in transformed and nontransformed plants.