Search Results (30)

Genome editing, particularly CRISPR/Cas-based systems, has emerged as a key tool for functional genomics and trait improvement in flax (Linum usitatissimum L.), an important fiber and oilseed crop. This review focuses specifically on flax as an emerging target species and distinguishes experimentally validated applications from approaches adapted from model plants. Recent progress includes the characterization of endogenous U6 promoters, which improved guide RNA expression and contributed to enhanced genome editing performance under optimized conditions. Reported studies demonstrate efficient targeted mutagenesis in flax; however, editing outcomes remain strongly dependent on genotype, construct design, and regeneration capacity, and stable homozygous edited lines are still limited. Target genes include pathways involved in lignin and cellulose biosynthesis, fatty acid metabolism, and stress responses, influencing fiber quality, oil composition, and stress adaptation. Despite current bottlenecks such as low homologous recombination efficiency and regeneration constraints, base editing, prime editing, and multiplex CRISPR systems provide promising avenues for precision breeding in flax. Full article

DNA-binding with one finger (Dof) transcription factors are plant-specific regulators of growth, development, and stress responses. Despite extensive characterization in various species, Dof genes in flax (Linum usitatissimum L.), an important oil and fiber crop, remain largely uncharacterized. Through genome-wide identification and comprehensive characterization of the Dof gene family in flax, this study identified 47 LuDof genes in the high-oil Longya-10 variety, distributed non-uniformly across 15 chromosomes. Phylogenetic analysis grouped these genes into 12 distinct clusters, reflecting evolutionary conservation and lineage-specific characteristics, including the absence of LuDof members in Group XII. Gene structure and conserved motif analyses revealed strong structural conservation, particularly within the canonical zf-Dof domain. Segmental duplication was identified as the primary driver of LuDof family expansion, with all paralogous pairs evolving under strong purifying selection. Collinearity analysis revealed that 80.9% of LuDof genes have homologs in other species, highlighting strong evolutionary conservation. Promoter analysis identified multiple hormone- and stress-responsive elements, and qRT-PCR under drought, heat, cold, and methyl jasmonate (MeJA) treatments confirmed their roles in environmental stress responses. Transcriptome profiling indicated their involvement in stem and capsule development. This study represents the first systematic characterization of the evolution, structure, and functional potential of the flax Dof gene family, establishing a foundation for functional studies and for developing genetically superior, stress-tolerant flax varieties. Full article

Flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) is a crop widely cultivated for fiber and oil production. The screening method for flax breeding must effectively address the biochemical characteristics of flaxseeds. In this study, to characterize flax cultivars, we extracted oil, defatted kernel, hull, and mucilage from whole seeds for the ATR-FT-MIR and FT-Raman spectroscopic measurements. In addition, for ATR-FT-MIR analysis, oil samples were obtained by pressing the flaxseed directly onto the crystal surface. After removing any seed residues, a grease stain was used for the measurement, allowing for the acquisition of the oil spectrum from a single seed. This method also enabled the detection of free fatty acids, serving as evidence of seed damage. Both methods effectively estimated the degree of unsaturation as a cultivar marker. The vibrational spectra of defatted kernels showed strong protein features; polysaccharide bands dominated in hull and mucilage spectra. Discrimination of flax cultivars using principal component analysis of vibrational spectra in specific regions was the most promising for flaxseed oil and mucilage. Multivariate analysis of a set of selected variables sensitive to the flaxseed oil composition successfully distinguished all flax cultivars of this study. The strong correlation observed between ATR-FT-MIR and FT-Raman results confirmed that these methods are comparable for characterizing different grades of flaxseed oil. Full article

Flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) is a multipurpose crop known for its highly nutritious seeds. This study aimed to determine how plant density and fertilizer type influence the nutritional composition of flaxseed, addressing a gap in the literature where combined effects on seed quality have not been thoroughly evaluated. Two plant densities (D1, 500 plants m⁻²; D2, 300 plants m⁻²) and four fertilizers (control, C; inhibited urea, I; organic, O; and urea, U), were compared. According to the results, the interactions of these factors influenced most of the traits. The highest yields were reported at D1I. Organic fertilization improved protein (7%) and fat (28%) content and reduced fiber (46%) and carbohydrates. In contrast, inorganic fertilization increased fiber, NDF (10%) and ADF (8%) content. Mineral composition was also affected, with O and I increasing K, Mg, Fe and Cu by 31%, 6%, 14% and 24% for O and 48%, 1%, 17% and 18%, respectively, for I. The correlation matrix analysis revealed a positive relationship between protein and fat content, whereas both traits were negatively correlated with fiber and carbohydrates. Overall, optimized density and fertilizer can improve the quality of flaxseed, supporting its use as functional food and feed ingredient. Full article

The PLATZ gene family influences plant growth, development, and responses to both biotic and abiotic stresses. Flax (Linum usitatissimum L.), an important oilseed and fiber crop, has not been extensively studied for its PLATZ genes. In this study, 27 LuPLATZ genes were identified in the recently assembled T2T (Telomere-to-Telomere) flax genome through bioinformatics analyses. Phylogenetic analysis grouped these genes into five subfamilies. Examination of gene structure and motifs showed conserved exon–intron arrangements and similar motif compositions within the same clade. Promoter analysis revealed that most cis-elements are associated with plant hormone responses (such as MeJA and ABA) and abiotic stresses, including anaerobic induction, drought, and low temperature. Duplication analysis identified 33 segmental duplication events, and miRNA target prediction indicated that lus-miR167 is the primary regulator of LuPLATZ genes. Expression profiling based on RNA-seq data showed high expression levels of most LuPLATZ genes in leaves and roots, and qRT-PCR confirmed their stress-responsive expression under cold, drought, and salt conditions, with LuPLATZ14 and LuPLATZ21 significantly upregulated in all treatments. Furthermore, overexpression of these two genes enhanced drought tolerance in yeast transformants. Full article

This study presents the application of flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) and hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) fibers into composites with polyethylene matrices. The applied fibers were obtained using osmotic, water-retting, and dew-retting processes. The study determined the impact of the fiber extraction method on the properties of the composites obtained from natural filler and polyethylene matrix. These properties included color, tensile strength, thermal stability, adhesion of filler to the polymer, and flammability. It has been shown that the addition of flax and hemp fibers improves the mechanical properties of the composite compared to pure polymer. The tensile strength of the pure polymer samples was 24.64 MPa, while the tensile strength of composites reinforced with flax fibers ranged from 31.26 to 34.45 MPa, and those reinforced with hemp fibers ranged from 31.41 to 33.36 MPa. Studying the composites’ flammability showed that filling them with osmotic degummed hemp fibers reduced the maximum heat release rate by over 34% for hemp compared to pure polymer. This research shows that the composites filled with flax and hemp fibers, regardless of extraction method, are characterized by reduced flammability and improved mechanical properties compared to the pure polyethylene samples. Full article

Flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) is valued for its fibers and nutrient-rich seeds, which are increasingly consumed for their health benefits. However, flaxseeds can also accumulate potentially toxic elements (PTEs), raising concerns about safety. This study quantified 11 essential elements (e.g., Ca, Fe, Mg, and Zn) and 9 PTEs (e.g., Al, Cd, Pb, and Ni) in commercial flaxseed samples using inductively coupled plasma–optical emission spectrometry. Two intake scenarios (15 g/day and 30 g/day) were analyzed to estimate dietary exposure, with health risks assessed through the target hazard quotient (THQ) and hazard index (HI). The results showed that organic flaxseeds had higher levels of certain elements (e.g., Cu, K, and Pb), while Al and Ni were more abundant in conventional samples. Cadmium levels in both remained below the EU regulatory limit. The highest estimated daily intakes were for K, Mg, and Ca, highlighting the seeds’ nutritional value. However, HI values suggested that Al and Pb could pose health risks. These findings emphasize flaxseeds’ dual nature as both beneficial and potentially harmful, particularly given the lack of specific regulatory limits and limited data on elemental composition. Continued monitoring and risk assessment are recommended to safeguard public health. Full article

Flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) is a plant of high economic and practical importance valued for its fiber and oil, which have diverse applications in industries such as textiles, food, pharmaceuticals, and construction. Fungal pathogens of the genus Fusarium, however, pose one of the most serious threats to flax cultivation. They are responsible for a number of disease manifestations, notably Fusarium wilt and root rot. In the case of fusariosis, there is a lack of plant protection products, and often the only effective approach is to use resistant flax cultivars or to discontinue cultivation for several years. Currently, much attention is paid to biological methods of plant protection, which do not exert a negative influence on the environment or human health and are important for sustainable agriculture. The aim of the present study was to assess the potential of the non-pathogenic endophytic fungal strain Fusarium oxysporum Fo47 in protecting plants against pathogenic fungi. The results showed that pretreatment of flax plants with Fo47 increased resistance of plants to all tested fungi (F. oxysporum, Fusarium culmorum, Rhizoctonia solani). Fo47 was the most effective for protection against F. culmorum for the Jan flax cultivar and R. solani for the Bukoz cultivar. Pretreatment with Fo47 of flax plants inoculated with F. culmorum caused an increase in the level of secondary metabolites involved in plant resistance (phenolics) and photosynthetic pigments (chlorophyll a and b) compared to plants treated only with the pathogenic fungal strain. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy revealed structural changes in the polymers of cell walls. The highest intensities of vibrations characteristic of lignin and pectin were observed for flax treated with Fo47 and infected with F. culmorum, suggesting the highest level of these polymers, higher than in plants treated only with pathogenic fungi. Thus, it can be concluded that application of the non-pathogenic strain strengthened the immune response of flax plants. These results highlight the strong potential of the non-pathogenic strain as a biological control agent, especially for Fusarium infection in flax. Full article

Flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) seed is rich in α-linolenic acid, lignans, and fiber, which have potential health benefits. However, the potential toxicity of its cyanogenic glycosides limits its widespread use. The cytochrome P450 gene family is one of the largest gene families in plants and is involved in synthesizing phytohormones, secondary metabolites, and various defense compounds. Two P450 genes have been found to be important enzymes for the biosynthesis of cyanogenic glycosides in common sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench). However, the P450 gene family and its involvement in cyanogenic glycoside synthesis have been less studied in flax. In previous studies, we assembled a high-quality flax genome. In this study, a total of 412 P450 genes were identified in the flax genome, with molecular weights in the range of 7.42 kDa to 154.5 kDa and encoding amino acid lengths between 67 and 1378. These genes belonged to 48 families under eight clans and were distributed across 15 chromosomes. The number of introns varied from 0 to 14. Thirty-nine cis-acting elements were identified within 1500 bp upstream of the promoter, mainly related to the light response. There were 147 segmental duplications and 53 tandem duplication events among these P450 genes. Eleven genes potentially related to cyanogenic glycoside synthesis were identified by transcriptome analysis, and the RT-qPCR results verified the reliability of the transcriptome analysis. This study lays the foundation for the classification and functional study of the flax P450 gene family. The results will be useful for breeding new low-cyanogenic-glycoside flax varieties by genetic engineering. Full article

The WOX (WUSCHEL-related homeobox) gene family plays pivotal roles in plant growth, development, and responses to biotic/abiotic stresses. Flax (Linum usitatissimum L.), a globally important oilseed and fiber crop, lacks a comprehensive characterization of its WOX family. Here, 18 LuWOX genes were systematically identified in the flax genome through bioinformatics analyses. Phylogenetic classification grouped these genes into three clades: Ancient, Intermediate, and WUS Clades, with members within the same clade exhibiting conserved exon–intron structures and motif compositions. Promoter analysis revealed abundant cis-acting elements associated with hormone responses (MeJA, abscisic acid) and abiotic stress adaptation (anaerobic induction, drought, low temperature). Segmental duplication events (nine gene pairs) contributed significantly to LuWOX family expansion. Protein–protein interaction networks implicated several LuWOX proteins in stress-responsive pathways. Expression profiling demonstrated that most LuWOX genes were highly expressed in 5-day-post-anthesis (DPA) flowers and embryonic tissues. qRT-PCR validation further uncovered distinct expression patterns of LuWOX genes under cold, drought, and salt stresses. This study established a foundational framework for leveraging LuWOX genes to enhance stress tolerance in flax breeding and functional genomics. Full article

Flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) can be grown both as an oil crop and as a fiber crop, and this offers new opportunities when included in the framework of a whole-crop biorefinery, a system in which a range of products are made from portions of grain and straw and in which both of these should be satisfactorily produced. In the present experiment, the effect of flax genotypes (7 varieties), cultivation sites (two locations) and seasons (two years) were tested with a standard randomized complete block design, in search of a compromise for the production performance for both grain and straw, with the aim of reintroducing flax back into the northern Italian environment. Overall, grain yield reaches an average value of about 1.4 t ha⁻¹ (dw), while straw yield reaches 2.77 t ha⁻¹ (dw). The former is strictly dependent on the environmental effects of the growing site and season, while the effect of genotype was not significant. The straw yield also depends on the second-order interaction of the factors analyzed, although the performance of three varieties, Festival, Solal and Linoal, was noteworthy and seemed to respond well in both environments. Overall, it was found that flax can be conveniently grown for both grain and straw production. Full article

Flax (Linum usitatissimum L.), as the earliest oil and fiber crop, is a model plant for genetic inferences of plant domestication processes involving multiple domestication events. However, a puzzle has emerged from several genetic studies, as dehiscent cultivated flax is genetically more related to its progenitor pale flax (L. bienne Mill.), and winter cultivated flax is well mixed with oil or fiber cultivated flax, while capsular dehiscence and winter hardiness are the major characteristics of pale flax. For this, a comparative analysis was conducted with 16 Linum samples representing pale flax and four domestication groups of cultivated flax (oil, fiber, winter, and dehiscent) using 454 pyrosequencing, Sanger resequencing and microsatellite data. It was found that the genomic sampling of genetic variants from the three applied methods yielded similar genetic information on pale flax and four groups of cultivated flax. The revealed genetic relationships did not show significant departures from the previous findings, but instead supported an early, independent domestication of a primitive flax lineage for oil use, followed by a subsequent flax domestication process with multiple domestication events for capsular dehiscence, oil, fiber and winter hardiness. Domestication on capsular dehiscence occurred earlier than domestication on winter hardiness. Domestication on winter hardiness was more complicated than domestication on capsular dehiscence. Full article

Flaxseed, also known as flax or linseed (Linum usitatissimum L.), is one of the oldest crops. It is used for oil and fiber production. The species displays a broad range of biological activities due to its chemical compounds. It has a widespread geographical distribution, and a large number of its varieties have been evaluated for their biological efficacy and nutritional value. This study investigates fifteen varieties of the species, some of which are examined for the first time. In this regard, a series of chemical composition analyses and antioxidant assays were carried out. Accordingly, total phenolic content ranged between 613.6 (Michael) and 3164.6 (Atalanta) mg GAE/g, whilst total flavonoid content varied from 176.25 (BonnyDoon) to 689.20 (Mcduff) mg QE/g. Regarding the radical scavenging assays, the values obtained were significantly higher than those of the standard antioxidant (ascorbic acid). Furthermore, the extracts exhibited chelating activity for ferrous ions and a cupric reducing capacity that was comparable to that of the standard. The oil content values of the varieties ranged from 0.82 g/100 g (Michael) to 2.14 g/100 g (McGregor). The percentage of α-linolenic acid varied between 39.21% (McGregor) and 54.13% (Nareum). Full article

This study presents the quantity and quality of flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) and hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) fibers obtained depending on the fiber extraction method. The extraction methods used in this study were osmotic degumming, dew retting, and water retting. The degummed straw was analyzed for fiber content, while the metrological, chemical, and physical properties were determined for the fibers obtained. It was shown that these properties change based on the method of fiber extraction used. The highest fiber content in the straw was obtained using the osmotic degumming method. These fibers are characterized by a light color, no unpleasant odor, low linear mass, good tenacity, lowest hygroscopicity, and reduced flammability compared to fibers obtained via the dew and water retting of straw. Full article

Flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) is an important oilseed crop widely cultivated for its oil and fiber. This study conducted transcriptome analysis to analyze the gene expression profiles of roots, leaves, stamens, pistils, and fruits in the flax cultivar Longya10. A total of 43,471 genes were detected in the RNA-seq data, with 34,497 genes showing differential expression levels between different organs. Gene expression patterns varied across different organs, with differences observed in expression-regulating genes within specific organs. However, 23,448 genes were found to be commonly expressed across all organs. Further analysis revealed organ-specific gene expressions, with 236, 690, 544, 909, and 1212 genes identified in pistils, fruits, leaves, roots, and stamens, respectively. Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analysis was performed on these organ-specific genes, and significant enrichment was observed in various biological processes, cellular components, and molecular functions, providing new insights for the specific growth patterns of flax organs. Furthermore, we investigated the expression differences of AP2 transcription factors in various tissues and organs of Longya10. We identified 96 AP2 genes that were differentially expressed in different organs and annotated them into various biological pathways. Our results suggest that AP2 transcription factors may play important roles in regulating the growth and development of flax organs including stress response. In summary, our study provides a comprehensive analysis of gene expression patterns in different organs and tissues of flax plant and identifies potential critical regulators of flax organ growth and development. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying flax organ development and may have important implications for the genetic improvement of flax crops. Full article