TRANSCRIPTOMIC ATLAS REVEALS EXPRESSION PATTERNS OF STRESS-RELATED GENES IN ACROCOMIA ACULEATA

The macaúba palm (Acrocomia aculeata) is an emerging source of oil with various potential applications, including biodiesel production and use in the food and cosmetic industries. Genomic studies of macaúba are limited due to the scarcity of publicly available sequence data. In this study, we present an exploratory analysis of a comprehensive transcriptome dataset of seven organs of macaúba (roots, bulbs, male and female flowers, leaves, leaf sheath, and fruits). A total of 22,703 transcripts were identified and merged into a single reference dataset across all libraries. Among these, 9,729 transcripts (42.85%) were annotated using KEGG orthology. Gene expression analysis revealed organ-specific expression patterns, including stress-related genes such as those encoding late embryogenesis abundant (LEA) proteins. Notably, the transcript TRINITY_DN30336_c0_g1, which encodes a 172-amino-acid protein sharing 92.2% similarity with LEA5 from Elaeis guineensis, was highly expressed in the leaf sheath (median 1,636.35 transcripts per million) and bulb (1,373.12), with lower expression in leaves (177.91) and male flowers (141.14). InterProScan identified this protein as part of the LEA_3a subgroup, which has been linked to biotic and abiotic stress responses in maize. These results suggest a potential role for LEA proteins in the stress response mechanisms of macaúba palm, highlighting the species' resilience and its potential for agricultural and industrial applications.