Unraveling the lipid biosynthesis, storage, and catabolism pathways in Theobroma cacao

March 3, 2025 @ 12:15 pm to 01:15 pm

Evelyn Kulesza, Penn State University

108 Wartik Laboratory
University Park

Abstract:
The seeds of Theobroma cacao, commonly known as the chocolate tree, are highly valued for their rich cocoa butter content, which is sought after for its diverse applications in chocolate production, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals. Cocoa butter is primarily composed of triglycerides (TAGs), contributing to its unique melting properties. In my work characterizing the lipid content and composition of diverse genotypes, we see that genetics and developmental stage have a significant impact on these cocoa butter traits, which in turn can greatly impact the products made using cocoa butter. During seed development, the lipid content and composition fluctuate as the seed stores the necessary lipids for germination, which are subsequently broken down during the germination process. While the biosynthesis, storage, and catabolism of seed lipids have been extensively studied in various oil seed plants, there has been limited research focused on cacao. My work utilizes the cacao transcriptome atlas to characterize the orthologs of key lipid genes across vegetative tissues and seeds across various stages of development to identify genes specifically involved in seed lipid processes. I identified 179 genes across 32 gene families involved in lipid biosynthesis, storage, and catabolism. Many of these genes are expressed in both vegetative and seed tissues, but some isoforms have higher expression in seed tissues. These findings could enhance cacao breeding for enhanced lipid traits.

About the Speaker:
Evelyn Kulesza is a PhD candidate in the Guiltinan-Maximova Lab at Penn State. Her work involves studying the genetic architecture of lipid biosynthesis, storage, and catabolism in cacao. In addition, her work also aims at characterizing variation due to genetics and environment in cocoa butter content and composition. Prior to her studies at Penn State, she received her bachelor's degree in biology from The College of New Jersey, where she investigated the evolution of fruit color in Honeysuckle.

Contact

Mark Guiltinan & Siela Maximova
mja18@psu.edu, snm104@psu.edu