Natural Variation of Fatty Acid Desaturase Gene Affects Linolenic Acid Content and Starch Pasting Viscosity in Rice Grains.

Rice, as one of the main food crops, provides a vital source of dietary energy for over half the world's population. The gene encodes fatty acid desaturase, catalyzing the conversion of linoleic acid (LA) to alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) in rice. However, the genetic characterization of and its role in the conversion of LA to ALA remains elusive.