Variation in the glucosinolate content of vegetative tissues of Chinese lines of Brassica napus L.

The glucosinolate content of leaves, stems and roots of a range of Chinese oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.) breeding lines was analysed. Total content and spectrum of individual glucosinolates varied widely, and there was no correlation between seed and vegetative tissue glucosinolate content. Lines with low seed glucosinolates (00) did not necessarily have low glucosinolate content in vegetative tissues; nor did high seed glucosinolate lines always have high vegetative tissue content. There was no correlation between the glucosinolate content of leaf, stem, and root in any given line. It appears that glucosinolate synthesis and accumulation is under tissue-specific control, and the mutation which blocks accumulation of glucosinolates in seeds does not influence other tissues. The responses of these lines to elicitors was also examined. Methyl jasmonate and salicylic acid treatments produced increases in leaf indolyl and aromatic glucosinolates respectively. However, the extent of such increases differed widely between the lines, and there were other, less consistent, effects on other classes of glucosinolate. There seems to be greater variation in glucosinolate accumulation in rape than has previously been reported, and the lines described here have considerable potential for evaluating the effects of manipulating glucosinolate profiles on pest and disease interactions.