| Title: | Functional Characterization of Terpene Synthases Accounting for the Volatilized-Terpene Heterogeneity in Lathyrus odoratus Cultivar Flowers |
| Author(s): | Bao T; Shadrack K; Yang S; Xue X; Li S; Wang N; Wang Q; Wang L; Gao X; Cronk Q; |
| Address: | "Key Laboratory of Molecular Epigenetics of MOE and Institute of Genetics & Cytology, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China. Department of Biological and Physical Sciences, Karatina University, Karatina, Kenya. Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada" |
| ISSN/ISBN: | 1471-9053 (Electronic) 0032-0781 (Linking) |
| Abstract: | "Lathyrus odoratus (sweet pea) is an ornamental plant with exceptional floral scent, previously used as an experimental organism in the early development of Mendelian genetics. However, its terpene synthases (TPSs), which act as metabolic gatekeepers in the biosynthesis of volatile terpenoids, remain to be characterized. Auto-Headspace Solid-phase Microextraction/Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis of floral volatile terpene constituents from seven sweet pea cultivars identified alpha-bergamotene, linalool, (-)-alpha-cubebene, geraniol, beta-caryophyllene and beta-sesquiphellandrene as the dominant compounds. RNA sequencing was performed to profile the transcriptome of L. odoratus flowers. Bioinformatic analysis identified eight TPS genes (acronymed as LoTPS) that were successfully cloned, heterologously expressed and functionally analyzed. LoTPS4 and LoTPS7, belonging to the TPS-b clade, biochemically catalyzed the formation of monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes. LoTPS3 and LoTPS8, placed in the TPS-a clade, also generated monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes, while LoTPS12 belonging to the TPS-g clade showed linalool/nerolidol synthase activity. Notably, biochemical assays of the recombinant LoTPS proteins revealed their catalytic promiscuity, and the enzymatic products were basically consistent with major volatile compounds released from sweet pea flowers. The data from our study lay the foundation for the chemical ecology, molecular genetics and biotechnological improvement of sweet pea and other legumes (Fabaceae)" |
| Keywords: | Alkyl and Aryl Transferases/genetics/*metabolism Arabidopsis/genetics Flowers/*metabolism Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing Lathyrus/enzymology/genetics/*metabolism Phylogeny Sequence Alignment Terpenes/*metabolism; |
| Notes: | "MedlineBao, Tingting Shadrack, Kimani Yang, Song Xue, Xinxin Li, Shuying Wang, Ning Wang, Qiuyue Wang, Li Gao, Xiang Cronk, Quentin eng Japan 2020/07/30 Plant Cell Physiol. 2020 Oct 1; 61(10):1733-1749. doi: 10.1093/pcp/pcaa100" |
