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PLoS One

Title:		"Chemical profile and analysis of biosynthetic pathways and genes of volatile terpenes in Pityopsis ruthii, a rare and endangered flowering plant"
Author(s):		Chen X; Nowicki M; Wadl PA; Zhang C; Kollner TG; Paya-Milans M; Huff ML; Staton ME; Chen F; Trigiano RN;
Address:		"Department of Plant Sciences, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, United States of America. Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, United States of America. United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, U. S. Vegetable Laboratory, Charleston, SC, United States of America. Department of Biochemistry, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, Germany"
Journal Title:		PLoS One
Year:		2023
Volume:		20230623
Issue:		6
Page Number:		e0287524 -
DOI:		10.1371/journal.pone.0287524
ISSN/ISBN:		1932-6203 (Electronic) 1932-6203 (Linking)
Abstract:		"It is critical to gather biological information about rare and endangered plants to incorporate into conservation efforts. The secondary metabolism of Pityopsis ruthii, an endangered flowering plant that only occurs along limited sections of two rivers (Ocoee and Hiwassee) in Tennessee, USA was studied. Our long-term goal is to understand the mechanisms behind P. ruthii's adaptation to restricted areas in Tennessee. Here, we profiled the secondary metabolites, specifically in flowers, with a focus on terpenes, aiming to uncover the genomic and molecular basis of terpene biosynthesis in P. ruthii flowers using transcriptomic and biochemical approaches. By comparative profiling of the nonpolar portion of metabolites from various tissues, P. ruthii flowers were rich in terpenes, which included 4 monoterpenes and 10 sesquiterpenes. These terpenes were emitted from flowers as volatiles with monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes accounting for almost 68% and 32% of total emission of terpenes, respectively. These findings suggested that floral terpenes play important roles for the biology and adaptation of P. ruthii to its limited range. To investigate the biosynthesis of floral terpenes, transcriptome data for flowers were produced and analyzed. Genes involved in the terpene biosynthetic pathway were identified and their relative expressions determined. Using this approach, 67 putative terpene synthase (TPS) contigs were detected. TPSs in general are critical for terpene biosynthesis. Seven full-length TPS genes encoding putative monoterpene and sesquiterpene synthases were cloned and functionally characterized. Three catalyzed the biosynthesis of sesquiterpenes and four catalyzed the biosynthesis of monoterpenes. In conclusion, P. ruthii plants employ multiple TPS genes for the biosynthesis of a mixture of floral monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes, which probably play roles in chemical defense and attracting insect pollinators alike"
Keywords:		"Terpenes/metabolism Biosynthetic Pathways/genetics *Magnoliopsida/metabolism Monoterpenes/metabolism *Sesquiterpenes/metabolism *Alkyl and Aryl Transferases/genetics/metabolism Gene Expression Regulation, Plant Plant Proteins/genetics/metabolism;"
Notes:		"MedlineChen, Xinlu Nowicki, Marcin Wadl, Phillip A Zhang, Chi Kollner, Tobias G Paya-Milans, Miriam Huff, Matthew L Staton, Margaret E Chen, Feng Trigiano, Robert N eng 2023/06/23 PLoS One. 2023 Jun 23; 18(6):e0287524. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0287524. eCollection 2023"