(E)-beta-ocimene and myrcene synthase genes of floral scent biosynthesis in snapdragon: function and expression of three terpene synthase genes of a new terpene synthase subfamily

Plant Cell. 2003 May;15(5):1227-41. doi: 10.1105/tpc.011015.

Abstract

Snapdragon flowers emit two monoterpene olefins, myrcene and (E)-beta-ocimene, derived from geranyl diphosphate, in addition to a major phenylpropanoid floral scent component, methylbenzoate. Emission of these monoterpenes is regulated developmentally and follows diurnal rhythms controlled by a circadian clock. Using a functional genomics approach, we have isolated and characterized three closely related cDNAs from a snapdragon petal-specific library that encode two myrcene synthases (ama1e20 and ama0c15) and an (E)-beta-ocimene synthase (ama0a23). Although the two myrcene synthases are almost identical (98%), except for the N-terminal 13 amino acids, and are catalytically active, yielding a single monoterpene product, myrcene, only ama0c15 is expressed at a high level in flowers and contributes to floral myrcene emission. (E)-beta-Ocimene synthase is highly similar to snapdragon myrcene synthases (92% amino acid identity) and produces predominantly (E)-beta-ocimene (97% of total monoterpene olefin product) with small amounts of (Z)-beta-ocimene and myrcene. These newly isolated snapdragon monoterpene synthases, together with Arabidopsis AtTPS14 (At1g61680), define a new subfamily of the terpene synthase (TPS) family designated the Tps-g group. Members of this new Tps-g group lack the RRx(8)W motif, which is a characteristic feature of the Tps-d and Tps-b monoterpene synthases, suggesting that the reaction mechanism of Tps-g monoterpene synthase product formation does not proceed via an RR-dependent isomerization of geranyl diphosphate to 3S-linalyl diphosphate, as shown previously for limonene cyclase. Analyses of tissue-specific, developmental, and rhythmic expression of these monoterpene synthase genes in snapdragon flowers revealed coordinated regulation of phenylpropanoid and isoprenoid scent production.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Acyclic Monoterpenes
  • Alkenes / metabolism*
  • Alkyl and Aryl Transferases / genetics*
  • Alkyl and Aryl Transferases / metabolism
  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Antirrhinum / enzymology*
  • Antirrhinum / genetics
  • Antirrhinum / growth & development
  • Arabidopsis Proteins*
  • Circadian Rhythm / physiology
  • Cloning, Molecular
  • DNA, Complementary / chemistry
  • DNA, Complementary / genetics
  • Flowers / enzymology*
  • Flowers / genetics
  • Flowers / growth & development
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Plant
  • Intramolecular Lyases / genetics*
  • Intramolecular Lyases / metabolism
  • Light
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Monoterpenes / metabolism*
  • Multigene Family / genetics
  • Phylogeny
  • Plant Proteins / genetics
  • Plant Proteins / metabolism
  • Sequence Analysis, DNA
  • Sequence Homology, Amino Acid

Substances

  • Acyclic Monoterpenes
  • Alkenes
  • Arabidopsis Proteins
  • DNA, Complementary
  • Monoterpenes
  • Plant Proteins
  • beta-myrcene
  • beta-ocimene
  • Alkyl and Aryl Transferases
  • terpene synthase
  • Intramolecular Lyases
  • TPS10 protein, Arabidopsis

Associated data

  • GENBANK/AY195607
  • GENBANK/AY195608
  • GENBANK/AY195609