Identification, Functional Characterization, and Seasonal Expression Patterns of Five Sesquiterpene Synthases in Liquidambar formosana

J Nat Prod. 2018 May 25;81(5):1162-1172. doi: 10.1021/acs.jnatprod.7b00773. Epub 2018 May 10.

Abstract

Terpenoids are a large group of important secondary metabolites that are involved in a variety of physiological mechanisms, and many are used commercially in the cosmetics and pharmaceutical industries. During the past decade, the topic of seasonal variation in terpenoid biosynthesis has garnered increasing attention. Formosan sweet gum ( Liquidambar formosana Hance) is a deciduous tree species. The expression of terpene synthase and accumulation of terpenoids in leaves may vary in different seasons. Here, four sesquiterpene synthases (i.e., LfTPS01, LfTPS02, LfTPS03, and LfTPS04) and a bifunctional mono/sesquiterpene synthase ( LfTPS05) were identified from Formosan sweet gum. The gene expression of LfTPS01, LfTPS02, and LfTPS03 showed seasonal diversification, and, in addition, expression of LfTPS04 and LfTPS05 was induced by methyl jasmonate treatment. The major products LfTPS01, LfTPS02, LfTPS04, and LfTPS05 are hedycaryol, α-selinene, trans-β-caryophyllene, α-copaene/δ-cadinene, and nerolidol/linalool, respectively. The data indicated that the sesquiterpenoid content in the essential oil of Formosan sweet gum leaves shows seasonal differences that were correlated to the sesquiterpene synthase gene expression.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Acyclic Monoterpenes
  • Alkyl and Aryl Transferases / genetics*
  • Gene Expression / genetics*
  • Liquidambar / genetics*
  • Monoterpenes / metabolism
  • Plant Leaves / genetics
  • Plant Proteins / genetics*
  • Polycyclic Sesquiterpenes
  • Seasons
  • Sesquiterpenes / metabolism*

Substances

  • Acyclic Monoterpenes
  • Monoterpenes
  • Plant Proteins
  • Polycyclic Sesquiterpenes
  • Sesquiterpenes
  • alpha-copaene
  • selinene
  • delta-cadinene
  • caryophyllene
  • linalool
  • Alkyl and Aryl Transferases
  • terpene synthase
  • nerolidol