1
|
Dötterl S, Gershenzon J. Chemistry, biosynthesis and biology of floral volatiles: roles in pollination and other functions. Nat Prod Rep 2023; 40:1901-1937. [PMID: 37661854 DOI: 10.1039/d3np00024a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/05/2023]
Abstract
Covering: 2010 to 2023Floral volatiles are a chemically diverse group of plant metabolites that serve multiple functions. Their composition is shaped by environmental, ecological and evolutionary factors. This review will summarize recent advances in floral scent research from chemical, molecular and ecological perspectives. It will focus on the major chemical classes of floral volatiles, on notable new structures, and on recent discoveries regarding the biosynthesis and the regulation of volatile emission. Special attention will be devoted to the various functions of floral volatiles, not only as attractants for different types of pollinators, but also as defenses of flowers against enemies. We will also summarize recent findings on how floral volatiles are affected by abiotic stressors, such as increased temperatures and drought, and by other organisms, such as herbivores and flower-dwelling microbes. Finally, this review will indicate current research gaps, such as the very limited knowledge of the isomeric pattern of chiral compounds and its importance in interspecific interactions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Stefan Dötterl
- Department of Environment & Biodiversity, Paris Lodron University Salzburg, Hellbrunnerstr 34, 5020 Salzburg, Austria.
| | - Jonathan Gershenzon
- Department of Biochemistry, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Hans-Knöll-Straße 8, 07745 Jena, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Liu G, Fu J, Wang L, Fang M, Zhang W, Yang M, Yang X, Xu Y, Shi L, Ma X, Wang Q, Chen H, Yu C, Yu D, Chen F, Jiang Y. Diverse O-methyltransferases catalyze the biosynthesis of floral benzenoids that repel aphids from the flowers of waterlily Nymphaea prolifera. HORTICULTURE RESEARCH 2023; 10:uhad237. [PMID: 38156285 PMCID: PMC10753166 DOI: 10.1093/hr/uhad237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2023] [Revised: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 12/30/2023]
Abstract
Nymphaea is a key genus of the ANA grade (Amborellales, Nymphaeales, and Austrobaileyales) of basal flowering plants, which serve as a key model to study the early evolution of floral traits. In this study, we comprehensively investigated the emission, biosynthesis, and biological function of the floral scent in a night-blossoming waterlily Nymphaea prolifera. The headspace volatile collection combined with GC-MS analysis showed that the floral scent of N. prolifera is predominately comprised by methylated benzenoids including anisole, veratrole, guaiacol, and methoxyanisole. Moreover, the emission of these floral benzenoids in N. prolifera exhibited temporal and spatial pattern with circadian rhythm and tissue specificity. By creating and mining transcriptomes of N. prolifera flowers, 12 oxygen methyltransferases (NpOMTs) were functionally identified. By in vitro enzymatic assay, NpOMT3, 6, and 7 could produce anisole and NpOMT5, 7, 9, produce guaiacol, whereas NpOMT3, 6, 9, 11 catalyzed the formation of veratrole. Methoxyanisole was identified as the universal product of all NpOMTs. Expression patterns of NpOMTs provided implication for their roles in the production of the respective benzenoids. Phylogenetic analysis of OMTs suggested a Nymphaea-specific expansion of the OMT family, indicating the evolution of lineage-specific functions. In bioassays, anisole, veratrole, and guaiacol in the floral benzenoids were revealed to play the critical role in repelling waterlily aphids. Overall, this study indicates that the basal flowering plant N. prolifera has evolved a diversity and complexity of OMT genes for the biosynthesis of methylated benzenoids that can repel insects from feeding the flowers. These findings provide new insights into the evolutional mechanism and ecological significance of the floral scent from early-diverged flowering plants.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Guanhua Liu
- College of Horticulture, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
- Tea Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou 310008, China
| | - Jianyu Fu
- Tea Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou 310008, China
| | - Lingyun Wang
- Provincial Key Laboratory of Characteristic Aquatic Vegetable Breeding and Cultivation, Jinhua Academy of Agricultural Sciences (Zhejiang Institute of Agricultural Machinery), Zhejiang Province 321000, China
| | - Mingya Fang
- Provincial Key Laboratory of Characteristic Aquatic Vegetable Breeding and Cultivation, Jinhua Academy of Agricultural Sciences (Zhejiang Institute of Agricultural Machinery), Zhejiang Province 321000, China
| | - Wanbo Zhang
- College of Horticulture, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Mei Yang
- College of Horticulture, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
- Tea Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou 310008, China
| | - Xuemin Yang
- College of Horticulture, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | | | - Lin Shi
- Provincial Key Laboratory of Characteristic Aquatic Vegetable Breeding and Cultivation, Jinhua Academy of Agricultural Sciences (Zhejiang Institute of Agricultural Machinery), Zhejiang Province 321000, China
| | - Xiaoying Ma
- College of Horticulture, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Qian Wang
- Tea Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou 310008, China
- Graduate School of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, PR China
| | - Hui Chen
- Tea Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou 310008, China
- Graduate School of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, PR China
| | - Cuiwei Yu
- Hangzhou Tianjing Aquatic Botanical Garden, Zhejiang Humanities Landscape Co., Ltd., Hangzhou 310000, China
| | - Dongbei Yu
- Hangzhou Tianjing Aquatic Botanical Garden, Zhejiang Humanities Landscape Co., Ltd., Hangzhou 310000, China
| | - Feng Chen
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA
| | - Yifan Jiang
- College of Horticulture, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| |
Collapse
|