Nerolidol synthases

Arabidopsis thaliana Roots, JA Leaves, Pieris rapae [59] Plutella xylostella [58] (it, )-geranyllinalool synthase Root-expressed ( )-nerolidol synthases Root- and leaf-expressed P450s GES/TPS04 (Atlg61120) [58] Unpublished results Unpubhshed results... 

Zea mays Leaves, Spodoptera littoralis [31] Leaves, Spodoptera littoralis [31] (35)-( )-nerolidol synthase (3/ )-(it)-nerolidol/(ii)-f - famesene/( , )-famesol synthase tpsl [62] [64]... 

Nerolidol synthases of non-homoterpene emitting plants are not shown. JA, jasmonic acid. 

Table 11.1). In both cases, (ii)-nerolidol was not detected or found only in traces in the volatile blend, indicating a rapid conversion of this terpene alcohol into DMNT. Despite finding nerolidol synthase activities, the identification of the respective genes involved in DMNT formation has lagged behind. Schnee et al. 

Degenhardt J, Gershenzon J (2000) Demonstration and characterization of ( )-nerolidol synthase from maize a herbivore-inducible terpene synthase participating in (3- )-4, 8-dimethyl-1,3,7-nonatriene biosynthesis. Planta 210 815-822... 

Bouwmeester HJ, Verstappen FWA, Posthumus MA, Dicke M (1999) Spider mite-induced (3S)-( )-nerolidol synthase activity in cucumber and lima bean. The first dedicated step in acyclic Cll-homoterpene biosynthesis. Plant Physiol 121 173-180... 

The transformation of Arabidopsis thaliana with a cDNA from strawberry fruits encoding a dual (S)-linalool/(S)-nerolidol synthase also led to the production of both (S)-linalool and its glycosylated and hydroxylated derivatives in the leaves [14]. Surprisingly, the formation and emission of (S)-nerolidol was detected as well, suggesting that a small pool of its precursor farnesyl diphosphate is present in the plastids. The newly emitted (S)-linalool and (S)-nerolidol showed the same diurnal emission pattern as the pristine volatiles. 

Picaud et al. purified recombinant AMDS and determined its pH optimum to 6.5 [24]. Several sesquiterpene synthases show maximum activity in this range examples are tobacco 5-epz-aristolochene synthase [25,26], germa-crene A synthase from chickory [26] and nerolidol synthase from maize [27]. Terpenoid synthases are, however, not restricted to a pH optimum in this range. Intriguing examples are the two (-l-)-(5-cadinene synthase variants from cotton, which exhibit maximum activity at pH 8.7 and 7-7.5, respectively [28] and 8-epi-cedrol synthase from A. annua [29] with the pH optimum around... 

Another example is the expression of Fragaria vesca nerolidol synthase 1 in Arabidopsis thaliana. The transgenic plants produced high levels of linalool and expressed also -8-hydroxy Unalool, Z-8-hydroxy linalool, and -8-hydroxy-6,7-dihydrolinalool [96]. 

Martin, D.M., Chiang, A., Lund, S.T., Bohlmann, J., 2011. Biosynthesis of wine aroma transcript profiles of hydroxymethylbutenyl diphosphate reductase, geranyl diphosphate synthase, and linalool/nerolidol synthase parallel monoterpenol glycoside accumulation in Gewurztraminer grapes. Planta 236, 919-929. 

---