Premium
Natural variation in linalool metabolites: One genetic locus, many functions?
Author(s) -
He Jun,
Halitschke Rayko,
Baldwin Ian T.,
Schuman Meredith C.
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
journal of integrative plant biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.734
H-Index - 83
eISSN - 1744-7909
pISSN - 1672-9072
DOI - 10.1111/jipb.13104
Subject(s) - linalool , locus (genetics) , natural (archaeology) , genetic variation , variation (astronomy) , biology , genetics , botany , gene , paleontology , essential oil , physics , astrophysics
Summary The ubiquitous volatile linalool is metabolized in plants to nonvolatile derivatives. We studied Nicotiana attenuata plants which naturally vary in ( S )‐(+)‐linalool contents, and lines engineered to produce either ( R )‐(‐)‐ or ( S )‐(+)‐linalool. Only ( S )‐(+)‐linalool production was associated with slower growth of a generalist herbivore, and a large fraction was present as nonvolatile derivatives. We found that variation in volatile linalool and its nonvolatile glycosides mapped to the same genetic locus which harbored the biosynthetic gene, NaLIS , but that free linalool varied more in environmental responses. This study reveals how ( S )‐(+)‐linalool and conjugates differ in their regulation and possible functions in resistance.