Natural variation in linalool metabolites: One genetic locus, many functions?

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.