Publications

• RNA-seq discovery, functional characterization, and comparison of sesquiterpene synthases from Solanum lycopersicum and Solanum habrochaites trichomes.

  Bleeker P.M., Spyropoulou E.A., Diergaarde P.J., Volpin H., De Both M.T.J., Zerbe P., Bohlmann J., Falara V., Matsuba Y., Pichersky E., Haring M.A., Schuurink R.C.

  Solanum lycopersicum and Solanum habrochaites (f. typicum) accession PI127826 emit a variety of sesquiterpenes. To identify terpene synthases involved in the production of these volatile sesquiterpenes, we used massive parallel pyrosequencing (RNA-seq) to obtain the transcriptome of the stem trich ... >> More

  Solanum lycopersicum and Solanum habrochaites (f. typicum) accession PI127826 emit a variety of sesquiterpenes. To identify terpene synthases involved in the production of these volatile sesquiterpenes, we used massive parallel pyrosequencing (RNA-seq) to obtain the transcriptome of the stem trichomes from these plants. This approach resulted initially in the discovery of six sesquiterpene synthase cDNAs from S. lycopersicum and five from S. habrochaites. Searches of other databases and the S. lycopersicum genome resulted in the discovery of two additional sesquiterpene synthases expressed in trichomes. The sesquiterpene synthases from S. lycopersicum and S. habrochaites have high levels of protein identity. Several of them appeared to encode for non-functional proteins. Functional recombinant proteins produced germacrenes, β-caryophyllene/α-humulene, viridiflorene and valencene from (E,E)-farnesyl diphosphate. However, the activities of these enzymes do not completely explain the differences in sesquiterpene production between the two tomato plants. RT-qPCR confirmed high levels of expression of most of the S. lycopersicum sesquiterpene synthases in stem trichomes. In addition, one sesquiterpene synthase was induced by jasmonic acid, while another appeared to be slightly repressed by the treatment. Our data provide a foundation to study the evolution of terpene synthases in cultivated and wild tomato. << Less

  Plant Mol. Biol. 77:323-336(2011) [PubMed] [EuropePMC]

  This publication is cited by 26 other entries.

• Novel family of terpene synthases evolved from trans-isoprenyl diphosphate synthases in a flea beetle.

  Beran F., Rahfeld P., Luck K., Nagel R., Vogel H., Wielsch N., Irmisch S., Ramasamy S., Gershenzon J., Heckel D.G., Kollner T.G.

  Sesquiterpenes play important roles in insect communication, for example as pheromones. However, no sesquiterpene synthases, the enzymes involved in construction of the basic carbon skeleton, have been identified in insects to date. We investigated the biosynthesis of the sesquiterpene (6R,7S)-him ... >> More

  Sesquiterpenes play important roles in insect communication, for example as pheromones. However, no sesquiterpene synthases, the enzymes involved in construction of the basic carbon skeleton, have been identified in insects to date. We investigated the biosynthesis of the sesquiterpene (6R,7S)-himachala-9,11-diene in the crucifer flea beetle Phyllotreta striolata, a compound previously identified as a male-produced aggregation pheromone in several Phyllotreta species. A (6R,7S)-himachala-9,11-diene-producing sesquiterpene synthase activity was detected in crude beetle protein extracts, but only when (Z,E)-farnesyl diphosphate [(Z,E)-FPP] was offered as a substrate. No sequences resembling sesquiterpene synthases from plants, fungi, or bacteria were found in the P. striolata transcriptome, but we identified nine divergent putative trans-isoprenyl diphosphate synthase (trans-IDS) transcripts. Four of these putative trans-IDSs exhibited terpene synthase (TPS) activity when heterologously expressed. Recombinant PsTPS1 converted (Z,E)-FPP to (6R,7S)-himachala-9,11-diene and other sesquiterpenes observed in beetle extracts. RNAi-mediated knockdown of PsTPS1 mRNA in P. striolata males led to reduced emission of aggregation pheromone, confirming a significant role of PsTPS1 in pheromone biosynthesis. Two expressed enzymes showed genuine IDS activity, with PsIDS1 synthesizing (E,E)-FPP, whereas PsIDS3 produced neryl diphosphate, (Z,Z)-FPP, and (Z,E)-FPP. In a phylogenetic analysis, the PsTPS enzymes and PsIDS3 were clearly separated from a clade of known coleopteran trans-IDS enzymes including PsIDS1 and PsIDS2. However, the exon-intron structures of IDS and TPS genes in P. striolata are conserved, suggesting that this TPS gene family evolved from trans-IDS ancestors. << Less

  Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 113:2922-2927(2016) [PubMed] [EuropePMC]

  This publication is cited by 17 other entries.

• A diterpene synthase from the sandfly <i>Lutzomyia longipalpis</i> produces the pheromone sobralene.

  Ducker C., Baines C., Guy J., Euzebio Goulart Santana A., Pickett J.A., Oldham N.J.

  The phlebotomine sandfly, <i>Lutzomyia longipalpis</i>, a major vector of the <i>Leishmania</i> parasite, uses terpene pheromones to attract conspecifics for mating. Examination of the <i>L. longipalpis</i> genome revealed a putative terpene synthase (TPS), which-upon heterologous expression in, a ... >> More

  The phlebotomine sandfly, <i>Lutzomyia longipalpis</i>, a major vector of the <i>Leishmania</i> parasite, uses terpene pheromones to attract conspecifics for mating. Examination of the <i>L. longipalpis</i> genome revealed a putative terpene synthase (TPS), which-upon heterologous expression in, and purification from, <i>Escherichia coli</i>-yielded a functional enzyme. The TPS, termed <i>Ll</i>TPS, converted geranyl diphosphate (GPP) into a mixture of monoterpenes with low efficiency, of which β-ocimene was the major product. (<i>E,E</i>)-farnesyl diphosphate (FPP) principally produced small amounts of (<i>E</i>)-β-farnesene, while (<i>Z,E</i>)- and (<i>Z,Z</i>)-FPP yielded a mixture of bisabolene isomers. None of these mono- and sesquiterpenes are known volatiles of <i>L. longipalpis</i>. Notably, however, when provided with (<i>E,E,E</i>)-geranylgeranyl diphosphate (GGPP), <i>Ll</i>TPS gave sobralene as its major product. This diterpene pheromone is released by certain chemotypes of <i>L. longipalpis</i>, in particular those found in the Ceará state of Brazil. Minor diterpene components were also seen as products of the enzyme that matched those seen in a sandfly pheromone extract. << Less

  Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 121:e2322453121-e2322453121(2024) [PubMed] [EuropePMC]

  This publication is cited by 5 other entries.