Floral Scent Production in Clarkia breweri¹
III. Enzymatic Synthesis and Emission of Benzenoid Esters

Natalia Dudareva², Robert A. Raguso³, Jihong Wang, Jeannine R. Ross, and Eran Pichersky^*

Department of Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-1048

The fragrance of Clarkia breweri (Onagraceae), a California annual plant, includes three benzenoid esters: benzylacetate, benzylbenzoate, and methylsalicylate. Here we report that petal tissue was responsible for the benzylacetate and methylsalicylate emission, whereas the pistil was the main source of benzylbenzoate. The activities of two novel enzymes, acetyl-coenzyme A:benzylalcohol acetyltransferase (BEAT), which catalyzes the acetyl esterification of benzylalcohol, and S-adenosyl-l-methionine:salicylic acid carboxyl methyltransferase, which catalyzes the methyl esterification of salicylic acid, were also highest in petal tissue and absent in leaves. In addition, the activity of both enzymes in the various floral organs was developmentally and differentially regulated. S-Adenosyl-l-methionine:salicylic acid carboxyl methyltransferase activity in petals peaked in mature buds and declined during the next few days after anthesis, and it showed a strong, positive correlation with the emission of methylsalicylate. The levels of BEAT activity and benzylacetate emission in petals also increased in parallel as the buds matured and the flowers opened, but as emission began to decline on the 2nd d after anthesis, BEAT activity continued to increase and remained high until the end of the lifespan of the flower.

Plant Physiol. (1998) 116: 599-604
Copyright Clearance Center:   0032-0889/98/116/0599/06
© 1998 American Society of Plant Physiologists

This article has been cited by other articles:

				S.-W. Park, P.-P. Liu, F. Forouhar, A. C. Vlot, L. Tong, K. Tietjen, and D. F. Klessig Use of a Synthetic Salicylic Acid Analog to Investigate the Roles of Methyl Salicylate and Its Esterases in Plant Disease Resistance J. Biol. Chem., March 13, 2009; 284(11): 7307 - 7317. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. Ulland, E. Ian, R. Mozuraitis, A.-K. Borg-Karlson, R. Meadow, and H. Mustaparta Methyl Salicylate, Identified as Primary Odorant of a Specific Receptor Neuron Type, Inhibits Oviposition by the Moth Mamestra Brassicae L. (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae) Chem Senses, January 1, 2008; 33(1): 35 - 46. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S.-W. Park, E. Kaimoyo, D. Kumar, S. Mosher, and D. F. Klessig Methyl Salicylate Is a Critical Mobile Signal for Plant Systemic Acquired Resistance Science, October 5, 2007; 318(5847): 113 - 116. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				F. Forouhar, Y. Yang, D. Kumar, Y. Chen, E. Fridman, S. W. Park, Y. Chiang, T. B. Acton, G. T. Montelione, E. Pichersky, et al. Structural and biochemical studies identify tobacco SABP2 as a methyl salicylate esterase and implicate it in plant innate immunity PNAS, February 1, 2005; 102(5): 1773 - 1778. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. Beekwilder, M. Alvarez-Huerta, E. Neef, F. W.A. Verstappen, H. J. Bouwmeester, and A. Aharoni Functional Characterization of Enzymes Forming Volatile Esters from Strawberry and Banana Plant Physiology, August 1, 2004; 135(4): 1865 - 1878. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. Boatright, F. Negre, X. Chen, C. M. Kish, B. Wood, G. Peel, I. Orlova, D. Gang, D. Rhodes, and N. Dudareva Understanding in Vivo Benzenoid Metabolism in Petunia Petal Tissue Plant Physiology, August 1, 2004; 135(4): 1993 - 2011. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				F. Negre, C. M. Kish, J. Boatright, B. Underwood, K. Shibuya, C. Wagner, D. G. Clark, and N. Dudareva Regulation of Methylbenzoate Emission after Pollination in Snapdragon and Petunia Flowers PLANT CELL, December 1, 2003; 15(12): 2992 - 3006. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. Zubieta, J. R. Ross, P. Koscheski, Y. Yang, E. Pichersky, and J. P. Noel Structural Basis for Substrate Recognition in the Salicylic Acid Carboxyl Methyltransferase Family PLANT CELL, August 1, 2003; 15(8): 1704 - 1716. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				T. J. Barkman Evidence for Positive Selection on the Floral Scent Gene Isoeugenol-O-methyltransferase Mol. Biol. Evol., February 1, 2003; 20(2): 168 - 172. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. C. D'Auria, F. Chen, and E. Pichersky Characterization of an Acyltransferase Capable of Synthesizing Benzylbenzoate and Other Volatile Esters in Flowers and Damaged Leaves of Clarkia breweri Plant Physiology, September 1, 2002; 130(1): 466 - 476. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				N. Dudareva, L. M. Murfitt, C. J. Mann, N. Gorenstein, N. Kolosova, C. M. Kish, C. Bonham, and K. Wood Developmental Regulation of Methyl Benzoate Biosynthesis and Emission in Snapdragon Flowers PLANT CELL, June 1, 2000; 12(6): 949 - 961. [Abstract] [Full Text]

				N. Dudareva and E. Pichersky Biochemical and Molecular Genetic Aspects of Floral Scents Plant Physiology, March 1, 2000; 122(3): 627 - 634. [Full Text] [PDF]