About the Cover
On the Cover: Snapdragon flowers are rich in floral scent with volatile ester methylbenzoate being the most abundant component. Methylbenzoate is produced in upper and lower lobes of petals by enzymatic methylation of benzoic acid in the reaction catalyzed by S-adenosyl-L-methionine:benzoic acid carboxyl methyltransferase (BAMT). Using antibodies against BAMT and secondary antibodies coupled to fluorescein isothiocyanate for visualization, Kolosova et al. (pp. 956-964) show that methylbenzoate is synthesized predominantly in the conical cells of the inner epidermal layers of flower petal lobes and in the unicellular glands within the tube located on the bee's way to nectar.
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Copyright © 2009 by the American Society of Plant Biologists
