Elucidation of the mechanism of floral scent production and emission in Solanaceae plants

• Project/Area Number: 20K05840
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 38030:Applied biochemistry-related
• Research Institution: Yamaguchi University
• Principal Investigator: Koeduka Takao 山口大学, 大学院創成科学研究科, 准教授 (30565106)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 真野 純一 山口大学, 大学研究推進機構, 教授 (50243100)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Project Status: Completed (Fiscal Year 2022)
• Budget Amount: ¥4,290,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,300,000、Indirect Cost: ¥990,000); Fiscal Year 2022: ¥1,300,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,000,000、Indirect Cost: ¥300,000); Fiscal Year 2021: ¥1,430,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,100,000、Indirect Cost: ¥330,000); Fiscal Year 2020: ¥1,560,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,200,000、Indirect Cost: ¥360,000)
• Keywords: 香気成分 / 配糖体化 / 輸送担体 / 揮発性ベンゼノイド

Outline of Research at the Start

ナス科植物であるペチュニアおよびタバコは受粉媒介者を誘引するために、花香として揮発性ベンゼノイドを夜間特異的に生成する。揮発性ベンゼノイドの生合成経路が判明してきた一方で、生成された香気成分がどのような過程を経て細胞内から大気中へと放散されるのかは未だ不明である。本研究では、花器官における配糖体化による香気成分生成への影響および輸送担体を介した細胞内から細胞外への動態解析を行い、香気成分の生成放散メカニズムを分子レベルで解明する。

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Solanaceae plants produce floral scent at night and attract nocturnal moths as pollinators. However, it is unclear how the floral scents produced in plant cells are emitted into the atmosphere, especially the effects of glycosylation and transport carriers on the production and emission of floral scents. In this study, we performed comprehensive metabolite and RNA-seq analyses at different flowering stages and at different times of the day and night in petunia and tobacco, which are model plants of the Solanaceae family. The results showed that the biosynthetic genes of the floral scents highly expressed at night, and glycosyltransferase and transporter genes also showed similar expression pattern. Furthermore, we found that the isolated glycosyltransferases exhibit glycosylation activity toward volatile benzenoids and the intermediate, benzoic acid.

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

生成された香気成分は葉などの栄養器官では配糖体として蓄積され、植物自身の毒性回避や植食者への撃退に備え蓄積される。一方、花などの繁殖器官で香気成分がなぜ配糖体として蓄積されるのか、また、どのようにして細胞内から植物体外に運ばれるのか、その放散メカニズムは不明である。本研究は植物細胞内で生合成された花香成分が配糖体化酵素による貯蔵、輸送体や脂質輸送タンパク質を介して大気中へと放散される可能性を分子レベルで示唆したものであり、花香生成の人為的制御を考える上で重要である。花香を利用した天敵昆虫による生物的害虫防除や香料創作など新たな香りビジネスの技術開発にも貢献できることが期待される。

Research Products

• [Journal Article] Biosynthesis of dillapiole/apiole in dill (Anethum graveolens): characterization of regioselective phenylpropene O-methyltransferase (2023)
  • Author(s): Takao Koeduka, Bunta Watanabe, Konomi Shirahama, Masaru Nakayasu, Shiro Suzuki, Takumi Furuta, Hideyuki Suzuki, Kenji Matsui, Tomoyuki Kosaka, Shin-ichi Ozaki
  • Journal Title: The Plant Journal Volume: 113 Issue: 3 Pages: 562-575
  • DOI: 10.1111/tpj.16068
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] Gene expression analysis of the ATP-binding cassette transporter ABCD1 in petunia (Petunia hybrida) and tobacco (Nicotiana spp.) (2023)
  • Author(s): Shitan Nobukazu、Nishitani Shiori、Inagaki Akiko、Nakahara Yoko、Yamada Yasuyuki、Koeduka Takao
  • Journal Title: Plant Gene Volume: 33 Pages: 100391-100391
  • DOI: 10.1016/j.plgene.2022.100391
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] CRISPR/Cas9-mediated disruption of <i>ALLENE OXIDE SYNTHASE</i> results in defective 12-oxo-phytodienoic acid accumulation and reduced defense against spider mite (<i>Tetranychus urticae</i>) in liverwort (<i>Marchantia polymorpha</i>) (2022)
  • Author(s): Koeduka, T., Takaishi, M., Suzuki, M., Nishihama, R., Kohchi, T., Uefune, M., and Matsui, K.
  • Journal Title: Plant Biotechnology Volume: 39 Issue: 2 Pages: 191-194
  • DOI: 10.5511/plantbiotechnology.22.0328a
  • ISSN: 1342-4580, 1347-6114
  • Year and Date: 2022-06-25
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access
• [Journal Article] Green leaf volatile-burst in Selaginella moellendorffii (2021)
  • Author(s): Tanaka, M., Koeduka, T., Matsui, K.
  • Journal Title: Frontiers in Plant Science Volume: 12 Pages: 731694-731694
  • DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.731694
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access
• [Journal Article] Parallel evolution of UbiA superfamily proteins into aromatic O-prenyltransferases in plants (2021)
  • Author(s): Munakata, R., Olry, A., Takemura, T., Tatsumi, K., Ichino, T., Villard, C., Kageyama, J., Kurata, T., Nakayasu, M., Jacob, F., Koeduka, T., Yamamoto, H., Moriyoshi, E., Matsukawa, T., Grosjean, J., Krieger, C., Sugiyama, A., Mizutani, M., Bourgaud, F., Hehn, A., Yazaki, K.
  • Journal Title: Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA Volume: 118 Issue: 17
  • DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2022294118
  • Peer Reviewed / Int'l Joint Research
• [Journal Article] Synthesis of deuterium-labeled cinnamic acids: Understanding the volatile benzenoid pathway in the flowers of the Japanese loquat Eriobotrya japonica. (2021)
  • Author(s): Watanabe B, Nishitani S, Koeduka T.
  • Journal Title: J Labelled Comp Radiopharm. Volume: 64 Issue: 10 Pages: 403-416
  • DOI: 10.1002/jlcr.3933
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] Production of raspberry ketone by redirecting the metabolic flux to the phenylpropanoid pathway in tobacco plants (2021)
  • Author(s): Koeduka Takao、Takarada Sachiho、Fujii Koya、Sugiyama Akifumi、Yazaki Kazufumi、Nishihara Masahiro、Matsui Kenji
  • Journal Title: Metabolic Engineering Communications Volume: 13 Pages: e00180-e00180
  • DOI: 10.1016/j.mec.2021.e00180
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access
• [Journal Article] Molecular cloning and characterization of UDP-glucose: Volatile benzenoid/phenylpropanoid glucosyltransferase in petunia flowers (2020)
  • Author(s): Koeduka Takao、Ueyama Yukiko、Kitajima Sakihito、Ohnishi Toshiyuki、Matsui Kenji
  • Journal Title: Journal of Plant Physiology Volume: 252 Pages: 153245-153245
  • DOI: 10.1016/j.jplph.2020.153245
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Presentation] 植物香気成分の生合成分子機構の解明と代謝改変に関する研究 (2022)
  • Author(s): 肥塚崇男
  • Organizer: 日本植物バイオテクノロジー学会
  • Invited
• [Presentation] 進化の過程で最適化された植物揮発性化合物の生成制御機構：代謝工学による人為的改変は可能か？ (2021)
  • Author(s): 肥塚崇男
  • Organizer: 日本農芸化学会
  • Invited
• [Presentation] ペチュニア花香配糖体の生合成に関わる糖転移酵素の機能解析 (2021)
  • Author(s): 肥塚崇男、上山由記子、北島佐紀人、大西利幸、松井健二
  • Organizer: 日本植物生理学会