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CC BY V4.0, Open Access
Dissertation
Terpene Biosynthesis in Plant Glandular Trichomes
Washington State University
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Washington State University
2023
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.7273/000005266
Abstract
Terpenoids are the most diverse family of natural products, and their structural and functional diversity is greatest in plants. They have wide commercial applications as pigments, fragrance, flavors, medicinal drugs, and polymers. The focus of this dissertation is the regulation of terpenoid biosynthesis, with a focus on the 2C-methyl-D-erythritol 4-phosphate (MEP) terpene precursor production pathway, and the chemometric analysis of terpene end products. The production of terpene precursors by the MEP pathway is addressed in peppermint, an established model organism for terpenoid biosynthesis research of the Lamiaceae (mint), which have extraordinarily high metabolic flux toward terpenoid production. Downstream terpenoid products are quantified in cannabis, an emerging model system with high flux through the terpene biosynthetic pathway. In peppermint, our recent investigations indicated that ferredoxin (Fd) and ferredoxin NADP+ reductase (FNR) play critical roles in maintaining high flux toward terpenoid biosynthesis via the reductive steps of the MEP pathway. The presence of transcripts for two root-type Fds (Fd II and Fd III) was demonstrated in several members of the Lamiaceae. We report the biochemical characterization of all Fd and FNR isoforms of peppermint as a representative of the Lamiaceae and provide evidence that high transcript abundance of Fd II, and not superior biochemical properties of the encoded protein, supports high flux through the MEP pathway. In cannabis, terpenoids are the primary determinants of flower aroma, and ongoing research investigates their impact on consumer experience. Literature reports vary widely regarding the major constituents of cannabis terpenes. We developed comprehensive protocols that allow researchers to determine the identity and quantity of cannabis terpenes unequivocally and reliably. Volatile monoterpenoids dominate the volatile profiles of and are derived primarily from the MEP pathway in both mint and cannabis. These similarities permit mint and cannabis to serve as experimental model systems for enhancing our understanding of monoterpenoid formation in glandular trichomes (GTs). As both are grown commercially, the research presented here thus has implications for cultivar improvement as well.
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Details
- Title
- Terpene Biosynthesis in Plant Glandular Trichomes
- Creators
- Joshua Thomas Polito
- Contributors
- Bernd M Lange (Advisor)Sanja Roje (Committee Member)Kiwamu Tanaka (Committee Member)Mechthild Tegeder (Committee Member)
- Awarding Institution
- Washington State University
- Academic Unit
- Program in Molecular Plant Sciences
- Theses and Dissertations
- Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Washington State University
- Publisher
- Washington State University
- Number of pages
- 155
- Identifiers
- 99901019633601842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Dissertation