Improving peppermint essential oil yield and composition by metabolic engineering

Bernd Markus Lange; Soheil Seyed Mahmoud; Mark R Wildung; Glenn W Turner; Edward M Davis; Iris Lange; Raymond C Baker; Rick A Boydston; Rodney B Croteau

doi:10.1073/pnas.1111558108

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Improving peppermint essential oil yield and composition by metabolic engineering

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Improving peppermint essential oil yield and composition by metabolic engineering

Bernd Markus Lange, Soheil Seyed Mahmoud, Mark R Wildung, Glenn W Turner, Edward M Davis, Iris Lange, Raymond C Baker, Rick A Boydston and Rodney B Croteau

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - PNAS, Vol.108(41), pp.16944-16949

10/11/2011

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1111558108

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https://hdl.handle.net/2376/104704

PMCID: PMC3193216

PMID: 21963983

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Abstract

monoterpene

terpenoid

1-deoxy-D-xylulose 5-phosphate reductoisomerase

2C-methylerythritol 4-phosphate pathway

Biological Sciences

Peppermint ( Mentha × piperita L.) was transformed with various gene constructs to evaluate the utility of metabolic engineering for improving essential oil yield and composition. Oil yield increases were achieved by overexpressing genes involved in the supply of precursors through the 2 C -methyl-D-erythritol 4-phosphate (MEP) pathway. Two-gene combinations to enhance both oil yield and composition in a single transgenic line were assessed as well. The most promising results were obtained by transforming plants expressing an antisense version of (+)-menthofuran synthase, which is critical for adjusting the levels of specific undesirable oil constituents, with a construct for the overexpression of the MEP pathway gene 1-deoxy-D-xylulose 5-phosphate reductoisomerase (up to 61% oil yield increase over wild-type controls with low levels of the undesirable side-product (+)-menthofuran and its intermediate (+)-pulegone). Elite transgenic lines were advanced to multiyear field trials, which demonstrated consistent oil yield increases of up to 78% over wild-type controls and desirable effects on oil composition under commercial growth conditions. The transgenic expression of a gene encoding (+)-limonene synthase was used to accumulate elevated levels of (+)-limonene, which allows oil derived from transgenic plants to be recognized during the processing of commercial formulations containing peppermint oil. Our study illustrates the utility of metabolic engineering for the sustainable agricultural production of high quality essential oils at a competitive cost.

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Title: Improving peppermint essential oil yield and composition by metabolic engineering
Creators: Bernd Markus Lange - Institute of Biological Chemistry and
Soheil Seyed Mahmoud - Institute of Biological Chemistry and
Mark R Wildung - Institute of Biological Chemistry and
Glenn W Turner - Institute of Biological Chemistry and
Edward M Davis - Institute of Biological Chemistry and
Iris Lange - Institute of Biological Chemistry and
Raymond C Baker - Irrigated Agriculture Research and Extension Center, Washington State University, Prosser, WA 99350; and
Rick A Boydston - Vegetable and Forage Crops Research Unit, US Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service, Prosser, WA 99350
Rodney B Croteau - Institute of Biological Chemistry and
Publication Details: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - PNAS, Vol.108(41), pp.16944-16949
Academic Unit: Biological Chemistry, Institute of
Publisher: National Academy of Sciences
Identifiers: 99900546984401842
Language: English
Resource Type: Journal article