Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Coherent ontogenic dynamics of geraniol acetyltransferase activity and geranyl acetate concentration in flowers and leaves of aroma grass Cymbopogon martinii var. Motia

  • Brief Communication
  • Published:
Plant Growth Regulation Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

We have investigated the correlation between the concentration of geranyl acetate (GA) and acetyl CoA: geraniol acetyltransferase (GAAT) activity in palamarosa (Cymbopogon martini var. Motia) inflorescence and leaves at their different physiological stages. The results on GA concentration and the GAAT activity have been expressed on per gram fresh weight, per spikelet pair or leaf and per unit area of the phylloplane also incase of leaf. The percentage of geranyl acetate and geraniol in the volatile oil has also been considered. GA concentration was found to be highest in unopened floral spikelets and on the decline in fully open spikelets matching the trend of GAAT activity. Similarly, highest concentration of GA and maximum GAAT activity were found in leaves at mid-stage of development (stage II). The regression analysis curve between GA concentration (mg gFw−1) and GAAT activity (IU 10−3 gFw−1) gave an estimate of correlation coefficient (at 95% confidence) value of 0.79 for flowers and 0.92 for leaf. The results suggest that volatile ester (like geranyl acetate) synthesis in foliage and flowers of the aroma oil plant is controlled by the existent catalytic levels GAAT rather than the availability of geraniol. The study also indicates that the GAAT to be a good target to over-express for improvement of oil quality in terms of GA linked to fruit-fresh olfactory note of the oil.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

References

  • Beekwilder J, Alvarez-Huerta M, Neef E, Verstappen FWA, Bouwmeester HJ, Aharoni A (2004) Functional characterization of enzymes forming volatile esters from strawberry and banana. Plant Physiol 135:1865–1878. doi:10.1104/pp.104.042580

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Boatright J, Negre F, Chen KL, Kish CM, Wood B, Peel G et al (2004) Understanding in vivo benzoid metabolism in petunia petal tissue. Plant Physiol 135:1993–2011. doi:10.1104/pp.104.045468

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bouwmeester HJ, Gershenzon J, Konings MCJM, Croteau R (1998) Biosynthesis of the monoterpenes limonene and carvone in the fruit of caraway. I. Demonstration of enzyme activities and their changes with development. Plant Physiol 117:901–912. doi:10.1104/pp.117.3.901

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Croteau R, Felton M, Karp F, Kjonaas R (1981) Relationship of camphor biosynthesis to leaf development in sage (Salvia officinalis). Plant Physiol 67:820–824

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • D’Auria JC, Chen F, Pichersky E (2002) Characterization of an acyltransferase capable of synthesizing benzylbenzoate and other volatile esters in flowers and damaged leaves of Clarkia breweri. Plant Physiol 130:466–476. doi:10.1104/pp.006460

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • D’Auria J, Pichersky E, Schaub A, Hansel A, Gershenzon J (2006) Characterization of a BAHD acyltransferase responsible for producing the green leaf volatile (Z)-3-hexen-1-yl acetate in Arabidopsis thaliana. Plant J 49:194–207. doi:10.1111/j.1365-313X.2006.02946.x

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dudareva N, Pichersky E (2000) Biochemical and molecular genetic aspects of floral scents. Plant Physiol 122:627–633. doi:10.1104/pp.122.3.627

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dudareva N, Murfitt LM, Mann CJ, Gorenstein N, Kolosova N, Kish CM et al (2000) Developmental regulation of methyl benzoate biosynthesis and emission in snapdragon flowers. Plant Cell 12:949–961

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Green TR, Baisted DJ (1972) Development of the activities of enzymes of the isoprenoid pathway during early stages of pea seed germination. Biochem J 130:983–995

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • McConkey ME, Gershenzon J, Croteau R (2000) Developmental regulation of monoterpene biosynthesis in the glandular trichomes of peppermint. Plant Physiol 122:215–223. doi:10.1104/pp.122.1.215

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Perez AG, Sanz C, Olias R, Rios JJ, Olias JM (1996) Evolution of strawberry alcohol acyltransferase activity during fruit development and storage. J Agric Food Chem 44:3286–3290. doi:10.1021/jf960040f

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pichersky E, Raguso RA, Lewinsohn E, Croteau R (1994) Floral scent production in Clarkia (Onagraceae). I. Localization and developmental modulation of monoterpene emission and linalool synthase activity. Plant Physiol 106:1533–1540

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sangwan RS, Sangwan NS (2000) Metabolic and molecular analysis of chemotypic diversity in Cymbopogons. In: Cymbopogon-monograph, CIMAP, Lucknow, pp 223–247

  • Sangwan NS, Sharma PK, Sangwan RS (2007) Geranyl acetate esterase is commonly present but linalyl acetate esterase occurrence is highly limited in plants. Flavour Fragr J 22(3):173–177. doi:10.1002/ffj.1775

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Shalit M, Guterman I, Volpin H, Bar E, Tamari T, Menda N et al (2003) Volatile ester formation in roses. Identification of an acetyl-coenzyme A geraniol/citronellol acetyltransferase in developing rose petals. Plant Physiol 131:1868–1876. doi:10.1104/pp.102.018572

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sharma PK, Sangwan NS, Sangwan RS (2005) Trichloroacetic acid-facilitated coenzyme A-SH-stabilization-based end-point spectrophotometric 5, 5′-dithiobis-2-nitrobenzoic acid assay for plant terpene alcohol acetyltransferases. Anal Biochem 346:176–178. doi:10.1016/j.ab.2005.05.042

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Singh N, Luthra R, Sangwan RS (1989) Effect of leaf position and age on the essential oil quantity and quality in lemongrass. Planta Med 55:254–256. doi:10.1055/s-2006-961997

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Souleyre EJ, Greenwood DR, Friel EN, Karunairetnam S, Newcomb RD (2005) An alcohol acyl transferase from apple (cv. Royal Gala), MpAAT1, produces esters involved in apple fruit flavour. FEBS J 272:3132–3144. doi:10.1111/j.1742-4658.2005.04732.x

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Yahyaoui FEL, Wongs-Aree C, Latche A, Hackett R, Grierson D, Pech JC (2002) Molecular and biochemical characteristics of a gene encoding an alcohol acetyltransferase involved in the generation of aroma volatile esters during melon ripening. Eur J Biochem 269:2359–2366. doi:10.1046/j.1432-1033.2002.02892.x

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The authors are thankful to Director, CIMAP for providing laboratory facilities. P.K.S. is also thankful to CSIR, New Delhi for financial assistance in the form of a Senior Research Fellowship. The research work was carried out under CSIR Network Project NWP-09.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (Council of Scientific and Industrial Research), PO CIMAP, Lucknow, 226015, India

    Pankaj Kumar Sharma, Neelam Singh Sangwan, Bhartendu Nath Mishra & Rajender Singh Sangwan

  2. Institute of Engineering and Technology, Sitapur Road, Lucknow, 226021, India

    Bhartendu Nath Mishra

Authors
  1. Pankaj Kumar Sharma
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Neelam Singh Sangwan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Bhartendu Nath Mishra
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Rajender Singh Sangwan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Rajender Singh Sangwan.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Sharma, P.K., Sangwan, N.S., Mishra, B.N. et al. Coherent ontogenic dynamics of geraniol acetyltransferase activity and geranyl acetate concentration in flowers and leaves of aroma grass Cymbopogon martinii var. Motia . Plant Growth Regul 57, 103–108 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10725-008-9328-x

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10725-008-9328-x

Keywords

Search

Navigation