Phenylpropanoid biosynthesis in leaves and glandular trichomes of basil (Ocimum basilicum L.)

Cícero Deschamps, James E. Simon

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapter

18 Scopus citations

Abstract

Basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) essential oil phenylpropenes are synthesized and accumulate in peltate glandular trichomes and their content and composition depend on plant developmental stage. Studies on gene expression and enzymatic activity indicate that the phenylpropene biosynthetic genes are developmentally regulated. In this study, the methylchavicol accumulation in basil leaves and the enzyme activities and gene expression of both chavicol O-methyltransferase (CVOMT) and eugenol O-methyltransferase (EOMT) were investigated in all leaves at four plant developmental stages. Methylchavicol accumulation decreased over time as leaves matured. There was a significant correlation between methylchavicol accumulation and CVOMT (r2 = 0.88) enzyme activity, suggesting that the levels of biosynthetic enzymes control the essential oil content. CVOMT and EOMT transcript expression levels, which decreased with leaf age, followed the same pattern in both whole leaves and isolated glandular trichomes, providing evidence that CVOMT transcript levels are developmentally regulated in basil glandular trichomes themselves and that differences in CVOMT expression observed in whole leaves are not solely the result of differences in glandular trichome density.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Title of host publicationPlant Secondary Metabolism Engineering
Subtitle of host publicationMethods and Applications
EditorsArthur Germano Fett-Neto
Pages263-273
Number of pages11
DOIs
StatePublished - 2010
Externally publishedYes

Publication series

NameMethods in Molecular Biology
Volume643
ISSN (Print)1064-3745

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Molecular Biology
  • Genetics

Keywords

  • Ocimum basilicum
  • biosynthesis
  • essential oil
  • trichomes

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