Regulation of isoprenoid metabolism in Lavandula

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

This research will improve our understanding of the production of the isoprenoid, or terpenoid, class of natural products, also known as secondary or specialized metabolites, in plants. The isoprenoids encompass over 30,000 biochemical compounds that play crucial roles in the growth, development and ecology of plants. They are also industrially very significant and impact human lives as key constituents of functional foods, cosmetics, hygiene products, medicines, and biofuels, among others. Given the physiological roles and industrial importance of the terpenoids, there is considerable interest in understanding the molecular, biochemical and cellular mechanisms that control their production in plants. In particular, regulation of isoprenoid metabolism and storage in plants is poorly understood. The proposed studies focus on the regulation of the production of essential oil (EO) constituents (mono- and sesquiterpenes; the C10 and C15 class of the terpenoids, respectively) in lavenders, which are important agricultural plants worldwide, and are noteworthy emerging crops in Canada. Lavenders produce large quantities of EO in glandular trichomes (or oil glands) present on the surfaces of leaf and flower parts. The EOs find extensive applications in foods (e.g., candies and cookies), cosmetics (e.g., perfumes and deodorants), personal care products (e.g., soaps and shampoos), and in alternative medicines (e.g., several products used in aromatherapy). The overall goal of this research is to investigate the molecular biology of mono- and sesquiterpene production and storage in lavenders. Specific objectives are to identify, clone and study the functions of the structural and regulatory genes involved in the biosynthesis and secretion of EO constituents, and in partitioning of carbon to various terpenoid sub-classes.***The proposed research generates knowledge in an important and currently active area of plant science. The findings, which can be extrapolated to other plants, provide several avenues for improving EO yield and quality, and other important agronomic traits such as resistance to disease, in lavenders and related plants through plant breeding and biotechnology. There is also excellent potential for development of technologies for enhancing the production of industrially important phytochemicals in plants, and for production of high value terpenoids in microbial and/or cell-free in vitro systems. Further, the research facilitates collaboration among university, government and industrial researchers and creates opportunities for training and employment of undergraduate and graduate students, and postdoctoral fellows. Additionally, the research benefits several industry sectors including lavender farmers, and businesses that rely on medicinal and industrial plants that produce commercially relevant isoprenoids.**