Regulation of terpenoid metabolism in lavender

这项研究将提高我们对类异戊二烯（或萜类）代谢的理解，其中包括超过40,000种植物中的生化化合物。类异戊二烯在植物的生长发育和生态中起着至关重要的作用。它们在工业上也非常重要，并在许多方面影响着人类的生活，包括作为功能性食品、化妆品、卫生产品、药品和生物燃料等的关键成分。鉴于萜类化合物的生理作用和工业重要性，人们对了解植物中控制这些代谢物产生的分子、生化和细胞机制非常感兴趣。本研究主要以有价值的作物薰衣草为模型系统，研究其萜类物质的代谢。薰衣草在花的腺状毛状体或油腺中产生大量富含单萜烯的精油（EO），是研究植物中类异戊二烯生产和储存调控的绝佳模型。具体目标是：i)研究参与生物合成和分泌EO成分的结构和调控基因。ii)研究碳通量划分为各种萜类亚类。iii)探索花的发生和发育的分子基础，以及商业化薰衣草EO生产的具体位点。这项研究在植物科学的一个重要和目前非常活跃的领域产生了知识。这些发现可以外推到其他植物上，为通过植物育种和生物技术提高大豆产量和质量以及其他重要的农艺性状（如抗病性）提供了几种途径。在发展技术以加强植物、微生物和/或无细胞系统中工业上重要的植物化学物质的生产方面也有很大的潜力。此外，这项研究促进了大学、政府和工业研究人员之间的合作，并为本科生、研究生和博士后的培训和就业创造了机会。此外，这项研究还使几个行业部门受益，包括苗圃、农民和依赖药用和工业植物的企业。

This research will improve our understanding of the metabolism of the isoprenoids (or terpenoids), which encompass over 40,000 biochemical compounds in plants. Isoprenoids play crucial roles in the growth, development and ecology of plants. They are also industrially very significant and impact human lives in many ways, including 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 production of these metabolites in plants. The proposed studies primarily focus on the metabolism of terpenoids in lavender, a valuable crop plant, as a model system. Lavender produces large quantities of a commercially important monoterpene-rich essential oil (EO) in floral glandular trichomes, or oil glands, and is an excellent model for investigating regulation of isoprenoid production and storage in plants. Specific objectives are to: i) study the structural and regulatory genes involved in biosynthesis and secretion of EO constituents. ii) Investigate the partitioning of carbon flux into various terpenoid sub-classes. iii) Explore the molecular basis of the initiation and development of flowers, the specific sites for the production of commercially marketed lavender EO. This research generates knowledge in an important and currently very 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, 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 in microbial and/or cell-free 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 nurseries, farmers, and businesses that rely on medicinal and industrial plants.