Regulation of terpenoid metabolism in lavender

这项研究将提高我们对异戊二烯(或萜类)代谢的理解，这些异戊二烯(或萜类)在植物中包含40,000多种生化化合物。异戊二烯类化合物在植物的生长、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，并在许多方面影响人类生活，包括作为功能食品、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，人们对了解控制这些代谢物在植物中产生的分子、生化和细胞机制很感兴趣。拟议的研究主要集中在作为模式系统的珍贵农作物薰衣草中的萜类化合物的代谢。薰衣草在花腺毛或油腺中产生大量具有商业价值的富含单萜的精油(EO)，是研究植物类异戊二烯生产和储存调控的极佳模型。具体目标是：i)研究与EO成分的生物合成和分泌有关的结构和调控基因。Ii)研究碳通量在不同的萜类亚类中的分配。Iii)探索花的发生和发育的分子基础，即生产商业市场上销售的薰衣草EO的特定地点。这项研究产生了植物科学中一个重要且目前非常活跃的领域的知识。这些发现可以推广到其他植物，为通过植物育种和生物技术提高EO产量和质量以及其他重要农艺性状(如抗病)提供了几种途径。在提高植物以及微生物和/或无细胞系统中的工业重要植物化学物质的生产方面，也有很好的开发技术的潜力。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，并为本科生和研究生以及博士后研究员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、农民以及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.