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• Characterization of geraniol synthase from the peltate glands of sweet basil.

  Iijima Y., Gang D.R., Fridman E., Lewinsohn E., Pichersky E.

  The monoterpene fraction of the lemon-scented sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum) cv Sweet Dani consists mostly of citral (a mixture of geranial and neral), with lower levels of geraniol and nerol. These compounds are stored in the peltate glands found on the leaf epidermis. Younger leaves, which have ... >> More

  The monoterpene fraction of the lemon-scented sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum) cv Sweet Dani consists mostly of citral (a mixture of geranial and neral), with lower levels of geraniol and nerol. These compounds are stored in the peltate glands found on the leaf epidermis. Younger leaves, which have a higher density of such glands, also have a higher content of monoterpenes than older leaves. Geraniol synthase (GES) activity, generating geraniol from geranyl diphosphate, was shown to be localized exclusively or almost exclusively to glands. GES activity resides in a homodimeric protein that was purified to near homogeneity. Basil GES requires Mn2+ as a divalent metal cofactor for activity and produces only geraniol from geranyl diphosphate. Km values of 21 and 51 microM were obtained for geranyl diphosphate and Mn2+, respectively. In the presence of 18O-labeled water, GES catalyzed the formation of 18O-geraniol from geranyl diphosphate, indicating that the reaction mechanism of GES is similar to that of other monoterpene synthases and is different from the action of phosphatases. A GES cDNA was isolated based on analysis of a glandular trichome expressed sequence tag database, and the sequence of the protein encoded by this cDNA shows some similarity to sequences of other terpene synthases. The expression of the GES cDNA in Escherichia coli resulted in a protein with enzymatic activity essentially identical to that of plant-purified GES. RNA gel-blot analysis indicated that GES is expressed in glands but not in leaves of basil cv Sweet Dani, whose glands contain geraniol and citral, and not in glands or leaves of another basil variety that makes other monoterpenes but not geraniol or citral. << Less

  Plant Physiol. 134:370-379(2004) [PubMed] [EuropePMC]

• A geraniol-synthase gene from Cinnamomum tenuipilum.

  Yang T., Li J., Wang H.-X., Zeng Y.

  Geraniol may accumulate up to 86-98% of the leaf essential oils in geraniol chemotypes of the evergreen camphor tree Cinnamomum tenuipilum. A similarity-based cloning strategy yielded a cDNA clone that appeared to encode a terpene synthase and which could be phylogenetically grouped within the ang ... >> More

  Geraniol may accumulate up to 86-98% of the leaf essential oils in geraniol chemotypes of the evergreen camphor tree Cinnamomum tenuipilum. A similarity-based cloning strategy yielded a cDNA clone that appeared to encode a terpene synthase and which could be phylogenetically grouped within the angiosperm monoterpene synthase/subfamily. After its expression in Escherichia coli and enzyme assay with prenyl diphosphates as substrates, the enzyme encoded by the putative C. tenuipilum monoterpene synthase gene was shown to specifically convert geranyl diphosphate to geraniol as a single product by GC-MS analysis. Biochemical characterization of the partially purified recombinant protein revealed a strong dependency for Mg2+ and Mn2+, and an apparent Michaelis constant of 55.8 microM for geranyl diphosphate. Thus, a new member of the monoterpene synthase family was identified and designated as CtGES. The genome contains a single copy of CtGES gene. Expression of CtGES was exclusively observed in the geraniol chemotype of C. tenuipilum. Furthermore, in situ hybridization analysis demonstrated that CtGES mRNA was localized in the oil cells of the leaves. << Less

  Phytochemistry 66:285-293(2005) [PubMed] [EuropePMC]