Individual variation in constitutive and induced monoterpene biosynthesis in grand fir

• Published in: Phytochemistry (Oxford) Vol. 47; no. 4; pp. 577 - 582
• Main Authors: Katoh, Sadanobu, Croteau, Rodney
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier Ltd 01.02.1998; Elsevier
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Metabolism; Metabolism. Physicochemical requirements; Phytopathology. Animal pests. Plant and forest protection; Plant physiology and development; Protozoa. Invertebrates; Records, symptoms, damages, economic importance, population surveys; Pinaceae; wound-induction; conifer defense; Abies grandis; grand fir; conifer; cortical oleoresin; monoterpenes; monoterpene synthases; turpentine; Enzyme; Insecta; Turpentine; Biosynthesis; Synthase; Oleoresin; Enzymatic activity; Animal plant relation; Arthropoda; Softwood forest tree; Gymnospermae; Monoterpene; Defense mechanism; Coniferales; Spermatophyta; Invertebrata; Biological accumulation; Secondary metabolism
• ISSN: 0031-9422; 1873-3700
• DOI: 10.1016/S0031-9422(97)00422-6

Variations in the level and distribution of monoterpene synthase activities in stem samples of 46 grand fir saplings maintained under controlled conditions were investigated using sensitive, non-destructive bioanalytical techniques that permitted the assessment of constitutive, wound-induced and ethylene modulated biosynthetic capability of each individual. Radiochemically-based in vitro assays, with [1- 3H]geranyl diphosphate as substrate, revealed considerable quantitative variation in constitutive and induced response levels of total monoterpene synthase activity, and the analysis of monoterpene distribution generated in the cell-free extracts allowed the definition of seven distinct biosynthetic chemotypes. No correlation was observed between total monoterpene biosynthetic capacity and chemotype, indicating that both broad quantitative and qualitative variation in oleoresin monoterpene production exists in this native population of grand fir. The implications of these findings for oleoresin-based defense against bark beetle predation are described.