EOBII, a Gene Encoding a Flower-Specific Regulator of Phenylpropanoid Volatiles' Biosynthesis in Petunia

Jun 15, 2010The Plant cell

EOBII, a gene controlling flower scent production in petunia

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Abstract

Suppression of the EOBII factor led to a significant reduction in floral volatile levels in petunia flowers.

EOBII is a newly identified regulatory factor involved in the production of floral scent volatiles in petunia.
Its expression is specific to flowers and correlates with the timing and location of scent production.
Knocking down EOBII expression decreased the levels of key volatiles like benzaldehyde and isoeugenol.
Modulations of EOBII influenced the expression of genes related to the phenylpropanoid pathway and substrate availability.
EOBII may play a central regulatory role in the biosynthesis of floral volatiles without affecting anthocyanin production.

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Floral scent, which is determined by a complex mixture of low molecular weight volatile molecules, plays a major role in the plant's life cycle. Phenylpropanoid volatiles are the main determinants of floral scent in petunia (Petunia hybrida). A screen using virus-induced gene silencing for regulators of scent production in petunia flowers yielded a novel R2R3-MYB-like regulatory factor of phenylpropanoid volatile biosynthesis, EMISSION OF BENZENOIDS II (EOBII). This factor was localized to the nucleus and its expression was found to be flower specific and temporally and spatially associated with scent production/emission. Suppression of EOBII expression led to significant reduction in the levels of volatiles accumulating in and emitted by flowers, such as benzaldehyde, phenylethyl alcohol, benzylbenzoate, and isoeugenol. Up/downregulation of EOBII affected transcript levels of several biosynthetic floral scent-related genes encoding enzymes from the phenylpropanoid pathway that are directly involved in the production of these volatiles and enzymes from the shikimate pathway that determine substrate availability. Due to its coordinated wide-ranging effect on the production of floral volatiles, and its lack of effect on anthocyanin production, a central regulatory role is proposed for EOBII in the biosynthesis of phenylpropanoid volatiles.

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EOBII, a Gene Encoding a Flower-Specific Regulator of Phenylpropanoid Volatiles' Biosynthesis in Petunia

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