The Eucalyptus terpene synthase gene family

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Abstract

Background

Terpenoids are abundant in the foliage of Eucalyptus, providing the characteristic smell as well as being valuable economically and influencing ecological interactions. Quantitative and qualitative inter- and intra- specific variation of terpenes is common in eucalypts.

Results

The genome sequences of Eucalyptus grandis and E. globulus were mined for terpene synthase genes (TPS) and compared to other plant species. We investigated the relative expression of TPS in seven plant tissues and functionally characterized five TPS genes from E. grandis. Compared to other sequenced plant genomes, Eucalyptus grandis has the largest number of putative functional TPS genes of any sequenced plant. We discovered 113 and 106 putative functional TPS genes in E. grandis and E. globulus, respectively. All but one TPS from E. grandis were expressed in at least one of seven plant tissues examined. Genomic clusters of up to 20 genes were identified. Many TPS are expressed in tissues other than leaves which invites a re-evaluation of the function of terpenes in Eucalyptus.

Conclusions

Our data indicate that terpenes in Eucalyptus may play a wider role in biotic and abiotic interactions than previously thought. Tissue specific expression is common and the possibility of stress induction needs further investigation. Phylogenetic comparison of the two investigated Eucalyptus species gives insight about recent evolution of different clades within the TPS gene family. While the majority of TPS genes occur in orthologous pairs some clades show evidence of recent gene duplication, as well as loss of function.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12864-015-1598-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

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Most cited references 60

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Plant sesquiterpenes induce hyphal branching in arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi.

Kohki Akiyama, Ken-ichi Matsuzaki, Hideo Hayashi (2005)

Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi form mutualistic, symbiotic associations with the roots of more than 80% of land plants. The fungi are incapable of completing their life cycle in the absence of a host root. Their spores can germinate and grow in the absence of a host, but their hyphal growth is very limited. Little is known about the molecular mechanisms that govern signalling and recognition between AM fungi and their host plants. In one of the first stages of host recognition, the hyphae of AM fungi show extensive branching in the vicinity of host roots before formation of the appressorium, the structure used to penetrate the plant root. Host roots are known to release signalling molecules that trigger hyphal branching, but these branching factors have not been isolated. Here we have isolated a branching factor from the root exudates of Lotus japonicus and used spectroscopic analysis and chemical synthesis to identify it as a strigolactone, 5-deoxy-strigol. Strigolactones are a group of sesquiterpene lactones, previously isolated as seed-germination stimulants for the parasitic weeds Striga and Orobanche. The natural strigolactones 5-deoxy-strigol, sorgolactone and strigol, and a synthetic analogue, GR24, induced extensive hyphal branching in germinating spores of the AM fungus Gigaspora margarita at very low concentrations.

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The genome of Eucalyptus grandis.

Alexander Myburg, Dario Grattapaglia, Gerald Tuskan … (2014)

Eucalypts are the world's most widely planted hardwood trees. Their outstanding diversity, adaptability and growth have made them a global renewable resource of fibre and energy. We sequenced and assembled >94% of the 640-megabase genome of Eucalyptus grandis. Of 36,376 predicted protein-coding genes, 34% occur in tandem duplications, the largest proportion thus far in plant genomes. Eucalyptus also shows the highest diversity of genes for specialized metabolites such as terpenes that act as chemical defence and provide unique pharmaceutical oils. Genome sequencing of the E. grandis sister species E. globulus and a set of inbred E. grandis tree genomes reveals dynamic genome evolution and hotspots of inbreeding depression. The E. grandis genome is the first reference for the eudicot order Myrtales and is placed here sister to the eurosids. This resource expands our understanding of the unique biology of large woody perennials and provides a powerful tool to accelerate comparative biology, breeding and biotechnology.

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Genes, enzymes and chemicals of terpenoid diversity in the constitutive and induced defence of conifers against insects and pathogens.

Christopher I. Keeling, Jörg Bohlmann (2006)

Insects select their hosts, but trees cannot select which herbivores will feed upon them. Thus, as long-lived stationary organisms, conifers must resist the onslaught of varying and multiple attackers over their lifetime. Arguably, the greatest threats to conifers are herbivorous insects and their associated pathogens. Insects such as bark beetles, stem- and wood-boring insects, shoot-feeding weevils, and foliage-feeding budworms and sawflies are among the most devastating pests of conifer forests. Conifer trees produce a great diversity of compounds, such as an enormous array of terpenoids and phenolics, that may impart resistance to a variety of herbivores and microorganisms. Insects have evolved to specialize in resistance to these chemicals -- choosing, feeding upon, and colonizing hosts they perceive to be best suited to reproduction. This review focuses on the plant-insect interactions mediated by conifer-produced terpenoids. To understand the role of terpenoids in conifer-insect interactions, we must understand how conifers produce the wide diversity of terpenoids, as well as understand how these specific compounds affect insect behaviour and physiology. This review examines what chemicals are produced, the genes and proteins involved in their biosynthesis, how they work, and how they are regulated. It also examines how insects and their associated pathogens interact with, elicit, and are affected by conifer-produced terpenoids.

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Author and article information

Contributors

Carsten Külheim: Carsten.kulheim@anu.edu.au

Amanda Padovan: Amanda.padovan@anu.edu.au

Charles Hefer: Charles.hefer@ubc.ca

Sandra T Krause: Sandra.krause@pharmazie.uni-halle.de

Tobias G Köllner: koellner@ice.mpg.de

Alexander A Myburg: Zander.Myburg@up.ac.za

Jörg Degenhardt: joerg.degenhardt@pharmazie.uni-halle.de

William J Foley: William.Foley@anu.edu.au

Journal

Journal ID (nlm-ta): BMC Genomics

Journal ID (iso-abbrev): BMC Genomics

Title: BMC Genomics

Publisher: BioMed Central (London )

ISSN (Electronic): 1471-2164

Publication date (Electronic): 11 June 2015

Publication date PMC-release: 11 June 2015

Publication date Collection: 2015

Volume: 16

Issue: 1

Electronic Location Identifier: 450

Affiliations

[ ]Research School of Biology, College of Medicine, Biology and the Environment, Australian National University, Canberra, 0200 Australia

[ ]Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T1Z4 Canada

[ ]Institut für Pharmazie, Martin-Luther Universität Halle-Wittenberg, 06120 Halle, (Saale) Germany

[ ]Department of Biochemistry, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, 07745 Jena, Germany

[ ]Department of Genetics, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute, Private Bag X20, Pretoria, 0028 South Africa

Article

Publisher ID: 1598

DOI: 10.1186/s12864-015-1598-x

PMC ID: 4464248

PubMed ID: 26062733

SO-VID: f57dc4a9-862e-4f94-a44f-e4c35f90e76a

License:

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License ( http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly credited. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver ( http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated.

History

Date received : 17 December 2014

Date accepted : 28 April 2015

Custom metadata

ScienceOpen disciplines: Genetics

Keywords: eucalyptus,myrtaceae,terpene synthase,essential oil,monoterpenes,sesquiterpenes,evolution,biodiversity,herbivory

Data availability:

ScienceOpen disciplines: Genetics

Keywords: eucalyptus, myrtaceae, terpene synthase, essential oil, monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes, evolution, biodiversity, herbivory

The Eucalyptus terpene synthase gene family

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Genes & Diseases

Most cited references 60

Plant sesquiterpenes induce hyphal branching in arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi.

The genome of Eucalyptus grandis.

Genes, enzymes and chemicals of terpenoid diversity in the constitutive and induced defence of conifers against insects and pathogens.

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