Production and Emission of Volatile Compounds by Petal Cells

We localized the tissues and cells that contribute to scent biosynthesis in scented and non-scented Rosa × hybrida cultivars as part of a detailed cytological analysis of the rose petal. Adaxial petal epidermal cells have a typical conical, papillate shape whereas abaxial petal epidermal cells are flat. Using two different techniques, solid/liquid phase extraction and headspace collection of volatiles, we showed that, in roses, both epidermal layers are capable of producing and emitting scent volatiles, despite the different morphologies of the cells of these two tissues. Moreover, OOMT, an enzyme involved in scent molecule biosynthesis, was localized in both epidermal layers. These results are discussed in view of results found in others species such as Antirrhinum majus, where it has been shown that the adaxial epidermis is the preferential site of scent production and emission.Key Words: floral scent, petal epidermis, Rosa, terpenes, volatilesMany plant species produce volatile compounds and these molecules serve a range of purposes. For example, compounds that are emitted from leaves are generally required for the defence of the plant against insect predators. On the other hand, floral compounds attract beneficial insects, leading to pollination of the flower. In leaves, scent compounds are very often synthesised in specialized cells grouped in structures termed trichomes or secretory glands. In many flowers, it is well documented that floral fragrance is produced by the corolla,¹ although other flower parts, such as the stamens in Ranunculus acris,² sometimes play an important role in fragrance emission. In some flowers, in particular those belonging to the Orchidaceae family, scent is emitted by specialized areas of the petal, which have been termed osmophores by Vogel.³ However, in most flowers, when petals produce scent, it is thought to be emitted by all the cells of the petal in a diffusive manner.⁴ In many flowers, such as roses, the adaxial petal epidermal cells have a conical-papillate shape whereas the cells of the abaxial epidermis are flat (Fig. 1).⁵ The shape of these conical cells is controlled by a Myb-factor named MIXTA in Antirrhinum majus⁶ and their shape has been shown to play a role in the diffusion of light, thereby enhancing the attractiveness of the flower.⁷ Flowers of the mixta mutant have flat adaxial petal epidermal cells that reflect less light⁸ and as a consequence attract less insects.⁹ Along the same lines, Kolosova et al.¹⁰ demonstrated that S-adenosyl-L-methionine:benzoic acid carboxyl methyltransferase (BAMT), an enzyme involved in scent biosynthesis, was localized in the conical cells of the inner epidermal layer and to a much lesser extent, in the cells of the outer epidermis of the lobes of snapdragon petals. On the basis of these latter observations, some authors have proposed that the papillate cell shape could enhance the diffusion of scent molecules or influence its directionality and be of adaptive significance not only by enhancing light reflection but also by enhancing scent production.^11,12Open in a separate windowFigure 1Hand-made cross-section of Rosa × hybrida petal; Ad, adaxial epidermis; Ab, abaxial epidermis; P, spongy parenchyma. Bar = 20 µm.To test the hypothesis that the adaxial epidermis is a privileged site for the production and emission of scent, we chose a highly scented flower, the rose. Contrary to what was expected, we found that both the adaxial and abaxial epidermal layers of the petal were sites of scent production and emission. We were able to show that NaDi reagent stained purple droplets in both epidermal layers of the rose petal, indicating that they both contain terpenes. Several different techniques, including the analysis of epidermal peels and epidermal layer-specific headspace analysis failed to detect a strong difference between the production and emission of scent in the two epidermal layers. Moreover, the detection of OOMT protein, an enzyme involved in 3,5-dimethoxytoluene production, in both the abaxial and adaxial epidermis, indicated that biosynthesis of at least some phenolic scent compounds occurs in both tissues. It will be interesting to extend this approach using in situ hybridization or immunolocalization to determine whether other pathways such as terpene metabolism are also active in the abaxial epidermis.It is striking to note that in Clarkia breweri, which has actinomorphic flowers like the rose, expression of the S-adenosyl-L-methionine:(iso) eugenol O-methyltransferase (IEMT) gene seems to occur in both epidermal layers.¹³ A. majus flowers have a different structure, they are highly zygomorphic with a flower shape that is adapted for bee pollination and includes specialized cell types in different parts of the flower (the lobes and the tube). To determine whether emission of scent in highly specialized flowers such as A. majus is linked to cell shape, it would be very useful to know whether mixta mutant flowers which have flat epidermal cells are impaired in their capacity to emit scent. However, the explanation may not be as simple. A recent study of the synthesis and emission of methyl benzoate showed that in Nicotiana suaveolens, as in the rose, both epidermal layers of the petal lobes are involved in scent production, whereas in Stephanotis floribunda, SAMT, another enzyme involved scent biosynthesis, is localized only in the adaxial epidermis and subepidermal regions of the flower petal lobes.¹⁴ It is intriguing to note that N. suaveolens has bullate to rugose epidermal cell layers on both sides of the petal whereas S. floribunda has tight flat to bullate epidermal cells.The reasons for the differences in the potential for scent emission of the two petal epidermal layers in the rose and other species are not known. However, our results and a survey of the literature clearly indicate that, in petals, epidermal cells may have diverse shapes and that the shape of the cells is not necessarily a reliable indicator of the secretory potential of those cells. It will be interesting to see whether common structural features and/or molecular factors are responsible for the differences between these various cell types.     

Spatiotemporal metabolic regulation of anthocyanin and related compounds during the development of marginal picotee petals in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Petunia hybrida</Emphasis> (Solanaceae)

Structures and levels of anthocyanin-related compounds were analyzed during the development of marginal picotee petals in white-center and white-marginal cultivars of Petunia hybrida. In the white site of a white-center cultivar, higher concentrations of quercetin derivatives possessing 7-O-glucoside and/or 3′-O-glucoside occurred than in the colored site, suggesting that these two quercetin glycosylation steps are site-specifically regulated. The boundary areas of petal coloration were composed of cells showing various color densities, whose uniformity among adjacent cells varied between these cultivars. These results indicate diversity in spatiotemporal regulation of anthocyanin biosynthesis and flavonol glycosylations between Petunia cultivars during marginal picotee formation. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Cuticle characteristics and volatile emissions of petals in Antirrhinum majus

Floral volatiles, which are small and generally water-insoluble, must move from their intracellular sites of synthesis through the outermost cuticle membrane before release from the flower surface. To determine whether petal cuticle might influence volatile emissions, we performed the first analysis of petal cuticle development and its association with the emission of flower volatiles using Antirrhinum majus L. (snapdragon) as a model system. Petal cuticular wax amount and composition, cuticle thickness and ultrastructure, and the amounts of internal and emitted methylbenzoate (the major snapdragon floral scent compound) were examined during 12 days, from flower opening to senescence. Normal ( n -) alkanes were found to be the major wax class of snapdragon petals (29.0% to 34.3%) throughout the 12 days examined. Besides n -alkanes, snapdragon petals possessed significant amounts of methyl branched alkanes (23.6–27.8%) and hydroxy esters (12.0–14.0%). Hydroxy esters have not been previously reported in plants. Changes in amount of methylbenzoate inside the petals followed closely with levels of methylbenzoate emission, suggesting that snapdragon petal cuticle may provide little diffusive resistance to volatile emissions. Moreover, clear associations did not exist between methylbenzoate emission and the cuticle properties examined during development. Nevertheless, the unique wax composition of snapdragon petal cuticles shows similarities with those of other highly permeable cuticles, suggesting an adaptation that could permit rapid volatile emission by scented flowers.     

Floral scent and intrafloral scent differentiation inMoneses andPyrola (Pyrolaceae)

Floral scent was collected by headspace methods from intact flowers, petals, and stamens of four species ofPyrolaceae. The scent samples were analyzed by coupled gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The floral scent inPyrola spp. is differentiated into a characteristic petal scent—phenyl propanoids and a characteristic stamen scent—methoxy benzenes. InMoneses the scent is characterized by isoprenoids and benzenoids, with a larger proportion of benzenoids in the stamens compared to the petals. Specific anther scents may promote foraging efficiency in buzz-pollinated species and enhance flower fidelity. Variation in floral scent composition is consistent with the taxonomic relationships among the genera and species examined.     

Rose scent: genomics approach to discovering novel floral fragrance-related genes

For centuries, rose has been the most important crop in the floriculture industry; its economic importance also lies in the use of its petals as a source of natural fragrances. Here, we used genomics approaches to identify novel scent-related genes, using rose flowers from tetraploid scented and nonscented cultivars. An annotated petal EST database of approximately 2100 unique genes from both cultivars was created, and DNA chips were prepared and used for expression analyses of selected clones. Detailed chemical analysis of volatile composition in the two cultivars, together with the identification of secondary metabolism-related genes whose expression coincides with scent production, led to the discovery of several novel flower scent-related candidate genes. The function of some of these genes, including a germacrene D synthase, was biochemically determined using an Escherichia coli expression system. This work demonstrates the advantages of using the high-throughput approaches of genomics to detail traits of interest expressed in a cultivar-specific manner in nonmodel plants. EST sequences were submitted to the GenBank database (accession numbers BQ 103855 to BQ 106728).     

Aroma production from cut sweet pea flowers (Lathyrus odoratus): the role of ethylene

The major components of the scent of cut sweet pea flowers ( Lathyrus odoratus L. cv Royal Wedding) are (E) and (Z)-ocimene, linalool, nerol, geraniol and phenylacetaldehyde. The aroma is almost exclusively produced by the standard and wing petals, with very little emanating from the keel petals and other floral structures. Only traces of these volatiles were detected in the liquid excreted by glandular trichomes on the surface of the scented petals. Once flowers are cut for display they produce increasing amounts of ethylene which induces wilting after 48 h and petal abscission 24 h later. The rate of linalool and ocimene emission declines over the first 48 h to approximately 10% of that directly after harvest. Ethylene production is not saturating during the first 24 h of vase life and exogenous ethylene further accelerates the senescence processes and loss of fragrance. Addition of the ethylene antagonists 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) and silver thiosulphate (STS) delayed wilting and abscission for several days and similarly inhibits the decline in terpenoid emission.     

Genetic dissection of scent metabolic profiles in diploid rose populations

The scent of flowers is a very important trait in ornamental roses in terms of both quantity and quality. In cut roses, scented varieties are a rare exception. Although metabolic profiling has identified more than 500 scent volatiles from rose flowers so far, nothing is known about the inheritance of scent in roses. Therefore, we analysed scent volatiles and molecular markers in diploid segregating populations. We resolved the patterns of inheritance of three volatiles (nerol, neryl acetate and geranyl acetate) into single Mendelian traits, and we mapped these as single or oligogenic traits in the rose genome. Three other volatiles (geraniol, β-citronellol and 2-phenylethanol) displayed quantitative variation in the progeny, and we mapped a total of six QTLs influencing the amounts of these volatiles onto the rose marker map. Because we included known scent related genes and newly generated ESTs for scent volatiles as markers, we were able to link scent related QTLs with putative candidate genes. Our results serve as a starting point for both more detailed analyses of complex scent biosynthetic pathways and the development of markers for marker-assisted breeding of scented rose varieties.     

The Abscission of Rose Petals

Petal abscission was studied in twelve hybrid tea rose (Rosahybrida L.) cultivars. At about 20 °C the time to petalabscission in uncut stems in greenhouses was the same as incut stems placed in water in the greenhouse or in a climate-controlledroom. The time between petal unfolding and abscission dependedon the cultivar, and varied between 12 and 35 d. The time topetal abscission of the cultivars was inversely correlated withtheir flower diameter at full bloom (linear regression, r² =0·82). In the cultivars with a relatively large flowerdiameter (10-18 cm) the petals fell without visible desiccationsymptoms, whereas in the group with a small diameter the petalswere partially or fully desiccated when shed. Fertilization occurred in some flowers of a few cultivars studied.In cultivars with a relatively large flower diameter (Papa Meilland,Cocktail, Dr. Verhage, Tineke) it had no effect on the timeto abscission in Motrea, Europa, and Carolien roses, which bearsmall flowers, the petals fell after fertilization, whereasin unfertilized flowers of the latter group of cultivars anabscission zone just above the uppermost node became activeand all parts above this node (pedicel and flower) turned brownand desiccated, though remained attached for more than a month. It is concluded that in the cultivars investigated: (a) thetime to petal abscission was inversely related to their flowerdiameter, (b) abscised petals were more desiccated in cultivarsin which the time to abscission was longer, (c) fertilizationhad little effect on the time to abscission in most cultivars,whereas the absence of fertilization prevented petal abscissionin a number of the small-diameter cultivars where it was replacedby flower abscission, and (d) cutting and placement in waterat 20 °C did not affect the time to abscission.Copyright1995, 1999 Academic Press Abscission, fertilization, flowers, petals, Rosa hybrida L., rose, water stress, carbohydrate stress     

The role of light in the regulation of anthocyanin accumulation in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Gerbera hybrida</Emphasis>

In the present work, the pigmentation regulated by light was investigated in ray floret (rf) of Gerbera hybrida. When inflorescences from stage 1 were covered with aluminium foil in vivo the pigmentation of the rf petals was strongly blocked and the gene expression of CHS (Chalcone synthase) and DFR (Dihydroflavonol-4-reductase) was inhibited. Similar results were obtained when the detached rfs were cultured in vitro. Covering of the leaves on the plants resulted in reduced pigmentation compared with the covering of inflorescences in vivo. Removal of the green bracts did not affect the pigmentation significantly and the anthocyanin concentration was maintained at a level similar to that of the control. The ultrastructure of the plastids in rf petals was examined to investigate the possible role of photosynthesis in light regulation of flower pigmentation. Plastids within rf epidermal cells showed a characteristic chloroplast morphology in flowers at stage 2, which deteriorated by stage 3. They then changed to a chromoplast-like structure in fully opened rf petals (stage 6). Similar chromoplast-like structures were observed in the plastids of the rf petals from inflorescences both shaded in vivo and in vitro. Additionally, DCMU, a photosynthetic inhibitor, did not show a significant effect on light-induced anthocyanin accumulation. Our data suggest that light is an important factor for pigmentation of rf petal in Gerbera and the petal itself acts as a light sensor site to perceive the light signal. From the different light qualities evaluated, blue light promoted gene expression of CHS and DFR, and red light enhanced the gene expression of CHS, indicating the photoreceptors responding to blue and red light involved in the photoregulation of flower pigmentation in Gerbera.     

七种秋石斛鲜花挥发性成分差异性分析

为查明秋石斛不同品种关键赋香成分,利用固相微萃取(SPME)方法结合GC-MS技术,测定了秋石斛5个具香气的品种,即绿天使(Dendrobium Hand Green)、日出2号(Dendrobium Burana Sunrise No.2)、白花607(Dendrobium K.B.White 607)、紫背256(Dendrobium Blue Sapphine 256)、魅力(Dendrobium Burana Charming)以及2个不具香气的品种,即红牛(Dendrobium Red Bull)、三亚阳光(Dendrobium Sunya Sunshine)盛花期的花朵挥发性成分及其相对含量。结果表明:共鉴定出45种挥发性化合物,其中萜烯类34种、芳香族化合物8种、酯类3种,5种具香气的秋石斛花朵所含挥发性成分绝大部分都是萜烯类,萜烯类对秋石斛的花香起着重要的作用。通过比较发现,5种具香气秋石斛的主要赋香成分为3-蒈烯、芳樟醇、α-可巴烯和α-法尼烯,不同品种挥发性成分的组成和含量明显不同。绿天使和日出2号的主要香气成分是3-蒈烯,相对含量分别为59.343%和77.775%,但日出2号中的释放率约为绿天使的3倍;白花607主要香气成分为3-蒈烯(29.170%)、α-可巴烯(17.660%)、芳樟醇(10.990%);紫背256中α-法尼烯相对含量最高(42.310%);魅力中主要香气成分是α-可巴烯(33.648%),邻苯二甲酸二异丁酯(13.866%)为其次。2个不具香气品种中鉴定出化合物较少,主要挥发性成分释放率较小;红牛主要挥发性成分是胡莫柳酯(28.118%),三亚阳光是异丁子香酚(27.529%)。这些主要挥发性成分对不同品种秋石斛花的特有香味起决定性作用,且大部分已被广泛应用于香精香料,医药,日化等产品中。该研究结果为香型秋石斛产品开发及品种的培育提供了参考。     

Galactose metabolism in cell walls of opening and senescing petunia petals

Galactose was the major non-cellulosic neutral sugar present in the cell walls of ‘Mitchell’ petunia (Petunia axillaris × P. axillaris × P. hybrida) flower petals. Over the 24 h period associated with flower opening, there was a doubling of the galactose content of polymers strongly associated with cellulose and insoluble in strong alkali (‘residual’ fraction). By two days after flower opening, the galactose content of both the residual fraction and a Na₂CO₃-soluble pectin-rich cell wall fraction had sharply decreased, and continued to decline as flowers began to wilt. In contrast, amounts of other neutral sugars showed little change over this time, and depolymerisation of pectins and hemicelluloses was barely detectable throughout petal development. Size exclusion chromatography of Na₂CO₃-soluble pectins showed that there was a loss of neutral sugar relative to uronic acid content, consistent with a substantial loss of galactose from rhamnogalacturonan-I-type pectin. β-Galactosidase activity (EC 3.2.1.23) increased at bud opening, and remained high through to petal senescence. Two cDNAs encoding β-galactosidase were isolated from a mixed stage petal library. Both deduced proteins are β-galactosidases of Glycosyl Hydrolase Family 35, possessing lectin-like sugar-binding domains at their carboxyl terminus. PhBGAL1 was expressed at relatively high levels only during flower opening, while PhBGAL2 mRNA accumulation occurred at lower levels in mature and senescent petals. The data suggest that metabolism of cell wall-associated polymeric galactose is the major feature of both the opening and senescence of ‘Mitchell’ petunia flower petals.     

The lack of floral synthesis and emission of isoeugenol in Petunia axillaris subsp. parodii is due to a mutation in the isoeugenol synthase gene

Floral scent has been extensively investigated in plants of the South American genus Petunia. Flowers of Petunia integrifolia emit mostly benzaldehyde, while flowers of Petunia axillaris subsp. axillaris emit a mixture of volatile benzenoid and phenylpropanoid compounds that include isoeugenol and eugenol. Flowers of the artificial hybrid Petunia hybrida, a cross between P. integrifolia and P. axillaris, emit a similar spectrum of volatiles as P. axillaris subsp. axillaris. However, the flowers of P. axillaris subsp. parodii emit neither isoeugenol nor eugenol but contain high levels of dihydroconiferyl acetate in the petals, the main scent‐synthesizing and scent‐emitting organs. We recently showed that both isoeugenol and eugenol in P. hybrida are biosynthesized from coniferyl acetate in reactions catalyzed by isoeugenol synthase (PhIGS1) and eugenol synthase (PhEGS1), respectively, via a quinone methide‐like intermediate. Here we show that P. axillaris subsp. parodii has a functional EGS gene that is expressed in flowers, but its IGS gene contains a frame‐shift mutation that renders it inactive. Despite the presence of active EGS enzyme in P. axillaris subsp. parodii, in the absence of IGS activity the coniferyl acetate substrate is converted by an as yet unknown enzyme to dihydroconiferyl acetate. By contrast, suppressing the expression of PhIGS1 in P. hybrida by RNA interference also leads to a decrease in isoeugenol biosynthesis, but instead of the accumulation of dihydroconiferyl acetate, the flowers synthesize higher levels of eugenol.     

Diurnal regulation of scent emission in rose flowers

Previous studies have shown diurnal oscillation of scent emission in rose flowers with a peak during the day (Helsper in Planta 207:88–95, 1998; Picone in Planta 219:468–478, 2004). Here, we studied the regulation of scent production and emission in Rosa hybrida cv. Fragrant Cloud during the daily cycle and focused on two terpenoid compounds, germacrene D and geranyl acetate, whose biosynthetic genes have been characterized by us previously. The emission of geranyl acetate oscillated during the daily light/dark cycle with a peak early in the light period. A similar daily fluctuation was found in the endogenous level of this compound and in the expression of its biosynthetic gene, alcohol acetyl transferase (RhAAT). The rhythmic expression of RhAAT continued under conditions of constant light or darkness, indicating regulation by the endogenous circadian clock. However, the accumulation and emission of geranyl acetate ceased under continuous light. Our results suggest that geranyl acetate production is limited by the level of its substrate geraniol, which is suppressed under constant light conditions. The emission of germacrene D also oscillated during the daily cycle with a peak early in the light period. However, the endogenous level of this compound and the expression of its biosynthetic gene germacrene D synthase (RhGDS) were constant throughout the day. The diurnal oscillation of germacrene D emission ceased under continuous light, suggesting direct regulation by light. Our results demonstrate the complexity of the diurnal regulation of scent emission: although the daily emission of most scent compounds is synchronized, various independently evolved mechanisms control the production, accumulation and release of different volatiles. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Relationship between petal abscission and programmed cell death in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Prunus yedoensis</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Delphinium belladonna</Emphasis>

Depending on the species, the end of flower life span is characterized by petal wilting or by abscission of petals that are still fully turgid. Wilting at the end of petal life is due to programmed cell death (PCD). It is not known whether the abscission of turgid petals is preceded by PCD. We studied some parameters that indicate PCD: chromatin condensation, a decrease in nuclear diameter, DNA fragmentation, and DNA content per nucleus, using Prunus yedoensis and Delphinium belladonna which both show abscission of turgid petals at the end of floral life. No DNA degradation, no chromatin condensation, and no change in nuclear volume was observed in P. yedoensis petals, prior to abscission. In abscising D. belladonna petals, in contrast, considerable DNA degradation was found, chromatin was condensed and the nuclear volume considerably reduced. Following abscission, the nuclear area in both species drastically increased, and the chromatin became unevenly distributed. Similar chromatin changes were observed after dehydration (24 h at 60°C) of petals severed at the time of flower opening, and in dehydrated petals of Ipomoea nil and Petunia hybrida, severed at the time of flower opening. In these flowers the petal life span is terminated by wilting rather than abscission. It is concluded that the abscission of turgid petals in D. belladonna was preceded by a number of PCD indicators, whereas no such evidence for PCD was found at the time of P. yedoensis petal abscission. Dehydration of the petal cells, after abscission, was associated with a remarkable nuclear morphology which was also found in younger petals subjected to dehydration. This nuclear morphology has apparently not been described previously, for any organism.