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Volatile sensation: The chemical ecology of the earthy odorant geosmin |
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| Authors: | Paolina Garbeva Mariana Avalos Dana Ulanova Gilles P. van Wezel Jeroen S. Dickschat |
| Affiliation: | 1. Department of Microbial Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands;2. Institute of Biology, Leiden University, Sylviusweg 72, 2333 BE Leiden, The Netherlands Contribution: Writing - original draft (equal);3. Faculty of Agriculture and Marine Science, Kochi University, 200 Otsu, Monobe, Nankoku, Kochi, 783-8502 Japan Contribution: Writing - original draft (equal);4. Department of Microbial Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands Institute of Biology, Leiden University, Sylviusweg 72, 2333 BE Leiden, The Netherlands Contribution: Writing - review & editing (equal);5. University of Bonn, Kekulé-Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Gerhard-Domagk-Straße 1, 53121 Bonn, Germany Contribution: Writing - original draft (equal) |
| Abstract: | Geosmin may be the most familiar volatile compound, as it lends the earthy smell to soil. The compound is a member of the largest family of natural products, the terpenoids. The broad distribution of geosmin among bacteria in both terrestrial and aquatic environments suggests that this compound has an important ecological function, for example, as a signal (attractant or repellent) or as a protective specialized metabolite against biotic and abiotic stresses. While geosmin is part of our everyday life, scientists still do not understand the exact biological function of this omnipresent natural product. This minireview summarizes the current general observations regarding geosmin in prokaryotes and introduces new insights into its biosynthesis and regulation, as well as its biological roles in terrestrial and aquatic environments. |
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