2. Academic Validation
  3. Formation of α-Farnesene in Tea ( Camellia sinensis) Leaves Induced by Herbivore-Derived Wounding and Its Effect on Neighboring Tea Plants

Formation of α-Farnesene in Tea ( Camellia sinensis) Leaves Induced by Herbivore-Derived Wounding and Its Effect on Neighboring Tea Plants

  • Int J Mol Sci. 2019 Aug 25;20(17):4151. doi: 10.3390/ijms20174151.
Xuewen Wang 1 2,  Lanting Zeng 1 3,  Yinyin Liao 1 2,  Jianlong Li 4,  Jinchi Tang 4,  Ziyin Yang 5 6 7
Affiliations

Affiliations

  • 1 Key Laboratory of South China Agricultural Plant Molecular Analysis and Genetic Improvement & Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xingke Road 723, Tianhe District, Guangzhou 510650, China.
  • 2 University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yuquan Road 19A, Beijing 100049, China.
  • 3 Center of Economic Botany, Core Botanical Gardens, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xingke Road 723, Tianhe District, Guangzhou 510650, China.
  • 4 Tea Research Institute, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences & Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Resources Innovation and Utilization, Dafeng Road 6, Tianhe District, Guangzhou 510640, China.
  • 5 Key Laboratory of South China Agricultural Plant Molecular Analysis and Genetic Improvement & Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xingke Road 723, Tianhe District, Guangzhou 510650, China. zyyang@scbg.ac.cn.
  • 6 University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yuquan Road 19A, Beijing 100049, China. zyyang@scbg.ac.cn.
  • 7 Center of Economic Botany, Core Botanical Gardens, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xingke Road 723, Tianhe District, Guangzhou 510650, China. zyyang@scbg.ac.cn.
PMID: 31450700 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20174151
Abstract

Herbivore-induced plant volatiles (HIPVs) play important ecological roles in defense against stresses. In contrast to model Plants, reports on HIPV formation and function in crops are limited. Tea (Camellia sinensis) is an important crop in China. α-Farnesene is a common HIPV produced in tea Plants in response to different herbivore attacks. In this study, a C. sinensis α-farnesene synthase (CsAFS) was isolated, cloned, sequenced, and functionally characterized. The CsAFS recombinant protein produced in Escherichia coli was able to transform farnesyl diphosphate (FPP) into α-farnesene and also convert geranyl diphosphate (GPP) to β-ocimene in vitro. Furthermore, transient expression analysis in Nicotiana benthamiana Plants indicated that CsAFS was located in the cytoplasm and could convert FPP to α-farnesene in Plants. Wounding, to simulate herbivore damage, activated jasmonic acid (JA) formation, which significantly enhanced the CsAFS expression level and α-farnesene content. This suggested that herbivore-derived wounding induced α-farnesene formation in tea leaves. Furthermore, the emitted α-farnesene might act as a signal to activate antibacterial-related factors in neighboring undamaged tea leaves. This research advances our understanding of the formation and signaling roles of common HIPVs in crops such as tea Plants.

Keywords

Camellis sinensis; aroma; herbivore; jasmonic acid; signaling; tea; volatile; α-farnesene synthetase.

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