The mature leaves and husks of Zea mays release a complex blend of terpene volatiles after anthesis consisting predominantly of bisabolane-, sesquithujane-, and bergamotane-type sesquiterpenes. The varieties B73 and Delprim release the same volatile constituents but in significantly different proportions. To study the molecular genetic and biochemical mechanisms controlling terpene diversity and distribution in these varieties, we isolated the closely related terpene synthase genes terpene synthase4 (tps4) and tps5 from both varieties. The encoded enzymes, TPS4 and TPS5, each formed the same complex mixture of sesquiterpenes from the precursor farnesyl diphosphate but with different proportions of products. These mixtures correspond to the sesquiterpene blends observed in the varieties B73 and Delprim, respectively. The differences in the stereoselectivity of TPS4 and TPS5 are determined by four amino acid substitutions with the most important being a Gly instead of an Ala residue at position 409 at the catalytic site of the enzyme. Although both varieties contain tps4 and tps5 alleles, their differences in terpene composition result from the fact that B73 has only a single functional allele of tps4 and no functional alleles of tps5, whereas Delprim has only a functional allele of tps5 and no functional alleles of tps4. Lack of functionality was shown to be attributable to frame-shift mutations or amino acid substitutions that greatly reduce the activity of their encoded proteins. Therefore, the diversity of sesquiterpenes in these two maize cultivars is strongly influenced by single nucleotide changes in the alleles of two terpene synthase genes.
玉米成熟叶片和果壳在开花后释放出一种复杂的萜烯挥发物混合物,主要由红没药烷、
倍半萜烷和
佛手柑烷类
倍半萜组成。B73和Delprim这两个品种释放的挥发物成分相同,但比例明显不同。为了研究控制这些品种中萜烯多样性和分布的分子遗传和生化机制,我们从这两个品种中分离出了密切相关的萜烯合成酶
基因terpene synthase4(tPS4)和tPS5。编码的酶TPS4和TPS5分别从前体法呢基二
磷酸形成相同的
倍半萜混合物,但产物比例不同。这些混合物分别对应于在B73和Delprim品种中观察到的
倍半萜混合物。TPS4和TPS5在立体选择性上的差异是由四个
氨基酸取代决定的,其中最重要的是在酶催化位点第409位由甘
氨酸取代了丙
氨酸残基。虽然这两个品种都含有tPS4和tPS5等位
基因,但它们在萜烯组成上的差异是由于B73只有一个tPS4的功能等位
基因,而没有tPS5的功能等位
基因,而Delprim只有一个tPS5的功能等位
基因,而没有tPS4的功能等位
基因。功能缺失是由于移码突变或
氨基酸取代导致其编码蛋白活性大大降低。因此,这两个玉米栽培品种