title: A glandular trichome-specific monoterpene alcohol dehydrogenase from Artemisia annua.
abstract: The major components of the isoprenoid-rich essential oil of Artemisia annua L. accumulate in the subcuticular sac of glandular secretory trichomes. As part of an effort to understand isoprenoid biosynthesis in A. annua, an expressed sequence tag (EST) collection was investigated for evidence of genes encoding trichome-specific enzymes. This analysis established that a gene denoted Adh2, encodes an alcohol dehydrogenase and shows a high expression level in glandular trichomes relative to other tissues. The gene product, ADH2, has up to 61% amino acid identity to members of the short chain alcohol dehydrogenase/reductase (SDR) superfamily, including Forsythia x intermedia secoisolariciresinol dehydrogenase (49.8% identity). Through in vitro biochemical analysis, ADH2 was found to show a strong preference for monoterpenoid secondary alcohols including carveol, borneol and artemisia alcohol. These results indicate a role for ADH2 in monoterpenoid ketone biosynthesis in A. annua glandular trichomes.
authors.affiliation: Plant Biotechnology Institute, 110 Gymnasium Place, Saskatoon, SK, Canada S7N OW9.
authors.forename: Devin R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Polichuk
authors.forename: Yansheng
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Darwin W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Reed
authors.forename: Janice F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Schmidt
authors.forename: Patrick S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Covello
mesh_terms: D000426:Alcohol Dehydrogenase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D031172:Artemisia annua / Q000737:chemistry / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics; D000081005:Cyclohexane Monoterpenes; D015394:Molecular Structure; D039821:Monoterpenes / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D009822:Oils, Volatile / Q000737:chemistry; D012639:Seeds / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D000081005:Cyclohexane Monoterpenes; D039821:Monoterpenes; D009822:Oils, Volatile; C075856:carveol; D000426:Alcohol Dehydrogenase