Metabolic engineering of essential oil in Eucalyptus using Perilla limonene synthase cDNA

Abstract

Plant-derived fragrances play important roles in the quality of human life. Monoterpenes are a group of volatile C10 compounds that are aromatic constituents of plant essential oils. This study attempted to modify the production of monoterpenes, which are major components of Eucalyptus essential oil, by introducing Perilla frutescens limonene synthase (PFLS) cDNA by genetic engineering. Expression of PFLS yielded ca. 5-times more limonene than that accumulated in wild-type E. camaldulensis. For this achievement of monoterpene engineering, scientific knowledge on basic plant biology using model plants has been utilized.