Synthesis Of Terpenoids Research Articles

Progress in the Metabolic Engineering of Yarrowia lipolytica for the Synthesis of Terpenes.

Terpenes are natural secondary metabolites with isoprene as the basic structural unit; they are widely found in nature and have potential applications as advanced fuels, pharmaceutical ingredients, and agricultural chemicals. However, traditional methods are inefficient for obtaining terpenes because of complex processes, low yields, and environmental unfriendliness. The unconventional oleaginous yeast Yarrowia lipolytica, with a clear genetic background and complete gene editing tools, has attracted increasing attention for terpenoid synthesis. Here, we review the synthetic biology tools for Y. lipolytica, including promoters, terminators, selection markers, and autonomously replicating sequences. The progress and emerging trends in the metabolic engineering of Y. lipolytica for terpenoid synthesis are further summarized. Finally, potential future research directions are envisioned.

The complex network regulating bioactive compounds between medicinal and ornamental cultivars of Paeonia lactiflora Pall.

Paeonia lactiflora Pall., a prominent plant species highly valued for its ornamental and medicinal properties, exhibits a wide range of cultivars primarily utilized for ornamental purposes, while only a limited number are employed for medicinal applications. To broaden the application of P. lactiflora, we conducted a comparative analysis of the bioactive compounds in the roots of ornamental P. lactiflora cv. ‘Zifengyu’ (ZFY) and medicinal P. lactiflora cv. ‘Hangbaishao’ (HS) using multi-omics technologies. Our findings revealed significant differences in peoniflorin and flavonoid content between HS and ZFY roots. Notably, higher expression levels of CHS, F3H, and F3′5′H genes involved in the flavonoid pathway, as well as HMGS and TPS genes associated with terpenoid synthesis may play crucial roles in this process. Furthermore, we investigated the regulation of miRNAs and phasiRNAs on the biosynthesis of bioactive compounds in P. lactiflora root for the first time; our results suggest that miR156*, miR319*, miRN78*, along with phasiRNA Cluster-48340_26405_1_312_+ may regulate paeoniflorin and flavonoid biosynthesis in P. lactiflora roots. Our study provides valuable insights into understanding the regulatory mechanisms underlying bioactive compound production in P. lactiflora roots while expanding its economic benefits through diversified applications.

Integrative metabolome and transcriptome analyses reveal the differences in flavonoid and terpenoid synthesis between Glycyrrhiza uralensis (licorice) leaves and roots.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10068-023-01467-y.

Cell culture of Euphorbia fischeriana and enhancement of terpenoid accumulation through MeJA elicitation

Euphorbia fischeriana Steud is a perennial medicinal plant belonging to the Euphorbiaceae family, but its clinical application has been limited due to the scarcity of natural raw materials. Therefore, this study attempted to provide a new method for producing plant materials of E. fischeriana by cell culture. During cell culture, the effects of concentrations of plant growth regulators and sucrose were investigated to improve the culture efficiency. The results showed that the combination of 1.5 mg/L 6-benzylaminopurine and 0.2 mg/L naphthaleneacetic acid, together with a sucrose concentration of 20 g/L in the medium was appropriate for cell growth and terpenoid accumulation. Furthermore, this study applied an elicitation strategy with methyl jasmonate (MeJA) to enhance terpenoid production and investigated the involvement of signaling molecules, such as nitric oxide (NO) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). The results indicated that terpenoid accumulation depended on the concentration and treatment duration of MeJA. The maximum total terpenoid content was obtained when the cells were treated with 100 μM MeJA for 4 days. The levels of NO and H2O2 in the cells increased after MeJA treatment and peaked at 8 h and 18 h, respectively, suggesting the involvement of NO and H2O2 in MeJA-induced terpenoid synthesis. The findings of this study demonstrated the potential of cell culture as a method for obtaining plant materials of E. fischeriana.

Deciphering the key pathway for triterpenoid biosynthesis in Azadirachta indica A. Juss.: a comprehensive review of omics studies in nature's pharmacy.

Since ancient times, Azadirachta indica, or Neem, has been a well-known species of plant that produces a broad range of bioactive terpenoid chemicals that are involved in a variety of biological functions. Understanding the molecular mechanisms that are responsible for the biosynthesis and control of terpenoid synthesis is majorly dependent on successfully identifying the genes that are involved in their production. This review provides an overview of the recent developments concerning the identification of genes in A. indica that are responsible for the production of terpenoids. Numerous candidate genes encoding enzymes that are involved in the terpenoid biosynthesis pathway have been found through the use of transcriptomic and genomic techniques. These candidate genes include those that are responsible for the precursor synthesis, cyclization, and modification of terpenoid molecules. In addition, cutting-edge omics technologies, such as metabolomics and proteomics, have helped to shed light on the intricate regulatory networks that govern terpenoid biosynthesis. These networks are responsible for the production of terpenoids. The identification and characterization of genes involved in terpenoid biosynthesis in A. indica presents potential opportunities for genetic engineering and metabolic engineering strategies targeted at boosting terpenoid production as well as discovering novel bioactive chemicals.

Chromatin accessibility mediated transcriptome changes contribute to flavor substance alterations and jasmonic acid hyperaccumulation during oolong tea withering process.

During the oolong tea withering process, abiotic stresses induce significant changes in the content of various flavor substances and jasmonic acid (JA). However, the changes in chromatin accessibility during withering and their potential impact remain poorly understood. By integrating ATAC-seq, RNA-seq, metabolite, and hormone assays, we characterized the withering treatment-induced changes in chromatin accessibility, gene expression levels, important metabolite contents, and JA and JA-ILE contents. Additionally, we analyzed the effects of chromatin accessibility alterations on gene expression changes, content changes of important flavor substances, and JA hyperaccumulation. Our analysis identified a total of 3451 open- and 13 426 close-differentially accessible chromatin regions (DACRs) under withering treatment. Our findings indicate that close-DACRs-mediated down-regulated differentially expressed genes (DEGs) resulted in the reduced accumulation of multiple catechins during withering, whereas open-DACRs-mediated up-regulated DEGs contributed to the increased accumulation of important terpenoids, JA, JA-ILE and short-chain C5/C6 volatiles. We further highlighted important DACRs-mediated DEGs associated with the synthesis of catechins, terpenoids, JA and JA and short-chain C5/C6 volatiles and confirmed the broad effect of close-DACRs on catechin synthesis involving almost all enzymes in the pathway during withering. Importantly, we identified a novel MYB transcription factor (CsMYB83) regulating catechin synthesis and verified the binding of CsMYB83 in the promoter-DACRs regions of key catechin synthesis genes using DAP-seq. Overall, our results not only revealed a landscape of chromatin alters-mediated transcription, flavor substance and hormone changes under oolong tea withering, but also provided target genes for flavor improvement breeding in tea plant.

Comparative Metabolomics and Transcriptome Analysis Reveal the Fragrance-Related Metabolite Formation in Phoebe zhennan Wood.

Nanmu (Phoebe zhennan) has a unique fragrance and is a high-quality tree species for forest conservation. The types and contents of volatile compounds in different tissues of nanmu wood are different, and the study of its volatile metabolites can help us to understand the source of its fragrance and functions. In order to explore the metabolites related to the wood fragrance of nanmu and to find out the unique volatile substances in the heartwood, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was performed to analyze the non-targeted metabolomics in five radial tissues from the sapwood to the heartwood of nanmu. A total of 53 volatile metabolites belonging to 11 classes were detected in all tissues, including terpenes, aromatic hydrocarbons, organoheterocyclics, phenols, esters, organic acids, alcohols, alkaloids, alkane, indoles derivatives, and others. And most of the volatile metabolites were identified for the first time in nanmu wood. Among them, terpenes and aromatic hydrocarbons were the main volatile components. In addition, 22 differential metabolites were screened from HW and SW, HW, and TZ via metabolomic analysis. Among these DAMs, three volatile metabolites (cadinene, a sesquiterpenoid; p-cymene, a monoterpenoid; 1,3,5-triisopropylbenzene, an aromatic hydrocarbon) contributed heavily to the characteristic fragrance of the heartwood. Additionally, the expression of transcripts showed that the unigenes in the terpenoid biosynthesis pathway were especially up-regulated in the SW. Therefore, we speculated that fragrance-related metabolites were synthesized in SW and then deposited in heartwood during sapwood transformed to heartwood. The expression levels of transcription factors (e.g., WRKY, C2H2, NAC) acted as the major regulatory factors in the synthesis of terpenoid. The results lay the foundations for further studies on the formation mechanism of fragrance components in nanmu wood and also provide a reference for the further development and utilization of nanmu wood.

Genome-Wide Identification and Expression Analysis of bZIP Family Genes in Stevia rebaudiana.

The basic (region) leucine zippers (bZIPs) are evolutionarily conserved transcription factors widely distributed in eukaryotic organisms. In plants, they are not only involved in growth and development, defense and stress responses and regulation of physiological processes but also play a pivotal role in regulating secondary metabolism. To explore the function related to the bZIP gene family in Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni, we identified 105 SrbZIP genes at the genome-wide level and classified them into 12 subfamilies using bioinformation methods. Three main classes of cis-acting elements were found in the SrbZIP promoter regions, including development-related elements, defense and stress-responsive elements and phytohormone-responsive elements. Through protein-protein interaction network of 105 SrbZIP proteins, SrbZIP proteins were mainly classified into four major categories: ABF2/ABF4/ABI5 (SrbZIP51/SrbZIP38/SrbZIP7), involved in phytohormone signaling, GBF1/GBF3/GBF4 (SrbZIP29/SrbZIP63/SrbZIP60) involved in environmental signaling, AREB3 (SrbZIP88), PAN (SrbZIP12), TGA1 (SrbZIP69), TGA4 (SrbZIP82), TGA7 (SrbZIP31), TGA9 (SrbZIP95), TGA10 (SrbZIP79) and HY5 (SrbZIP96) involved in cryptochrome signaling, and FD (SrbZIP72) promoted flowering. The transcriptomic data showed that SrbZIP genes were differentially expressed in six S. rebaudiana cultivars ('023', '110', 'B1188', '11-14', 'GP' and 'GX'). Moreover, the expression levels of selected 15 SrbZIP genes in response to light, abiotic stress (low temperature, salt and drought), phytohormones (methyl jasmonate, gibberellic acid and salicylic acid) treatment and in different tissues were analyzed utilizing qRT-PCR. Some SrbZIP genes were further identified to be highly induced by factors affecting glycoside synthesis. Among them, three SrbZIP genes (SrbZIP54, SrbZIP63 and SrbZIP32) were predicted to be related to stress-responsive terpenoid synthesis in S. rebaudiana. The protein-protein interaction network expanded the potential functions of SrbZIP genes. This study firstly provided the comprehensive genome-wide report of the SrbZIP gene family, laying a foundation for further research on the evolution, function and regulatory role of the bZIP gene family in terpenoid synthesis in S. rebaudiana.

Essential oil from Artemisia argyi alleviated liver disease in zebrafish (Danio rerio) via the gut-liver axis.

The popularity of intensive fish farming has led to the emergence of fish diseases characterized by hepatobiliary syndrome. Artemisia argyi (A. argyi) essential oils have anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant effects. However, their alleviating effects and mechanism on liver disease in fish are still unclear. Thus, adult zebrafish were used to construct an animal model to observe histopathological damages, determine biochemical parameters and expression of inflammatory cytokines and mRNAs in the PPAR-γ/NF-κB pathway, and conduct 16S sequencing of intestinal microbiota. The results found that after treatment with A. argyi essential oil, the histopathological damage caused by ethanol was relieved; the CAT, SOD, and GSH levels were remarkably elevated, while the MDA level was obviously lowered (P<0.05); the expression levels of IL-10 and IFN-γ mRNAs were enhanced, but the levels of IL-1β, IL-6, PPAR-γ, NF-κB, and TNF-α mRNAs were reduced (P<0.05) relative to the EtOH group. A. argyi essential oil remarkably attenuated the damage to intestinal tissue structure, and elevated the levels of Muc2, ZO-1, Claudin-1, and Occludin mRNA (P<0.05). Sequencing of the gut flora showed that A. argyi essential oil significantly altered the composition of gut microbes compared with the EtOH group. In addition, KEGG and COG analyses also showed significant (P<0.05) changes in acetate cycling metabolism in the EtOH group, catechol 2, 3-dioxygenase and nitroreductase were significantly increased (P<0.001), and lipid metabolism and terpenoid synthesis were significantly elevated (P<0.001) in A. argyi essential oil group. The results indicate that A. argyi essential oil could effectively relieve ethanol-caused histopathological damage of livers by modulating the composition of gut microbiota, thus inhibiting the level of IL-1β and mRNAs in the PPAR-γ/NF-κB pathway, increasing the IL-10 level, reducing the oxidative stress. This may offer a rationale for further research on the rationality of A. argyi as a substitute for feed antibiotics in aquaculture.

Characterization of Volatile Organic Compounds in Five Celery (Apium graveolens L.) Cultivars with Different Petiole Colors by HS-SPME-GC-MS.

Celery (Apium graveolens L.) is an important vegetable crop cultivated worldwide for its medicinal properties and distinctive flavor. Volatile organic compound (VOC) analysis is a valuable tool for the identification and classification of species. Currently, less research has been conducted on aroma compounds in different celery varieties and colors. In this study, five different colored celery were quantitatively analyzed for VOCs using HS-SPME, GC-MS determination, and stoichiometry methods. The result revealed that γ-terpinene, d-limonene, 2-hexenal,-(E)-, and β-myrcene contributed primarily to the celery aroma. The composition of compounds in celery exhibited a correlation not only with the color of the variety, with green celery displaying a higher concentration compared with other varieties, but also with the specific organ, whereby the content and distribution of volatile compounds were primarily influenced by the leaf rather than the petiole. Seven key genes influencing terpenoid synthesis were screened to detect expression levels. Most of the genes exhibited higher expression in leaves than petioles. In addition, some genes, particularly AgDXS and AgIDI, have higher expression levels in celery than other genes, thereby influencing the regulation of terpenoid synthesis through the MEP and MVA pathways, such as hydrocarbon monoterpenes. This study identified the characteristics of flavor compounds and key aroma components in different colored celery varieties and explored key genes involved in the regulation of terpenoid synthesis, laying a theoretical foundation for understanding flavor chemistry and improving its quality.

Cloning and functional analysis of the DXR gene and promoter region in Osmanthus fragrans var. semperflorens.

The precise biological function and activity of the deoxylulose-5-phosphate reductoisomerase (DXR) gene and its promoter in Osmanthus fragrans var. semperflorens remain unclear, even though OfDXR is known as the crucial enzyme involved in plant terpenoid synthesis. This study aimed to shed light on the role and activity of the OfDXR gene and its promoter in O. fragrans var. semperflorens by employing RACE-PCR and Hi-TAIL-PCR techniques for the cloning of the gene and promoter sequence from the petal tissue. Subsequently, genetic transformation and histochemical staining methods were utilized to analyze their function and activity. The OfDXR gene exhibited a DNA sequence length of 5241 bp, encompassing 12 exons and 11 introns. The corresponding cDNA sequence of the OfDXR gene was 1629 bp, encoding 474 amino acid residues. Expression analysis revealed that the OfDXR gene was predominantly active in the petals during the early full blooming stage. Overexpression of the OfDXR gene in Arabidopsis plants at the primary or full blooming stage led to an augmentation in the total terpenoid content. Furthermore, the promoter sequence of the OfDXR gene spanned a length of 1174 bp and contained conserved regulatory/response elements, demonstrating functional activity. These findings indicate that the OfDXR gene plays a pivotal role in terpenoid synthesis, while its promoter exhibits robust activity.

Two-phase terpenoid biosynthesis-inspired divergent total syntheses of bridged polycyclic natural products

Two-phase terpenoid biosynthesis-inspired divergent total syntheses of bridged polycyclic natural products

A Modular Approach for the Synthesis of Natural and Artificial Terpenoids.

Many terpenoids with isoprene unit(s) demonstrating critical biological activities have been isolated and characterized. In this study, we have developed a robust chem-stamp strategy for the construction of the key isoprene unit, which consists of two steps: one-carbon extension of aldehydes to the alkenyl boronates by the boron-Wittig reaction and the rhodium-catalyzed reaction of alkenyl boronates with 2,3-allenols to yield enals. This chem-stamp could readily be applied repeatedly and separately, enabling the modular concise synthesis of many natural and pharmaceutically active terpenoids, including retinal, β-carotene, vitamin A, tretinoin, fenretinide, acitretin, ALRT1550, nigerapyrone C, peretinoin, and lycopene. Owing to the diversified availability of the starting materials, aldehydes and 2,3-allenols, creation of new non-natural terpenoids has been realized from four dimensions: the number of isoprene units, the side chain, and the two terminal groups.

A Modular Approach for the Synthesis of Natural and Artificial Terpenoids

AbstractMany terpenoids with isoprene unit(s) demonstrating critical biological activities have been isolated and characterized. In this study, we have developed a robust chem‐stamp strategy for the construction of the key isoprene unit, which consists of two steps: one‐carbon extension of aldehydes to the alkenyl boronates by the boron‐Wittig reaction and the rhodium‐catalyzed reaction of alkenyl boronates with 2,3‐allenols to yield enals. This chem‐stamp could readily be applied repeatedly and separately, enabling the modular concise synthesis of many natural and pharmaceutically active terpenoids, including retinal, β‐carotene, vitamin A, tretinoin, fenretinide, acitretin, ALRT1550, nigerapyrone C, peretinoin, and lycopene. Owing to the diversified availability of the starting materials, aldehydes and 2,3‐allenols, creation of new non‐natural terpenoids has been realized from four dimensions: the number of isoprene units, the side chain, and the two terminal groups.

Rapid construction of E.coli chassis with genome multi-position integration of isopentenol utilization pathway for efficient and stable terpenoid accumulation.

The isopentenol utilization pathway (IUP) is potential in terpenoids synthesis. This study aimed to construct IUP-employed E. coli chassis for stably synthesizing terpenoids. As to effectiveness, promotor engineering strategy was employed to regulate IUP expression level, while ribosome-binding site (RBS) library of the key enzyme was constructed for screening the optimal RBS, followed by optimization of concentration of inducer and substrates, the titer of reporting production, lycopene, from 0.087 to 8.67 mg/OD600 . As about stability, the IUP expression cassette was integrated into the genome through transposition tool based on CRISPR-associated transposases. Results showed that the strain with 13 copies produced 1.78-fold lycopene titer that of the controlled strain with IUP-harbored plasmid, and it exhibited stable expression after ten successions while the plasmid loss was observed in the controlled strain in the 3rd succession. This strategy provides valuable information for rapid construction of highly effective and stable chassis employing IUP for terpenoids production. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Remodeling Isoprene Pyrophosphate Metabolism for Promoting Terpenoids Bioproduction

Terpenoids are the largest family of natural products. They are made from the building block isoprene pyrophosphate (IPP), and their bioproduction using engineered cell factories has received a great deal of attention. To date, the insufficient metabolic supply of IPP remains a great challenge for the efficient synthesis of terpenoids. In this work, we discover that the imbalanced metabolic flux distribution between the central metabolism and the IPP supply hinders IPP accumulation in Bacillus subtilis (B. subtilis). Therefore, we remodel the IPP metabolism using a series of genetically encoded two-input-multi-output (TIMO) circuits that are responsive to pyruvate or/and malonyl-CoA, resulting in an IPP pool that is significantly increased by up to four-fold. As a proof-of-concept validation, we design an IPP metabolism remodeling strategy to improve the production of three valuable terpenoids, including menaquinone-7 (MK-7, 4.1-fold), lycopene (9-fold), and β-carotene (0.9-fold). In particular, the titer of MK-7 in a 50-L bioreactor reached 1549.6 mg∙L−1, representing the highest titer reported so far. Thus, we propose a TIMO genetic circuits-assisted IPP metabolism remodeling framework that can be generally used for the synergistic fine-tuning of complicated metabolic modules to achieve the efficient bioproduction of terpenoids.

Shifts in carbon partitioning by photosynthetic activity increase terpenoid synthesis in glandular trichomes.

Several commercially important secondary metabolites are produced and accumulated in high amounts by glandular trichomes, giving the prospect of using them as metabolic cell factories. Due to extremely high metabolic fluxes through glandular trichomes, previous research focused on how such flows are achieved. The question regarding their bioenergetics became even more interesting with the discovery of photosynthetic activity in some glandular trichomes. Despite recent advances, how primary metabolism contributes to the high metabolic fluxes in glandular trichomes is still not fully elucidated. Using computational methods and available multi-omics data, we first developed a quantitative framework to investigate the possible role of photosynthetic energy supply in terpenoid production and next tested experimentally the simulation-driven hypothesis. With this work, we provide the first reconstruction of specialised metabolism in Type-VI photosynthetic glandular trichomes of Solanum lycopersicum. Our model predicted that increasing light intensities results in a shift of carbon partitioning from catabolic to anabolic reactions driven by the energy availability of the cell. Moreover, we show the benefit of shifting between isoprenoid pathways under different light regimes, leading to a production of different classes of terpenes. Our computational predictions were confirmed in vivo, demonstrating a significant increase in production of monoterpenoids while the sesquiterpenes remained unchanged under higher light intensities. The outcomes of this research provide quantitative measures to assess the beneficial role of chloroplast in glandular trichomes for enhanced production of secondary metabolites and can guide the design of new experiments that aim at modulating terpenoid production.

Time-resolved transcriptomic profile of oleaginous yeast Rhodotorula mucilaginosa during lipid and carotenoids accumulation on glycerol

The study reports the exploration of the transcriptome landscape of the red oleaginous yeast Rhodotorula mucilaginosa IIPL32 coinciding with the fermentation kinetics of the yeast cultivated in a two-stage fermentation process to exploit the time-series approach to get the complete transcripts picture and reveal the persuasive genes for fatty acid and terpenoid synthesis. The finding displayed the molecular drivers with more than 2-fold upregulation in the nitrogen-limited stage than in the nitrogen-excess stage. The rate-limiting diphosphomevalonate decarboxylase, acetylCoA-citrate lyase, and acetyl-CoA C-acetyltransferase were significant in controlling the metabolic flux in the synthesis of reduced compounds, and acetoacetyl-CoA synthase, 3-ketoacyl-acyl carrier-protein reductase, and β-subunit enoyl reductase catalyze the key starting steps of lipids or terpenoid synthesis. The last two catalyze essential reduction steps in fatty acid synthesis. These enzymes would be the prime targets for the metabolic engineering of the oleaginous yeast for enhanced fatty acids and terpenoid production.

Cloning, Bioinformatics Analysis and Expression Vector Construction of &amp;lt;I&amp;gt;DXS&amp;lt;/I&amp;gt; Gene from &amp;lt;i&amp;gt;Aconitum vilmorinianum&amp;lt;/i&amp;gt;

<i>Aconitum vilmorinianum</i> is an important Chinese medicinal herb, which contains diterpenoid alkaloids and has the functions of antirheumatic activity, improvement in human meridians, relief of swelling and pain, activation of the blood circulation, and inhibition of tumor growth. The biosynthesis of diterpenoid alkaloids requires intermediate products obtained through terpenoid skeleton metabolism, in order to synthesize diterpenoid alkaloids. The synthesis of terpenoid skeletons includes the MVA pathway and the MEP pathway. 1-deoxyglucose-5-phosphate synthase (<I>DXS</I>) is the first rate limiting enzyme gene in the MEP pathway and plays an important regulatory role in the synthesis of terpenoids. Objective: To understand the characteristics of the DXS gene in Polygonummultiflorum. Method: By extracting RNA from the leaves of <i>A. vilmorinianum</i>and reverse transcribing it into cDNA, according to the transcriptome data of <i>A. vilmorinianum</i>, primers were designed to clone the full length of the gene, and the sequence of the coding protein was analyzed by bioinformatics. Construct overexpression vectors and inhibitory expression vectors. Results: The results showed that the coding region of the gene is 1512 bp, with 503 amino acids, molecular formula C₂₄₀₈H₃₈₂₂N₆₅₂O₇₁₃S₂₂, molecular weight 54020.10, the isoelectric point pI 6.29, the instability index 35.70, and belongs to the stable protein category. Successfully constructing overexpression vectors and inhibitory expression vectors can provide scientific basis for further research on the function of this gene in the diterpene biosynthesis pathway.

Formation mechanism of glandular trichomes involved in the synthesis and storage of terpenoids in lavender

BackgroundLavender (genus Lavandula, family Lamiaceae) is an aromatic plant widely grown as an ornamental plant. The chemical composition of lavender is characterized by monoterpenoids, sesquiterpenoids, and other compounds, which are primarily synthesized and stored in epidermal secretory structures called glandular trichomes (GTs). Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are responsible for the aroma characteristics of plant oil that drive consumer preference. Aroma is usually regarded as a characteristic trait for the classification of aromatic plants. Interestingly, VOCs are synthesized and stored in GTs. Lamiaceae species such as purple perilla, peppermint, basil, thyme, and oregano usually possess two types of GTs: peltate glandular trichomes (PGTs) and capitate glandular trichomes (CGTs). But the development process of PGTs in lavender has been reported in only a few studies to date.ResultsIn this study, we identified and quantified the VOCs in four lavender cultivars by headspace-solid phase micro extraction-gas chromatography mass spectrometry (HS–SPME–GC–MS). A total of 66 VOCs were identified in these four cultivars, the most prominent of which were linalyl acetate and linalool, and flowers were the main site of accumulation of these VOCs. Here, we examined the developmental process of PGTs, including the formation of their base, body, and apex. The apex cells contained secretory cavities, which produced VOCs. Based on the reference genome sequence of the lavender cultivar ‘Jingxun 2’, several R2R3-MYB subfamily genes related to GT formation were identified. These results will guide the engineering of GTs and molecular breeding of lavender for improving the VOC content.ConclusionsIn this study, we identified the VOCs in four lavender cultivars. We analyzed the formation of GTs, and compared the number and diameter size of PGTs among four lavender cultivars. Additionally, we identified four candidate genes belonging to the R2R3-MYB family.