AUTHOR=Hendrickson Hannah , Islam Monirul , Wabo Ghislain Fotso , Mafu Sibongile 

TITLE=Biochemical analysis of the TPS-a subfamily in Medicago truncatula

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Plant Science

VOLUME=15

YEAR=2024

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/plant-science/articles/10.3389/fpls.2024.1349009

DOI=10.3389/fpls.2024.1349009

ISSN=1664-462X

ABSTRACT=<p>Terpenes are important mediators of plant chemical response to environmental cues. Here, we describe the genome-wide identification and biochemical characterization of TPS-a members in <italic>Medicago truncatula</italic>, a model legume crop. Genome mining identified thirty-nine full-length terpene synthases with a significant number predicted to produce monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes. Biochemical characterization of the TPS-a subfamily associated with sesquiterpene biosynthesis revealed such compounds, that exhibit substantial biological activity in other plants. Gene expression analysis using qPCR and the <italic>Medicago</italic> gene atlas illustrated distinct tissue and time-based variation in expression in leaves and roots. Together our work establishes the gene-to-metabolite relationships for sesquiterpene synthases in <italic>M. truncatula</italic>. Understanding the biosynthetic capacity is a foundational step to defining the ecological roles of this important family of compounds.</p>