Researchers in Israel believe they’ve identified the “fragrance gene” in petunias – a discovery that could allow them to create many other types of flowers with stronger, longer-lasting scents.
Unlocking the secret of what makes the flowering plant smell could have far wider implications, revolutionizing the horticulture, agriculture, biotechnology and the fragrance industries.
The team at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem now understand the role of a specific gene (PhDEF) in determining the shape of the flowers’ petals and coordinating the production of its floral scent.
Prof. Alexander Vainstein, who led the study at the Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, said the fact that petunias have a single gene responsible for both petal formation and scent production indicates that the plant is maximizing its appeal to pollinators.
“This dual functionality suggests that petunia flowers have evolved an integrated regulatory mechanism to optimize their attraction to pollinators,” – in the petunia’s case, mostly moths and hummingbirds.
“This discovery advances our knowledge of plant biology and offers potential applications for breeding more resilient and pollinator-friendly crops,” said Vainstein.
Scent is critical to attracting pollinators. And the petunia’s sweet or clove-like fragrance is often strongest in the evening, especially among white and purple varieties.
When the researchers suppressed the PhDEF gene, the petunias produced far less of the key scent compounds methyl benzoate and benzyl alcohol.
But the shape of their petals remained unchanged, which shows that scent production can be genetically manipulated without affecting the flower’s structure.
This discovery has huge potential for the fragrance industry, where it could lead to the development of flowers with stronger and longer-lasting scents, as well as customizable fragrances.
In agriculture, it could allow scientists to enhance the natural scents of crops that rely on bees for pollination, thereby optimizing fertilization efficiency.
And in horticulture, it could pave the way to adding scents to plants that don’t naturally have a fragrance.
The team’s research paper was published in The Plant Cell journal.
