The nonmevalonate pathway supports both monoterpene and sesquiterpene formation in snapdragon flowers.

Terpenoids, the largest class of plant secondary metabolites, play essential roles in both plant and human life. In higher plants, the five-carbon building blocks of all terpenoids, isopentenyl diphosphate (IPP) and dimethylallyl diphosphate, are derived from two independent pathways localized in different cellular compartments. The methylerythritol phosphate (MEP or nonmevalonate) pathway, localized in the plastids, is thought to provide IPP and dimethylallyl diphosphate for hemiterpene, monoterpene, and diterpene biosynthesis, whereas the cytosol-localized mevalonate pathway provides C5 units for sesquiterpene biosynthesis. Stable isotope-labeled, pathway-specific precursors (1-deoxy-[5,5-2H2]-D-xylulose and [2,2-2H2]-mevalolactone) were supplied to cut snapdragon flowers, which emit both monoterpenes and the sesquiterpene, nerolidol. We show that only one of the two pathways, the plastid-localized MEP pathway, is active in the formation of volatile terpenes. The MEP pathway provides IPP precursors for both plastidial monoterpene and cytosolic sesquiterpene biosynthesis in the epidermis of snapdragon petals. The trafficking of IPP occurs unidirectionally from the plastids to cytosol. The MEP pathway operates in a rhythmic manner controlled by the circadian clock, which determines the rhythmicity of terpenoid emission.

Behavioral foraging responses by the butterfly Heliconius melpomene to Lantana camara floral scent.

Floral color has been shown to influence flower selection by butterflies, but few studies have investigated the role of floral scent. In this study, adults of Heliconius melpomene L. (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae: Heliconiinae) were tested in two-choice bioassays to investigate their ability to distinguish floral scent of the butterfly pollinated plant Lantana camara L. (Verbenaceae) from other plant scents. The relative importance of floral scent vs. color was also studied. Butterfly foraging behavior was measured as probing with proboscis. This probing, on floral models varying in scent and color, was timed. When given a choice of floral and vegetative scents of L. camara, newly emerged butterflies preferred floral scent, indicating an innate response to floral scents. When butterflies were conditioned to L. camara floral scent by offering the scent with yellow color and sugar water, yellow color elicited stronger feeding responses than did the floral scent. However, the floral scent of L. camara was preferred to that of the novel species Philadelphus coronarius L. (Hydrangiaceae). The floral scent of L. camara was dominated by tepenoid compounds, while that of P. coronarius by fatty acid derivatives, thus demonstrating totally different compositions. It is concluded that, while H. melpomene butterflies often use visual floral traits when selecting which flowers to visit, floral scents elicit behavioral responses that initiate and maintain foraging on flowers.

Antennal responses to floral scents in the butterfly Heliconius melpomene.

Floral scent, together with visual floral cues, are important signals to adult butterflies searching for food-rewarding plants. To identify which compounds in a floral scent are more attractive and, thus, of biological importance to foraging butterflies, we applied electrophysiological methods. Antennal responses of male and female adults of the tropical butterfly Heliconius melpomene L. (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae: Heliconiinae) to individual compounds of natural floral scents and synthetic floral scent mixtures were investigated using gas chromatography-electroantennographic detection (GC-EAD). The natural floral scents included those of two tropical plant species, Lantana camara L. (Verbenaceae) and Warszewiczia coccinea (Vahl) Kl. (Rubiaceae), and two temperate species, Buddleja davidii Franchet (Loganiaceae) and Cirsium arvense (L.) Scop. (Asteraceae). The two synthetic floral scent mixtures contained many of the compounds found in the natural scents, but all in equal quantities. Compounds both present in relatively high abundance in the floral scents and detected exclusively in the floral parts of the plant, such as linalool, linalool oxide (furanoid) I and II, oxoisophoroneoxide, and phenylacetaldehyde, elicited the strongest antennal responses, suggesting that they may reflect adaptations by the plant to attract butterfly pollinators. However, other compounds also present in high abundance in the floral scent, but detected in the vegetative as well as floral plant parts, either elicited strong antennal responses, such as trans-beta-ocimene and benzaldehyde, or failed to elicit antennal responses, such as the sesquiterpenes beta-caryophyllene and alpha-humulene from L. camara. The most volatile monoterpene alkenes in the synthetic scent mixtures elicited only low or no responses. Furthermore, the overall antennal responses were stronger in females than in males. The findings suggest that several floral scent volatiles, especially those of exclusively floral origin, are of high biological significance to H. melpomene butterflies. These include compounds of different biosynthetic origins belonging to the benzenoids, monoterpenoids, and irregular terpenoids.