ABSTRACT
Floral scent is a diverse blend of low molecular weight, mostly lypophilic compounds. Volatiles emitted from flowers play crucial roles in plant reproductive and evolutionary success by contributing to attraction of pollinators and serving as defense compounds against pathogens and florivores. The genome of each plant species contains multiple terpene synthase genes with related sequences, encoding enzymes with distinct functions. Acylation of alcohols, most often with an acetyl moiety but also with larger acyls such butanoyl or benzoyl acyls, leads to the formation of volatiles esters, and is also common in floral scents. Investigations into floral scent in many laboratories have resulted in the characterization of a large number of genes encoding enzymes responsible for the synthesis of scent compounds. Terpenoids, the largest class of floral volatiles and plant specialized metabolites in general, include such well-known common constituents of floral scents as the monoterpenes linalool, limonene, myrcene, ocimene, geraniol, and the sesquiterpenes farnesene, neralidol, caryophyllene, and germacrene.
