Model for the genetic control of thujone, sabinene and umbellulone in tansy (Tanacetum vulgare L.)

Abstract

Holopainen, M., Hiltunen, R., Lokki. J., Forsén, K. and Schantz, M. Von. 1987. Model for the genetic control of thujone, sabinene and umbellulone in tansy (Tanacetun vulgare L.). —Hereditas 106: 205–208. Lund, Sweden. ISSN 0018–0661. Received August 1, 1986 Seven parental tansy (Tanacerum vulgare L.) plants were crossed by artificial pollination in the experiments in order to develop a schematic model for the genetic control of the thujone skeleton monoterpenes: thujone, sabinene and umbellulone. The progeny, comprising 232 plant individuals, were analyzed by gas chromatography. The essential oil was isolated from the leaves by means of a micro-extraction technique. The sabinene (SI) x sabinene (SII) crosses mainly produced progeny of the sabinene type (63%). The sabinene (SI) x umbellulone (UI) crosses were mainly of the sabinene type (50%), although the urnbellulone type (27.5%) also occurred. The back crosses and control crosses indicated that the thujone type TI, i.e., the parental plant of the sabinene type SI, differs genetically from the other thujone type (T3). The thujone type T1, which is also able to synthesize sabinene, seemed to transfer unwanted characteristics to the sabinene type S1 (F1 generation). This was also characteristic of the F2 generation. This partially explains the small number of sabinene types appearing in nature. A schematic model for the genetic control of thujoneline biosynthesis earlier developed for tansy by LOKKI et al(1973) was improved by incorporating the results of the study on thujone and sabinene. In addition, the pathway of umhellulone biosynthesis was added to the genetic model.