PhD Dissertation Oral Defence, Lukman Sarker: Structural And Regulatory Genes Controlling The Biosynthesis Of Essential Oil Constituents in Lavender

Doctoral Dissertation Oral Defence – Doctor of Philosophy in Biology

Lukman Sarker will defend the dissertation titled:

Structural And Regulatory Genes Controlling The Biosynthesis Of Essential Oil Constituents in Lavender

Lavender is an economically important plant known for its essential oils (EO), which is dominated by a group of small, volatile biochemical compounds known as monoterpenoids.

To understand the genetic basis of lavender EO constituent production, we developed a comprehensive transcriptome database, which facilitates the discovery of structural and regulatory genes involved in terpenoids biosynthesis, as well as other important processes such as defense against pest and herbivores. Further, we employed a Yeast One-Hybrid Assay to identify transcription factors that control the expression of two important genes responsible for the production of linalool and cineole in lavenders.

Finally, we cloned genes for two acetyltransferase enzymes involved in the conversion of monoterpenes to their corresponding esters in lavender plants.