In Vitro synthesis of, Methyl Salicylate & Methyl Benzoate, by Nicotiana Suaveolens via BSMT gene

Abstract

The Solanaceae family produces an array of volatiles, which are thought of having a direct effect on the environment by attracting pollinators, providing herbivory defense and performing antimicrobial functions. Nicotiana Suaveolens is a BSMT-type plant, which has been found to produce a 4-fold higher amount of methyl benzoate over methyl salicylate (Pott, 2004). The results suggested that in vitro BSMT is capable of methylating both substrates with a higher affinity for salicylic acid (SA) over benzoic acid (BA); having a 6-fold higher production of methyl salicylate. (Figure 1A) This could have been due to mutations and the structure of the active site. In the presence of only 1 substrate it was able to methylate what was provided. ( Figure 1 B, C, D) The BSMT genes that were mutated to perform as SAMT genes had zero yields; therefore, the gene was thought to have degraded or become nonfunctional.