Genotype to Chemotype Analysis in Sage (Salvia officinalis L., Lamiaceae)?

Chemotypes are natural variations of the chemical composition within a plant species. Different flower colors of ornamental plants are often based on such chemical variations. Their origin is in mutations of the DNA that may inactivate a gene coding for a certain chemical substance or my alter the gene in a way that it produces a different compound. Garden sage (Salvia officinalis L., a member of the mint family) is an important medicinal and aromatic plant whose activity and sensorial quality is related to its essential oil. The high essential oil variability that is characteristic for sage can alter its activity and smell and taste dramatically. Therefore it is necessary to know the genetic background of the chemotypes in order to guarantee efficacy and safety of this plant. In our project, we plan to elucidate the natural variability of the responsible genes to find the mutations that are causing the natural variation. A further focus will be the DNA-region upfront the genes that trigger gene activation. Furthermore, two compounds of the essential oil, a- and ß- thujone, will be studied in neuronal cell culture assays since it is well known that they have potential neurotoxic effects when consumed in excess. The results can be used in future to develop DNA-tests for the chemical quality of sage without chemical analysis.