The disclosure provides an isolated nucleic acid molecule encoding a 7-epizingiberene synthase, a chimeric gene comprising said nucleic acid molecule, vectors comprising the same, as well as isolated 7-epizingiberene synthase proteins themselves. In addition, transgenic plants and plant cells comprising a gene encoding a 7-epizingiberene synthase, optionally integrated in its genome, and methods for making such plants and cells, are provided. Especially Solanaceae plants and plant parts (seeds, fruit, leaves, etc.) with enhanced insect pest resistance are provided.

The invention is directed to a santalene synthase, to a nucleic acid encoding said santalene synthase, to an expression vector comprising said nucleic acid, to a host cell comprising said expression vector, to a method of preparing santalene, to a method of preparing santalol and to a method of preparing a santalene synthase. The invention is further directed to an antibody specific for the santalane synthase.

The invention is directed to a santalene synthase, to a nucleic acid encoding said santalene synthase, to an expression vector comprising said nucleic acid, to a host cell comprising said expression vector, to a method of preparing santalene, to a method of preparing santalol and to a method of preparing a santalene synthase. The invention is further directed to an antibody specific for the santalane synthase.

The invention is directed to a santalene synthase, to a nucleic acid encoding said santalene synthase, to an expression vector comprising said nucleic acid, to a host cell comprising said expression vector, to a method of preparing santalene, to a method of preparing santalol and to a method of preparing a santalene synthase. The invention is further directed to an antibody specific for the santalane synthase.

Described herein is a biochemically produced sandalwood oil including at least 85% santalol and bergamotol and 1% or less cis-lanceol, where the oil has one or more of the following features: i) 5% or less alpha-santalal; ii) 5% or less farnesol; and iii) 0.5% or less spirosantalol. Also described herein are a perfuming composition including the sandalwood oil and a perfuming consumer product including the sandalwood oil. Also described herein are a method of using the biochemically produced sandalwood oil as an anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory agent, and an arthropod control composition including the sandalwood oil.

The present invention provides a method of producing -santalene by contacting at least one polypeptide with farnesyl phyrophosphate (fpp). In particular, the method may be carried out in vitro or in vivo to produce -santalene, a very useful compound in the fields of perfumery and flavoring. The present invention also provides the amino acid sequence of a polypeptide useful in the method of the invention. A nucleic acid encoding the polypeptide of the invention and an expression vector containing the nucleic acid represent part of the present invention. A non-human host organism and a cell transformed to be used in the method of producing santalene are also part of the present invention.

Provided are modified santalene synthase polypeptides, nucleic acid molecules encoding the modified santalene synthase polypeptides, and methods of using the modified santalene synthase polypeptides. The modified santalene synthase polypeptides include those that catalyze production of increased levels of terpenes or altered profiles thereof or both.

Disclosed are production of terpenoid compound and the strain used by, which belong to the technical field of bioengineering. The disclosure constructs an engineered strain of Serratia marcescens in production of hemiterpenes or monoterpenes, and the engineered strain of S. marcescens can produce linalool, isoprene, isopentenol, 1,8-cineole, -pinene, pinene, -terpinene, geraniol, (+)-limonene, ()-limonene, myrcene, -ocimene, sabinene, ()--bisabolol, farnesol, longifolene, valencene, -elemene, farnesene, patchoulol, pentalenene, and -santalene. In a 30 L fermenter, the yield of linalool produced by the engineered strain of S. marcescens is 40.72 g.Math.L.sup.1.

Described herein is a biochemically produced sandalwood oil including at least 85% santalol and bergamotol and 1% or less cis-lanceol, where the oil has one or more of the following features: i) 5% or less alpha-santalal; ii) 5% or less farnesol; and iii) 0.5% or less spirosantalol. Also described herein are a perfuming composition including the sandalwood oil and a perfuming consumer product including the sandalwood oil. Also described herein are a method of using the biochemically produced sandalwood oil as an anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory agent, and an arthropod control composition including the sandalwood oil.