A lavender ABC transporter confers resistance to monoterpene toxicity in yeast

Main conclusion Functional expression of a multidrug resistance-type ABC transporter from Lavandula angustifolia improved yeast resistance to geraniol, a monoterpene constituent of lavender essential oil. Plant ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters are a large family of membrane proteins involved in active and selective transport of structurally diverse compounds. In this study, we functionally evaluated LaABCB1, a multidrug resistance (MDR)-type ABC transporter strongly expressed in the secretory cells of lavender glandular trichomes, where monoterpene essential oil constituents are synthesized and secreted. We used LaABCB1 to complement a yeast knockout mutant in which 16 ABC transporters were deleted. Expression of LaABCB1 enhanced tolerance of yeast mutants to geraniol, a key constituent of essential oils in lavenders and numerous other plants. Our findings suggest a role for the MDR-type ABC transporters in the toxicity tolerance of at least certain essential oil constituents in lavender oil glands.