The control of rhythmic emission of floral volatiles emitted from Rosa damascena semperflorens cv. 'Quatre Saisons' throughout floral development under various light regimes was studied. 2-Phenylethanol was the major volatile emitted in addition to monoterpenols, oxidised monoterpenols, monoterpenes and aromatic compounds. All detected volatiles were emitted rhythmically, with maximum peaks coinciding 8-10 h into a 12-h photoperiod. For some compounds a secondary, nocturnal peak was apparent. The primary and secondary maxima both occurred at approximately 24-h intervals. Rhythms appeared to be regulated endogenously: rhythmic emission continued upon exposure to continuous light or continuous darkness, and a phase shift in emission was induced upon inversion of the photoperiod. Additionally, emission continued after flower excision. A similar profile of free volatiles was stored within the floral tissue, together with glycosidic forms of 2-phenylethanol (>99% beta-D-glucoside), benzyl alcohol, citronellol and geraniol. Regression analysis indicated a significant decrease in glycosylated 2-phenylethanol through the photoperiod. These results suggest that glycosylated volatiles stored within petals may be a source of rhythmically emitted volatiles.

To clarify the biosynthetic pathway to 2-phenylethanol (2), the deuterium-labeled putative precursor, [2H8]L-phenylalanine ([2H8-1]), was fed to the flowers of Rosa 'Hoh-Jun' and R. damascena Mill. throughout maturation, ceasing feeding at the commencement of petal unfurling and at full bloom. Based on GC-MS analyses, [2H8]-1 was incorporated into both 2 and 2-phenylethyl beta-D-glucopyranoside (3) when the flowers were fed until full bloom, whereas no such incorporation into 2 was apparent when feeding was ceased earlier. In both species of rose, the labeling pattern for 2 was almost identical to that for 3, and indicated the presence of [2H6]-, [2H7]- and [2H8]-2, and [2H6]-, [2H7]- and [2H8]-3. This may be ascribed to the equilibrium between 2 and 3. The labeling pattern for 2 and 3 also indicated that these compounds were produced from 1 via several routes, the route involving phenylpyruvic acid being the major one.

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