Short communicationMethyl jasmonate elicits the biotransformation of geraniol stored as its glucose conjugate into methyl geranate in Achyranthes bidentata plant

•Biotransformation mechanisms of geraniol in plants was proposed.•Geraniol was metabolized into methyl geranate and re-emitted.•Geraniol was also metabolized into geranyl glucoside in the leaves.•Geranyl-β-D-glucoside was found to be metabolized into methyl geranate.•MeJA induced the conversion of geraniol into methyl geranate through the glucoside.

To investigate the biotransformation pathway of airborne geraniol by Achyranthes bidentata (A. bidentata), deuterium labeled geraniol was applied with or without methyl jasmonate (MeJA), and the biosynthesized metabolites were analyzed. In A. bidentata leaves, geraniol was conjugated with glucose. The conjugate was then metabolized to afford methyl geranate only under MeJA elicitation. MeJA elicits the biotransformation of geraniol into methyl geranate by inducing the conversion of the intermediate, glucose conjugate of geraniol.