| Project Goals | Develop genomic and germplasm resources for the continued improvement of commercial mint cultivars |
| Funding | Mint Industry Research Council, Corporate Partners |
| Collaborators | Kelly Vining – Oregon State University |
| Nahla Bassil – USDA, National Clonal Germplasm Repository | |
| Ivan Liachko, Zev Kronenberg – Phase Genomics | |
| Zhiwu Zhang – Washington State University |
Executive Summary
Mints (Mentha spp.) are important specialty crops, grown in temperate climates for distilled essential oils oils and as aromatic herbs. Commercial cultivars auch as peppermint and spearmint are clonally propagated polyploids, originating from a series of hybridizations, which presents difficulties for both breeding and genetic studies. We are performing crosses between ancestral mint accessions, attempting to generate breeding populations with restored fertility and desirable characteristics (oil composition and Verticillium wilt resistance). These efforts are informed by genotyping and chemotyping diverse mint accessions, genome sequencing, genome-wide association studies, structure-function studies to elucidate the physiology and biochemistry underlying essential oil biosynthesis and disease resistance.
Online Databases
Selected Recent Publications
Lange B.M., Parrish A.N., Lange I., Xiao Y., Pandelova I., Dong H., Zhang Z., Davis T.M., Vining KJ (2025) Transgressive segregation affects essential oil composition in a model mint population. New Phytol. 247, 1564-1571.
Talbot S.C., Pandelova I., Lange B.M., Vining K.J. (2024) A first look at the genome structure of hexaploid “Mitcham” peppermint (Mentha× piperita L.). G3: Genes, Genomes, Genetics 14, jkae195.
Polito J.T., Lange I., Barton K.E., Srividya N., Lange B.M. (2024) Characterization of a Unique Pair of Ferredoxin and Ferredoxin NADP+ Reductase Isoforms That Operates in Non-Photosynthetic Glandular Trichomes. Plants 13, 409.
Lange B.M., Srividya N., Lange I., Parrish A.N., Benzenberg L.R., Pandelova I., Vining K.J., Wüst M. (2023) Biochemical basis for the formation of organ-specific volatile blends in mint. Front. Plant Sci. 14, 1125065.
Vining K.J., Pandelova I., Lange I., Parrish A., Lefors A., Kronmiller B., Liachko I., Kronenberg Z., Srividya N., Lange B.M. (2022) Chromosome-level genome assembly of Mentha longifolia L. reveals gene organization underlying disease resistance and essential oil traits. G3 Genes Genomes Genetics 12, jkac112.
Srividya N., Lange I., Richter J.K., Wüst M., Lange B.M. (2022) Selectivity of enzymes involved in the formation of opposite enantiomeric series of p-menthane monoterpenoids in peppermint and Japanese catnip. Plant Sci. 314, 111119.
Chen Z., Vining K.J., Qi X., Yu X., Zheng Y., Liu Z., Fang H., Li L., Bai,Y., Liang C., Li W. , Lange B.M. (2021) Genome-wide analysis of terpene synthase gene family in Mentha longifolia and catalytic activity analysis of a single terpene synthase. Genes 12, 518.
Vining K.J., Hummer K.E., Bassil N.V., Lange B.M., Khoury C.K., Carver D. (2020) Crop wild relatives as germplasm resource for cultivar improvement in mint (Mentha L.). Front. Plant Sci. 11, 1217.
Vining K., Pandelova I., Hummer K., Bassil N., Contreras R., Neill K., Chen H., Parrish A.N., Lange B.M. (2019) Genetic diversity survey of Mentha aquatica L. and Mentha suaveolens Ehrh., mint crop ancestors. Genet. Res. Crop Evol. 66, 825-845.
Lange B.M., Srividya N. (2019) Enzymology of monoterpene functionalization in glandular trichomes. J. Exp. Bot. 70, 1095-1108.
Vining K.J., Johnson S.R., Ahkami A., Lange I., Parrish A.N., Trapp S.C., Croteau R.B., Straub S.C., Pandelova I., Lange B.M. (2017) Draft genome sequence of Mentha longifolia and development of resources for mint cultivar improvement. Mol. Plant 10, 323-339.
Lange, B.M. (2016) Online resources for gene discovery and biochemical research with aromatic and medicinal plants. Phytochem. Rev. 15, 489-510.
Lange B.M. (2015) Biosynthesis and biotechnology of p-menthane monoterpenes, including menthol, carvone and limonene. Adv. Biochem. Eng. Biotechnol. 148, 319-353.
Ahkami A., Johnson S.R., Srividya N., Lange B.M. (2015) Multiple levels of regulation determine monoterpenoid essential oil compositional variation in the mint family. Mol. Plant 8, 188-191.