Very few enzymes responsible for the biosynthesis of scent compounds in the genus Rosa are known so far. This PhD thesis aims to identify some of these proteins with DNA microarray technology, gene expression analysis by real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) and scent analysis by gas chromatography (GC). An array comparing cDNA from a scented rose to those of a non-scented one, showed a correlation between expression of a yet-unknown gene, encoding a Nudix hydrolase, highly expressed in the scented rose, and the presence of monoterpenes in the scent of many rose cultivars. Characterization of a rose cultivar, in which expression of this gene has been decreased by RNA interference, confirmed its role in monoterpene synthesis. The phenylacetaldehyde synthase (PAAS) is another enzyme implicated in scent biosynthesis. Three alleles of this protein had been previously described. qPCR and GC experiments in a hybrid population showed that the a1 allele is the only one able to induce 2-phenylethanol biosynthesis. The respective activities of the different isoforms were tested in vitro in yeast, and in planta in tobacco leaves and rose calli: these experiments showed that the three isoforms have comparable activities. The lack of 2-phenylethanol production in plants having a2 and a3 isoforms is thus due to the very low expression of their respective alleles, probably inducing very low isoform concentration in cells
