Scientists have answered one of nature's most pungent questions: what gives the world's smelliest fruit its distinctive aroma.
Scientists in Singapore said on Monday they have mapped the genome of the durian, known throughout Southeast Asia as the "king of fruits" for its unique smell, flavor and formidable spiny appearance.
They identified a group of genes responsible for odor compounds called volatile sulfur compounds, and found that these genes become highly activated as the fruit ripens, driving its unusual smell.