Search

Main Conclusion: We identified tomato leaf cuticle and root suberin monomers that play a role in the response to nitrogen deficiency and salinity stress and discuss their potential agronomic value for breeding. The plant cuticle plays a key role in plant-water relations, and cuticle's agronomic value in plant breeding programs is currently under investigation. In this study, the tomato cutin mutant cd1, with altered fruit cuticle, was physiologically characterized under two nitrogen treatments and three salinity levels. We evaluated leaf wax and cutin load and composition, root suberin, stomatal conductance, photosynthetic rate, partial factor productivity from applied N, flower and fruit number, fruit size and cuticular transpiration, and shoot and root biomass. Both nitrogen and salinity treatments altered leaf cuticle and root suberin composition, regardless of genotype (cd1 or M82). Compared with M82, the cd1 mutant showed lower shoot biomass and reduced partial factor productivity from applied N under all treatments. Under N depletion, cd1 showed altered leaf wax composition, but was comparable to the WT under sufficient N. Under salt treatment, cd1 showed an increase in leaf wax and cutin monomers. Root suberin content of cd1 was lower than M82 under control conditions but comparable under higher salinity levels. The tomato mutant cd1 had a higher fruit cuticular transpiration rate, and lower fruit surface area compared to M82. These results show that the cd1 mutation has complex effects on plant physiology, and growth and development beyond cutin deficiency, and offer new insights on the potential agronomic value of leaf cuticle and root suberin for tomato breeding., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Terrestrial plants have evolved specific adaptations to preserve water and protect themselves from their environment. Such adaptations range from secondary metabolites and specialized structures that conduct water and nutrients, to cell wall modifications (i.e., cuticle and suberin) that prevent dehydration and provide a physical barrier to pathogens. Both the plant cuticle and suberized cell walls contain a lipid polymer framework embedded with waxes, and constitute a promising target for controlled genetic modification to improve desirable agronomic traits. Recent advances in genomic and molecular techniques coupled with the development of robust analytical methods have accelerated progress in comprehending these intractable lipid polymers. Gene products characterized in the wax, cutin and suberin pathways include a subset of HXXXD/BAHD family enzymes that catalyze acyl transfer reactions between CoA-activated hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives and hydroxylated aliphatics. This review highlights our current understanding of HXXXD/BAHD acyltransferases in extracellular lipid biosynthesis and discusses the chemical, ultrastructural and physiological ramifications of impairing the expression of BAHD acyltransferase-encoding genes related to cutin and suberin synthesis.

Mulberry leaves are the sole source of food for silkworms (Bombyx mori), and moisture content of the detached leaves fed to silkworms determines silkworm growth and cocoon yield. Since leaf dehydration in commercial sericulture is a serious problem, development of new methods that minimize post-harvest water loss are greatly needed. In the present study, variability in moisture retention capacity (MRC, measured as leaf relative water content after one to 5 h of air-drying) was examined by screening 290 diverse mulberry accessions and the relationship between MRC and leaf surface (cuticular) wax amount was determined. Leaf MRC varied significantly among accessions, and was found to correlate strongly with leaf wax amount. Scanning electron microscopic analysis indicated that leaves having crystalline surface waxes of increased facet size and density were associated with high MRC accessions. Leaf MRC at 5 h after harvest was not related to other parameters such as specific leaf weight, and stomatal frequency and index. This study suggests that mulberry accessions having elevated leaf surface wax amount and crystal size and density exhibit reduced leaf post-harvest water loss, and could provide the foundation for selective breeding of improved cultivars., (Copyright 2010 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)