The dark side of the cell wall: Molecular genetics of plant cuticle
Authors: Yephremov, A1; Schreiber, L2
Source: Plant Biosystems, Volume 139, Number 1, March 2005 , pp. 74-79(6)
Publisher: Taylor and Francis Ltd
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Abstract:
The deposition of lipid-based polymers makes the outermost layer of the plant epidermis very special. Recent advances in the study of cuticular polymers in Arabidopsis thaliana, an established model system for genetic studies, have made it possible to understand how plants protect themselves from the damaging effects of dehydration, toxic chemicals and pathogens. Mutational analysis of relevant pathways has revealed that a surprisingly large set of diverse traits may be affected by defects in the formation of the cuticle. Alterations in cell shape and deformation of organs in some mutants, and the expression of the corresponding genes in roots, suggest that the mutated genes may actually be required for the biosynthesis of a suberin-like material, which is deposited inside epidermal cell walls. Rapid progress in genome sequencing and the availability of chemical inhibitors offer a promising means of exploring cuticle biosynthesis in many other plant species.Keywords: Epidermis; cuticle; cutin biosynthesis; suberin; cell wall
Document Type: Research article
DOI: 10.1080/11263500500059835
Affiliations: 1: Max-Planck-Institut für Züchtungsforschung, Köln, Germany 2: Institut für Zelluläre and Molekulare Botanik, Universität Bonn, Bonn, Germany
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