An overview on plant cuticle biomechanics

Domínguez, Ernesto Redondo; Cuartero, J.; Heredia, Antonio

doi:10.1016/j.plantsci.2011.04.016

Cited by 170 publications

(143 citation statements)

References 74 publications

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“…By contrast, tomato fruit has a thick and easy-to-study cuticle synthesized along early fruit development (Yeats and Rose, 2013). Tomato has thus long been used for studying cuticle biomechanics and permeability (Schreiber, 2010;Domínguez et al, 2011) and has recently emerged as a new model for functional genomics of cuticle formation in plants. Because tomato is both a major crop species and a model for fleshy fruits, a wealth of information and genomic tools is now available for this species (Tomato Genome Consortium, 2012).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In addition, several major agronomical traits in tomato and in other fleshy fruit species (e.g. fruit growth, visual aspect, cracking, water loss, resistance to pathogens, and postharvest shelf-life) are highly dependent on fruit cuticle (Bargel and Neinhuis, 2005;Saladié et al, 2007;Matas et al, 2009;Domínguez et al, 2011;Parsons et al, 2012). An increasing number of studies highlight the possibilities offered by tomato for analyzing cuticle architecture, mechanical properties, and permeability (López-Casado et al, 2007;Saladié et al, 2007;MintzOron et al, 2008;Buda et al, 2009;Isaacson et al, 2009;Wang et al, 2011) and for discovering genes contributing to cuticle synthesis and regulation (Hovav et al, 2007;Mintz-Oron et al, 2008;Girard et al, 2012;Nadakuduti et al, 2012;Yeats et al, 2012b;Shi et al, 2013).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…An increasing number of studies highlight the possibilities offered by tomato for analyzing cuticle architecture, mechanical properties, and permeability (López-Casado et al, 2007;Saladié et al, 2007;MintzOron et al, 2008;Buda et al, 2009;Isaacson et al, 2009;Wang et al, 2011) and for discovering genes contributing to cuticle synthesis and regulation (Hovav et al, 2007;Mintz-Oron et al, 2008;Girard et al, 2012;Nadakuduti et al, 2012;Yeats et al, 2012b;Shi et al, 2013). Nevertheless, to further our understanding of the relationships between cuticle composition and architecture and cuticle properties and performance in plants, new tomato cuticle mutants are highly needed (Domínguez et al, 2011).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In addition to fruit brightness, the tomato cuticle mutants identified should be instrumental for deciphering the bases of structural, mechanical, or water barrier properties of the cuticle (Schreiber, 2010;Domínguez et al, 2011) and their influence on fruit performance such as resistance to cracking, drought, and pathogens. For example, the water loss properties of tomato fruit cuticle are largely affected by strong cutin alterations, as in the gdsl2-b mutant, although the associated modifications in cuticle structure have not been studied in detail Girard et al, 2012;Yeats et al, 2012b;Fig.…”

Section: Tomato Ems Mutants For Studying Cuticle Composition and Propmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The thick and easy-to-isolate peel from tomato has long been used for studying the biomechanical properties of plant cuticle (Domínguez et al, 2011). In recent years, the increased availability of tomato genomic resources, including saturated genetic linkage maps, markers, and very recently the tomato genomic sequence (Tomato Genome Consortium, 2012), offered unprecedented possibilities for exploiting tomato as a model for studying plant cuticle (Hovav et al, 2007;Adato et al, 2009;Isaacson et al, 2009;Girard et al, 2012;Yeats et al, 2012b;Shi et al, 2013).…”

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confidence: 99%

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Analyses of Tomato Fruit Brightness Mutants Uncover Both Cutin-Deficient and Cutin-Abundant Mutants and a New Hypomorphic Allele of GDSL Lipase

et al. 2013

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The cuticle is a protective layer synthesized by epidermal cells of the plants and consisting of cutin covered and filled by waxes. In tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) fruit, the thick cuticle embedding epidermal cells has crucial roles in the control of pathogens, water loss, cracking, postharvest shelf-life, and brightness. To identify tomato mutants with modified cuticle composition and architecture and to further decipher the relationships between fruit brightness and cuticle in tomato, we screened an ethyl methanesulfonate mutant collection in the miniature tomato cultivar Micro-Tom for mutants with altered fruit brightness. Our screen resulted in the isolation of 16 glossy and 8 dull mutants displaying changes in the amount and/or composition of wax and cutin, cuticle thickness, and surface aspect of the fruit as characterized by optical and environmental scanning electron microscopy. The main conclusions on the relationships between fruit brightness and cuticle features were as follows: (1) screening for fruit brightness is an effective way to identify tomato cuticle mutants; (2) fruit brightness is independent from wax load variations; (3) glossy mutants show either reduced or increased cutin load; and (4) dull mutants display alterations in epidermal cell number and shape. Cuticle composition analyses further allowed the identification of groups of mutants displaying remarkable cuticle changes, such as mutants with increased dicarboxylic acids in cutin. Using genetic mapping of a strong cutindeficient mutation, we discovered a novel hypomorphic allele of GDSL lipase carrying a splice junction mutation, thus highlighting the potential of tomato brightness mutants for advancing our understanding of cuticle formation in plants.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Tomato Ems Mutants For Studying Cuticle Composition and Propmentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Analyses of Tomato Fruit Brightness Mutants Uncover Both Cutin-Deficient and Cutin-Abundant Mutants and a New Hypomorphic Allele of GDSL Lipase

et al. 2013

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Plant Cuticle

Kerstiens

2016

Encyclopedia of Life Sciences

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Plant cuticles are protective lipophilic membranes that cover leaves and many stems and fruits. They consist of a polymer matrix that is covered with epicuticular waxes and incorporates intracuticular waxes. Together, these constituents provide a good but imperfect barrier against the loss of water and solutes and ingression by pests and pathogens. The thickness, structure and chemical composition of cuticular matrices and epicuticular and intracuticular waxes vary very widely, and the potential functional consequences of such differences are poorly understood. Transport across the cuticle can occur by random diffusion within the lipophilic network (relevant for lipophilic and moderately polar substances) or along clusters of water molecules that form a continuous hydrophilic phase reaching across the membrane (relevant for polar and ionic substances). Key Concepts All leaves and nonwoody stems are covered by a protective and resilient membrane called the cuticle. Its permeability is low but it can accumulate lipophilic xenobiotics. It should not be assumed that thicker or waxier cuticles are less permeable than thinner or less wax‐rich ones. The trans‐cuticular diffusion paths for ions and lipophilic compounds are different. Traditional methods to determine cuticular water permeability in the presence of stomata are inherently unreliable. Cuticular waxes are involved in a wide range of physiologically and ecologically important processes.

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