Structure, Assembly and Function of Cuticle from Mechanical Perspective with Special Focus on Perianth

Abstract

This review is devoted to the structure, assembly and function of cuticle. The topics are discussed from the mechanical perspective and whenever the data are available a special attention is paid to the cuticle of perianth organs, i.e., sepals, petals or tepals. The cuticle covering these organs is special in both its structure and function and some of these peculiarities are related to the cuticle mechanics. In particular, strengthening of the perianth surface is often provided by a folded cuticle that functionally resembles profiled plates, while on the surface of the petal epidermis of some plants, the cuticle is the only integral continuous layer. The perianth cuticle is distinguished also by those aspects of its mechanics and development that need further studies. In particular, more investigations are needed to explain the formation and maintenance of cuticle folding, which is typical for the perianth epidermis, and also to elucidate the mechanical properties and behavior of the perianth cuticle in situ. Gaps in our knowledge are partly due to technical problems caused by very small thicknesses of the perianth cuticle but modern tools may help to overcome these obstacles.

TheVenturia inaequaliseffector repertoire is expressed in waves and is dominated by expanded families with predicted structural similarity to avirulence proteins from other plant-pathogenic fungi

“…More specifically, in wave 4, there was sudden increase in the number and expression of GH-encoding genes associated with the degradation of the plant cell wall, such as the pectin-degrading GH28s. Nutrients in the cuticle are likely scarce throughout host colonization; therefore, we suggest that V. inaequalis obtains nutrients by degradation of the pectin-rich layer between the cuticle and epidermal cells using these enzymes [84]. Another interesting PCWDE is a GH10 endoxylanase, which is encoded by a gene that is highly expressed during this mid-late infection stage.…”

Structure of Anther Epidermis and Endothecium, Production of Pollen, and Content of Selected Nutrients in Pollen Grains from Six Rubus idaeus L. Cultivars

“…The varied characteristic pattern of the cuticle ornamentation of the epidermis of floral elements in closely related taxa is of key importance for cuticle function. The multifunctional cuticle layer regulates fluxes of gases and water with dissolved substances into stamen cells and constitutes an integral protective layer against damage and mechanical stress [19,70,71]). Additionally, it protects the genetic material against biotic and abiotic environmental factors [24], and indirectly protects developing pollen grains [72].…”

The Tea Plant Leaf Cuticle: From Plant Protection to Tea Quality

“…There are multiple excellent reviews on plant cuticle in existing literature (Eigenbrode and Espelie, 1995;Kerstiens, 1996a,b;Kunst and Samuels, 2003;Buchholz, 2006;Nawrath, 2006;Shepherd and Griffiths, 2006;Bird, 2008;Pollard et al, 2008;Samuels et al, 2008;Reina-Pinto and Yephremov, 2009;Bernard and Joubès, 2013;Lee and Suh, 2013;Hen-Avivi et al, 2014;Domínguez, et al, 2015;Fernandez et al, 2016;Fich et al, 2016;Ingram and Nawrath, 2017;Philippe et al, 2020a;Skrzydeł et al, 2021), and readers may consult them for further information. The scope of this review is to focus on recent research progresses in tea cuticle.…”