Department of Plant Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, USA.
Plant Physiol. 2013 Sep;163(1):5-20. doi: 10.1104/pp.113.222737. Epub 2013 Jul 26.
The plant cuticle is an extracellular hydrophobic layer that covers the aerial epidermis of all land plants, providing protection against desiccation and external environmental stresses. The past decade has seen considerable progress in assembling models for the biosynthesis of its two major components, the polymer cutin and cuticular waxes. Most recently, two breakthroughs in the long-sought molecular bases of alkane formation and polyester synthesis have allowed construction of nearly complete biosynthetic pathways for both waxes and cutin. Concurrently, a complex regulatory network controlling the synthesis of the cuticle is emerging. It has also become clear that the physiological role of the cuticle extends well beyond its primary function as a transpiration barrier, playing important roles in processes ranging from development to interaction with microbes. Here, we review recent progress in the biochemistry and molecular biology of cuticle synthesis and function and highlight some of the major questions that will drive future research in this field.
植物表皮是覆盖所有陆生植物气生表皮的细胞外疏水区，为防止干燥和外部环境胁迫提供保护。在过去的十年中，人们在组装其两种主要成分——聚合物角质和角质蜡生物合成模型方面取得了相当大的进展。最近，在长期寻求烷烃形成和聚酯合成的分子基础方面的两个突破，使得两种蜡质和角质的几乎完整的生物合成途径得以构建。同时，一个控制表皮合成的复杂调控网络正在出现。现在也很清楚，表皮的生理作用远远超出其作为蒸腾屏障的主要功能，在从发育到与微生物相互作用的各种过程中发挥重要作用。在这里，我们回顾了表皮合成和功能的生物化学和分子生物学的最新进展，并强调了一些将推动该领域未来研究的主要问题。
