Leaf cuticle analyses: implications for the existence of cutan/non-ester cutin and its biosynthetic origin.

ABSTRACT:

Background and aims

The cuticle of a limited number of plant species contains cutan, a chemically highly resistant biopolymer. As yet, the biosynthesis of cutan is not fully understood. Attempting to further unravel the origin of cutan, we analysed the chemical composition of enzymatically isolated cuticular membranes of Agave americana leaves.

Methods

Cuticular waxes were extracted with organic solvents. Subsequently, the dewaxed cuticular membrane was depolymerized by acid-catalysed transesterification yielding cutin monomers and cutan, a non-hydrolysable, cuticular membrane residue. The cutan matrix was analysed by thermal extraction, flash pyrolysis and thermally assisted hydrolysis and methylation to elucidate the monomeric composition and deduce a putative biosynthetic

SUBMITTER: Leide J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7304474 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature