Revisiting plant cuticle biophysics

The plant cuticle is located at the interface of the plant with the environment, thus acting as a protective barrier against biotic and abiotic external stress factors, and regulating water loss. Additionally, it modulates mechanical stresses derived from internal tissues and also from the environment. Recent advances in the understanding of the hydric, mechanical, thermal,…

Biomechanical properties of the tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) fruit cuticle during development are modulated by changes in the relative amounts of its components

Keywords: attenuated total reflectance–Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR);biomechanics;cuticle;cutin;flavonoids;tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) fruit Summary – In this study, growth-dependent changes in the mechanical properties of the tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) cuticle during fruit development were investigated in two cultivars with different patterns of cuticle growth and accumulation. – The mechanical properties were determined in uniaxial tensile tests using strips…

The biophysical design of plant cuticles: an overview

The outer surfaces of epidermal cell walls are impregnated with an extracellular matrix called the cuticle. This composite matrix provides several functions at the interface level that enable plants to thrive in different habitats and withstand adverse environmental conditions. The lipid polymer cutin, which is the main constituent of the plant cuticle, has some unique…