A phenol-enriched cuticle is ancestral to lignin evolution in land plants
Renault H, Alber A, Horst NA, Basilio Lopes A, Fich EA, Kriegshauser L, Wiedemann G, Ullmann P, Herrgott L, Erhardt M, Pineau E, Ehlting J, Schmitt M, Rose JK, Reski R, Werck-Reichhart D.
Nat Commun. 2017;8:14713.
The P450 enzyme CYP98 initiates the production of lignin in seed plants. In Physcomitrella it is responsible for the development of a phenol-enriched cuticle. This waxy layer on plant epidermal cells protects against the environment and helps to form complex tissues. We conclude that the moss cuticle predated the evolution of lignin, cutin and suberin facilitating the evolutionary transition of plants from fresh water to land. Moreover, our results suggest new biotechnology strategies to produce biopolymers in plants.
