Chemische Zusammensetzung des Suberins der Kartoffelschale

Wax and suberin development of native and wound periderm of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) and its relation to peridermal transpiration

Native and wound periderm was isolated enzymatically from potato (Solanum tuberosum L. cv. Desirée) tubers at different time intervals between 0 days up to 4 weeks after harvesting. Wound periderm formation was induced by carefully removing native periderm from freshly harvested tubers before storage. The chemical composition of lipids (waxes) obtained by chloroform extraction, as well as the monomeric composition of native and wound suberin polymer after transesterification by boron trifluoride/methanol, was analyzed using gas chromatography and mass spectrometry. Both types of periderm contained up to 20% extractable lipids. Besides linear long-chain aliphatic wax compounds, alkyl ferulates were detected as significant constituents. In wound periderm they amounted to more than 60% of the total extracts. Within 1 month of storage, suberin amounts in the polymer increased 2-fold in native periderm (180 microg cm(-2)), whereas in wound periderm about 75.0 microg cm(-2) suberin polymer was newly synthesized. Native potato tuber periderm developed a very efficient transport barrier for water with permeances decreasing from 6.4 x 10(-10) m s(-1) to 5.5 x 10(-11) m s(-1) within 1 month of storage. However, the water permeability of wound periderm was on average 100 times higher with permeances decreasing from 4.7 x 10(-8) m s(-1) after 3 days to only 5.4 x 10(-9) m s(-1) after 1 month of storage, although suberin and wax amounts in wound periderm amounted to about 60% of native periderm. From this result it must be concluded that the occurrence of suberin with wax depositions in cell walls does not necessarily allow us to conclude that these cell walls must be nearly perfect barriers to water transport. In addition to the occurrence of the lipophilic biopolymer suberin and associated waxes, the still unknown molecular arrangement and precisely localized deposition of suberin within the cell wall must contribute to the efficiency of suberin as a barrier to water transport.

Suberin structure in potato periderm: glycerol, long-chain monomers, and glyceryl and feruloyl dimers

Suberin in extractive-free potato periderm amounts to approximately 25% determined by NaOCH(3) methanolysis. Monomeric composition is characterized by glycerol (20% of monomers), long-chain alpha, omega-diacids, omega-hydroxyacids, alkanoic acids, and alkan-1-ols, with predominance of octadec-9-enodioic acid and 18-hydroxyoctadec-9-enoic acid (39 and 15% of long-chain monomers, respectively). Aromatic hydroxycinnamyl monomers were also present (<1%). Partial depolymerization of potato periderm suberin using a Ca(OH)(2)-catalyzed methanolysis solubilized approximately 10% of suberin aliphatics. GC-MS analysis showed the presence of monomers, dimers, and trimers (87, 12, and 1% of identified compounds, respectively). A total of 26 dimers were identified by EIMS: monoacylglyceryl esters of alpha,omega-diacids, omega-hydroxyacids, and alkanoic acids (with predominance of the 1- and 2-isomers of the monoacylglyceryl ester of the octadec-9-enodioic acid), as well as feruloyl esters of omega-hydroxyacids and alkan-1-ols and a small quantity of a monoferuloylglycerol. Following a discussion of suberin macromolecular structure, it is proposed that in suberized cell walls, the polyaliphatic polymers have a three-dimensional development ensured by glycerol and exist independently from the associated polyaromatics.

Caffeic acid and glycerol are constituents of the suberin layers in green cotton fibres

The fibres of the green-lint mutant (Lg) of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) are suberized and contain a large proportion of wax. The unidentified components of the wax were separated into a colourless fluorescent fraction and a yellow pigmented fraction. Using ultraviolet spectroscopy and nuclear-magneticresonance ((1)H-NMR) spectroscopy, esterified trans-caffeic acid was identified as the only phenolic component in the colourless fraction. This fraction was further purified and was shown to contain caffeic acid esterified to fatty acids (mainly ω-hydroxy fatty acids), and glycerol in molar ratios of 4∶5∶5. When 2-aminoindan-2-phosphonic acid (AIP), an inhibitor of phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (EC 4. 3. 1. 5.) was added to ovules cultured in vitro, at the beginning of secondary wall formation, the fibres remained white and the colourless caffeic-acid derivative and the yellow compounds could no longer be detected by ultraviolet spectroscopy. Fibres grown in the presence of AIP were also examined in the electron microscope. Secondary cell walls were present in the treated fibres, but the electron-opaque suberin layers were replaced by apparently empty spaces. This result indicates that cinnamic-acid derivatives are covalently linked to suberin and have a structural role within the polymer or are involved in anchoring the polymer to the cellulosic secondary wall. Purified cell walls of green cotton fibres contained about 1% (of the dry weight) of bound glycerol, 0.9% of the glycerol being extractable with the wax fraction and 0.1% remaining in the cell-wall residue. The corresponding values for white fibres were 0.03% (total), 0.02% (wax), and 0.01% (cell-wall residue). Fibres synthesizing their secondary walls in the presence of AIP contained about normal amounts of bound glycerol in the wax fraction, but glycerol accumulation in the cell-wall residue was inhibited by about 95%. These observations indicate that glycerol is an important constituent of cotton-fibre suberin. Considerable amounts of bound glycerol could also be determined in exhaustively extracted cell walls of the cork layer of potato periderm (1.2%) and smaller amounts in the outer epidermal cell wall of Agave americana L. leaf (0.1%) indicating that the presence of glycerol in suberins and possibly also in cutins may be more widespread than previously thought.

Water permeability of periderm membranes isolated enzymatically from potato tubers (Solanum tuberosum L.)

The fine structure and water permeability of potato tuber periderm have been studied. Periderm membranes (PM) were isolated enzymatically using pectinase and cellulase. They were composed of, about six layers of phellem cells arranged in radial rows. The walls of phellem cells consist of cellulosic primary and tertiary walls and suberized secondary walls which are lamellated. Middle lamellae and primary walls contain lignin. Since the PM did not disintegrate during enzymatic isolation it appears that lignin also extends into the secondary suberized walls. The water permeability of PM was low, ranging from 1-3·10(-10) m s(-1). This low water permeability developed only during storage of tubers in air. Periderm membranes from freshly harvested tubers had a relatively high permeability. The low permeability of PM from stored tubers is attributed to soluble lipids associated with suberin since: (1) extraction of soluble lipids from PM increased permeability by more than 100-fold, (2) a phase transition of soluble lipids was observed between 46 and 51° C, and (3) only the permeability of PM decreased during storage while the permeability of extracted PM remained unchanged. Evidence is presented that two pathways for water movement exist in parallel. Pathway 1 is represented by middle lamellae and primary walls extending in radial direction across the membranes. This pathway has a relatively high specific permeability. Pathway 2 is represented by a polylaminated structure made up of tangential walls of phellem cells which are orientated normal to the direction of water flow. This pathway has a low specific permeability because of the properties of secondary walls incrusted with soluble lipids. It is calculated that about 10% of the water flows across pathway 1 and 90% across pathway 2 which has a volume fraction of 0.995.

Fine structure of isolated and non-isolated potato tuber periderm

Cell walls of the periderm of native potato tuber (Solanum tuberosum L. cv. Primura) consist of a primary wall, a suberized secondary wall and a tertiary wall. With a mixture of pectinase and cellulase intact periderm membranes can be isolated. Isolation does not affect fine structure. It is suggested that the lignin in the middle lamellae and primary walls prevents the enzymes from digesting pectinaceous materials and cellulose. In specimens fixed with OsO4, the suberized walls appear as alternating electrondense and electron-lucent lamellae. This lamellar architecture is not altered by extraction with chloroform. Therefore, the current view that the electronlucent lamellae consist of soluble lipids (waxes) can no longer be maintained. It is argued that the lamellation is a property of the suberin itself, and the suberized wall consists of alternating layers of suberins differing in polarity. A hypothesis of suberin assembly from sub-units is advanced and the subunits are shown for the first time.

Biopolyester Membranes of Plants: Cutin and Suberin

Cutin, a biopolyester composed of hydroxy and epoxy fatty acids, is the barrier between the aerial parts of higher plants and their environment. Suberin a polymer containing aromatics and polyesters, functions as a barrier in underground parts, wound surfaces, and a variety of internal organs. The composition and probable structure of these polymers are discussed. The biosynthesis of the hydroxy, epoxy, and dicarboxylic acids of the polyesters from the common cellular fatty acids is elucidated. An extracellular enzyme transfers the hydroxy and epoxyacyl moieties from their coenzyme A derivatives to the growing polyester. The enzymes acting in the biodegradation of the polyesters have been isolated from fungi, pollen, and mammals and characterized. The function and possible practical implications of these polyester barriers are briefly discussed.

Chemical and ultrastructural evidence that waxes associated with the suberin polymer constitute the major diffusion barrier to water vapor in potato tuber (Solanum tuberosum L.)

Combined gas chromatography-mass spectrometry showed that C21, C23, and C25 n-alkanes accumulated in the suberized layers during wound healing of cores of potato tuber tissue. Treatment (10 min) of freshly-cut tissue with trichloroacetate (TCA), an inhibitor of fatty-acid chain elongation, severely inhibited accumulation of hydrocarbons and fatty alcohols associated with the suberized layer in the wound healing tissue (maximum inhibition at 4 mM) but had very little effect on the deposition of the major aliphatic components of the suberin polymer. This preferential inhibition of wax synthesis resulted in severe inhibition of the development of diffusion resistance of the tissue to water vapor. These results strongly indicate that the waxes associated with the suberin polymer, rather than the polymer itself, consitute the major diffusion barrier formed during wound healing. Electron-microscopic examination showed that inhibition of wax synthesis by TCA disrupted the formation of the lamellar structure of suberin specifically by preventing the formation of the light bands. This evidence strongly suggests that the light bands in the suberin complex are composed of waxes.