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Nguyen LTD, Groth N, Mondloch K, Cahoon EB, Jones K, Busta L. Project ChemicalBlooms: Collaborating with citizen scientists to survey the chemical diversity and phylogenetic distribution of plant epicuticular wax blooms. PLANT DIRECT 2024; 8:e588. [PMID: 38766509 PMCID: PMC11099751 DOI: 10.1002/pld3.588] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2023] [Revised: 04/03/2024] [Accepted: 04/17/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024]
Abstract
Plants use chemistry to overcome diverse challenges. A particularly striking chemical trait that some plants possess is the ability to synthesize massive amounts of epicuticular wax that accumulates on the plant's surfaces as a white coating visible to the naked eye. The ability to synthesize basic wax molecules appears to be shared among virtually all land plants, and our knowledge of ubiquitous wax compound synthesis is reasonably advanced. However, the ability to synthesize thick layers of visible epicuticular crystals ("wax blooms") is restricted to specific lineages, and our knowledge of how wax blooms differ from ubiquitous wax layers is less developed. Here, we recruited the help of citizen scientists and middle school students to survey the wax bloom chemistry of 78 species spanning dicot, monocot, and gymnosperm lineages. Using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, we found that the major wax classes reported from bulk wax mixtures can be present in wax bloom crystals, with fatty acids, fatty alcohols, and alkanes being present in many species' bloom crystals. In contrast, other compounds including aldehydes, ketones, secondary alcohols, and triterpenoids were present in only a few species' wax bloom crystals. By mapping the 78 wax bloom chemical profiles onto a phylogeny and using phylogenetic comparative analyses, we found that secondary alcohol and triterpenoid-rich wax blooms were present in lineage-specific patterns that would not be expected to arise by chance. That finding is consistent with reports that secondary alcohol biosynthesis enzymes are found only in certain lineages but was a surprise for triterpenoids, which are intracellular components in virtually all plant lineages. Thus, our data suggest that a lineage-specific mechanism other than biosynthesis exists that enables select species to generate triterpenoid-rich surface wax crystals. Overall, our study outlines a general mode in which research scientists can collaborate with citizen scientists as well as middle and high school classrooms not only to enhance data collection and generate testable hypotheses but also to directly involve classrooms in the scientific process and inspire future STEM workers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Le Thanh Dien Nguyen
- Department of Chemistry and BiochemistryUniversity of Minnesota DuluthDuluthMinnesotaUSA
| | - Nicole Groth
- Department of BiologyUniversity of Minnesota DuluthDuluthMinnesotaUSA
| | - Kylie Mondloch
- Department of Chemistry and BiochemistryUniversity of Minnesota DuluthDuluthMinnesotaUSA
| | - Edgar B. Cahoon
- Department of BiochemistryUniversity of Nebraska LincolnLincolnNebraskaUSA
- Center for Plant Science InnovationUniversity of Nebraska LincolnLincolnNebraskaUSA
| | - Keith Jones
- McDonald County R‐1 School DistrictAndersonMissouriUSA
| | - Lucas Busta
- Department of Chemistry and BiochemistryUniversity of Minnesota DuluthDuluthMinnesotaUSA
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Scott S, Cahoon EB, Busta L. Variation on a theme: the structures and biosynthesis of specialized fatty acid natural products in plants. THE PLANT JOURNAL : FOR CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2022; 111:954-965. [PMID: 35749584 PMCID: PMC9546235 DOI: 10.1111/tpj.15878] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2021] [Accepted: 06/22/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Plants are able to construct lineage-specific natural products from a wide array of their core metabolic pathways. Considerable progress has been made toward documenting and understanding, for example, phenylpropanoid natural products derived from phosphoenolpyruvate via the shikimate pathway, terpenoid compounds built using isopentyl pyrophosphate, and alkaloids generated by the extensive modification of amino acids. By comparison, natural products derived from fatty acids have received little attention, except for unusual fatty acids in seed oils and jasmonate-like oxylipins. However, scattered but numerous reports show that plants are able to generate many structurally diverse compounds from fatty acids, including some with highly elaborate and unique structural features that have novel bioproduct functionalities. Furthermore, although recent work has shed light on multiple new fatty acid natural product biosynthesis pathways and products in diverse plant species, these discoveries have not been reviewed. The aims of this work, therefore, are to (i) review and systematize our current knowledge of the structures and biosynthesis of fatty acid-derived natural products that are not seed oils or jasmonate-type oxylipins, specifically, polyacetylenic, very-long-chain, and aromatic fatty acid-derived natural products, and (ii) suggest priorities for future investigative steps that will bring our knowledge of fatty acid-derived natural products closer to the levels of knowledge that we have attained for other phytochemical classes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel Scott
- Department of Chemistry and BiochemistryUniversity of Minnesota DuluthDuluth55812MNUSA
| | - Edgar B. Cahoon
- Department of BiochemistryUniversity of Nebraska LincolnLincoln68588NEUSA
- Center for Plant Science InnovationUniversity of Nebraska LincolnLincoln68588NEUSA
| | - Lucas Busta
- Department of Chemistry and BiochemistryUniversity of Minnesota DuluthDuluth55812MNUSA
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Colin-Oviedo Á, Garza-Aguilar SM, Marín-Obispo LM, Rodríguez-Sánchez DG, Trevino V, Hernández-Brenes C, Díaz de la Garza RI. The Enigmatic Aliphatic Acetogenins and Their Correlations With Lipids During Seed Germination and Leaf Development of Avocado ( Persea americana Mill.). FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:839326. [PMID: 35592561 PMCID: PMC9111537 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.839326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2021] [Accepted: 03/16/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Lipids in avocados have been widely studied due to their nutritional value and several reported bioactivities. Aliphatic acetogenins are a relevant component of the avocado lipidome and have been tested for several potential food and pharma industries applications. This work followed the evolution of avocado fatty acids (FAs) and aliphatic acetogenins during seed germination and leaf growth. Oil extracts of embryonic axes, cotyledons, and leaves from seedlings and trees were divided to analyze free acetylated acetogenins (AcO-acetogenins), and free FAs. Embryonic axes from germinating seeds contained the highest amount of AcO-acetogenins and FAs; this tissue also accumulated the most diverse FA profile with up to 22 detected moieties. Leaves presented the highest variations in AcO-acetogenin profiles during development, although leaves from seedlings accumulated the simplest FA profile with only 10 different FAs. Remarkably, AcO-acetogenins represented half of the carbons allocated to lipids in grown leaves, while embryonic axes and cotyledons always contained more carbons within FAs during germination. Thus, we hypothesized the use of the AcO-acetogenin acyl chain for energy production toward β-oxidation. Also, α-linolenic and docosahexaenoic acids (DHAs) were proposed as close AcO-acetogenin intermediaries based on a correlation network generated using all these data. Another part of the oil extract was fractionated into different lipid classes before transesterification to profile FAs and acetogenins bound to lipids. Acetogenin backbones were identified for the first time in triglycerides from cotyledons and mainly in polar lipids (which include phospholipids) in all developing avocado tissues analyzed. Seed tissues accumulated preferentially polar lipids during germination, while triglycerides were consumed in cotyledons. Seedling leaves contained minute amounts of triglycerides, and polar lipids increased as they developed. Results from this work suggest acetogenins might be part of the energy and signaling metabolisms, and possibly of membrane structures, underlining the yet to establish role(s) of these unusual lipids in the avocado plant physiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Álvaro Colin-Oviedo
- Tecnologico de Monterrey, Escuela de Ingeniería y Ciencias, Monterrey, Mexico
| | | | | | | | - Víctor Trevino
- Tecnologico de Monterrey, The Institute for Obesity Research, Integrative Biology Unit, Monterrey, Mexico
- Tecnologico de Monterrey, Escuela de Medicina, Monterrey, Mexico
| | - Carmen Hernández-Brenes
- Tecnologico de Monterrey, Escuela de Ingeniería y Ciencias, Monterrey, Mexico
- Tecnologico de Monterrey, The Institute for Obesity Research, Integrative Biology Unit, Monterrey, Mexico
| | - Rocío I. Díaz de la Garza
- Tecnologico de Monterrey, Escuela de Ingeniería y Ciencias, Monterrey, Mexico
- Tecnologico de Monterrey, The Institute for Obesity Research, Integrative Biology Unit, Monterrey, Mexico
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Busta L, Chapman KD, Cahoon EB. Better together: Protein partnerships for lineage-specific oil accumulation. CURRENT OPINION IN PLANT BIOLOGY 2022; 66:102191. [PMID: 35220088 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbi.2022.102191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2021] [Revised: 01/18/2022] [Accepted: 01/20/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Plant-derived oils are a major agricultural product that exist in both ubiquitous forms such as common vegetable oils and in specialized forms such as castor oil and coconut oil. These specialized oils are the result of lineage-specific metabolic pathways that create oils rich in unusual fatty acids. Considerable progress has been made toward understanding the enzymes that mediate fatty acid biosynthesis, triacylglycerol assembly, and oil storage. However, efforts to translate this knowledge into renewable bioproducts via engineered oil-producing plants and algae have had limited success. Here, we review recent evidence that protein-protein interactions in each of the three major phases of oil formation appear to have profound effects on specialized oil accumulation. We suggest that furthering our knowledge of the noncatalytic attributes of enzymes and other proteins involved in oil formation will be a critical step toward creating renewable bioproducts derived from high performing, engineered oilseeds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas Busta
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Minnesota Duluth, Duluth, MN, 55812, USA.
| | - Kent D Chapman
- BioDiscovery Institute and Department of Biological Sciences, University of North Texas, Denton, TX, 76203, USA
| | - Edgar B Cahoon
- Department of Biochemistry and Center for Plant Science Innovation, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, 68588, USA.
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Wei J, Gao H, Yang Y, Liu H, Yu H, Chen Z, Dong B. Seasonal dynamics and starvation impact on the gut microbiome of urochordate ascidian Halocynthia roretzi. Anim Microbiome 2020; 2:30. [PMID: 33499981 PMCID: PMC7807810 DOI: 10.1186/s42523-020-00048-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2020] [Accepted: 08/05/2020] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Gut microbiota plays important roles in host animal metabolism, homeostasis and environmental adaptation. However, the interplay between the gut microbiome and urochordate ascidian, the most closet relative of vertebrate, remains less explored. In this study, we characterized the gut microbial communities of urochordate ascidian (Halocynthia roretzi) across the changes of season and starvation stress using a comprehensive set of omic approaches including 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing, shotgun metagenomics, metabolomic profiling, and transcriptome sequencing. Results The 16S rRNA gene amplicon profiling revealed that ascidians harbor indigenous gut microbiota distinctly different to the marine microbial community and significant variations in composition and abundance of gut bacteria, with predominant bacterial orders representing each season. Depressed alpha-diversities of gut microbiota were observed across starvation stress when compared to the communities in aquafarm condition. Synechococcales involving photosynthesis and its related biosynthesis was reduced in abundance while the enrichments of Xanthomonadales and Legionellales may facilitate bile acid biosynthesis during starvation. Metabolomics analysis found that long chain fatty acids, linolenic acid, cyanoamino acid, and pigments derived from gut bacteria were upregulated, suggesting a beneficial contribution of the gut microbiome to the ascidian under starvation stress. Conclusions Our findings revealed seasonal variation of ascidian gut microbiota. Defense and energy-associated metabolites derived from gut microbiome may provide an adaptive interplay between gut microbiome and ascidian host that maintains a beneficial metabolic system across season and starvation stress. The diversity-generating metabolisms from both microbiota and host might lead to the co-evolution and environmental adaptation. Graphical Abstract ![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiankai Wei
- Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and Breeding, College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003, China.,Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao, 266237, China.,Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003, China
| | - Hongwei Gao
- Technology Center of Qingdao Customs, Qingdao, 266002, China
| | - Yang Yang
- Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and Breeding, College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003, China.,Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao, 266237, China.,Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003, China
| | - Haiming Liu
- Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and Breeding, College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003, China.,Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao, 266237, China.,Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003, China
| | - Haiyan Yu
- Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and Breeding, College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003, China.,Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao, 266237, China.,Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003, China
| | - Zigui Chen
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
| | - Bo Dong
- Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and Breeding, College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003, China. .,Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao, 266237, China. .,Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003, China.
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Balzano S, Villanueva L, de Bar M, Sahonero Canavesi DX, Yildiz C, Engelmann JC, Marechal E, Lupette J, Sinninghe Damst� JS, Schouten S. Biosynthesis of Long Chain Alkyl Diols and Long Chain Alkenols in Nannochloropsis spp. (Eustigmatophyceae). PLANT & CELL PHYSIOLOGY 2019; 60:1666-1682. [PMID: 31058972 PMCID: PMC6872974 DOI: 10.1093/pcp/pcz078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2018] [Accepted: 04/26/2019] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
We investigated potential biosynthetic pathways of long chain alkenols (LCAs), long chain alkyl diols (LCDs), and long chain hydroxy fatty acids (LCHFAs) in Nannochloropsis oceanica and Nannochloropsis gaditana, by combining culturing experiments with genomic and transcriptomic analyses. Incubation of Nannochloropsis spp. in the dark for 1 week led to significant increases in the cellular concentrations of LCAs and LCDs in both species. Consistently, 13C-labelled substrate experiments confirmed that both LCA and LCD were actively produced in the dark from C14-18 fatty acids by either condensation or elongation/hydroxylation, although no enzymatic evidence was found for the former pathway. Nannochloropsis spp. did, however, contain (i) multiple polyketide synthases (PKSs) including one type (PKS-Clade II) that might catalyze incomplete fatty acid elongations leading to the formation of 3-OH-fatty acids, (ii) 3-hydroxyacyl dehydratases (HADs), which can possibly form Δ2/Δ3 monounsaturated fatty acids, and (iii) fatty acid elongases (FAEs) that could elongate 3-OH-fatty acids and Δ2/Δ3 monounsaturated fatty acids to longer products. The enzymes responsible for reduction of the long chain fatty acids to LCDs and LCAs are, however, unclear. A putative wax ester synthase/acyl coenzyme A (acyl-CoA): diacylglycerol acyltransferase is likely to be involved in the esterification of LCAs and LCDs in the cell wall. Our data thus provide useful insights in predicting the biosynthetic pathways of LCAs and LCDs in phytoplankton suggesting a key role of FAE and PKS enzymes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergio Balzano
- Department of Marine Microbiology and Biogeochemistry (MMB), NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, Utrecht University, AB Den Burg, The Netherlands
- Corresponding author: E-mail, ; Fax, +39 081 7641355. Present address: Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Istituto Nazionale di Biologia Ecologia e Biotecnologie Marine, Villa Comunale, Napoli, Italy
| | - Laura Villanueva
- Department of Marine Microbiology and Biogeochemistry (MMB), NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, Utrecht University, AB Den Burg, The Netherlands
- Department of Earth Sciences, Faculty of Geosciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Marijke de Bar
- Department of Marine Microbiology and Biogeochemistry (MMB), NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, Utrecht University, AB Den Burg, The Netherlands
| | - Diana X Sahonero Canavesi
- Department of Marine Microbiology and Biogeochemistry (MMB), NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, Utrecht University, AB Den Burg, The Netherlands
| | - Caglar Yildiz
- Department of Marine Microbiology and Biogeochemistry (MMB), NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, Utrecht University, AB Den Burg, The Netherlands
| | - Julia C Engelmann
- Department of Marine Microbiology and Biogeochemistry (MMB), NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, Utrecht University, AB Den Burg, The Netherlands
| | - Eric Marechal
- Laboratoire de Physiologie Cellulaire et V�g�tale, Unit� mixte de recherche CNRS, CEA, INRA, Universit� Grenoble Alpes, CEA Grenoble, 17 Avenue des Martyrs, Grenoble, France
| | - Josselin Lupette
- Laboratoire de Physiologie Cellulaire et V�g�tale, Unit� mixte de recherche CNRS, CEA, INRA, Universit� Grenoble Alpes, CEA Grenoble, 17 Avenue des Martyrs, Grenoble, France
- Present address: MSU-DOE Plant Research Laboratory, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Jaap S Sinninghe Damst�
- Department of Marine Microbiology and Biogeochemistry (MMB), NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, Utrecht University, AB Den Burg, The Netherlands
- Department of Earth Sciences, Faculty of Geosciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Stefan Schouten
- Department of Marine Microbiology and Biogeochemistry (MMB), NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, Utrecht University, AB Den Burg, The Netherlands
- Department of Earth Sciences, Faculty of Geosciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
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Racovita RC, Jetter R. Identification of In-Chain-Functionalized Compounds and Methyl-Branched Alkanes in Cuticular Waxes of Triticum aestivum cv. Bethlehem. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0165827. [PMID: 27820857 PMCID: PMC5098774 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0165827] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2016] [Accepted: 10/07/2016] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
In this work, cuticular waxes from flag leaf blades and peduncles of Triticum aestivum cv. Bethlehem were investigated in search for novel wax compounds. Seven wax compound classes were detected that had previously not been reported, and their structures were elucidated using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry of various derivatives. Six of the classes were identified as series of homologs differing by two methylene units, while the seventh was a homologous series with homologs with single methylene unit differences. In the waxes of flag leaf blades, secondary alcohols (predominantly C27 and C33), primary/secondary diols (predominantly C28) and esters of primary/secondary diols (predominantly C50, combining C28 diol with C22 acid) were found, all sharing similar secondary hydroxyl group positions at and around C-12 or ω-12. 7- and 8-hydroxy-2-alkanol esters (predominantly C35), 7- and 8-oxo-2-alkanol esters (predominantly C35), and 4-alkylbutan-4-olides (predominantly C28) were found both in flag leaf and peduncle wax mixtures. Finally, a series of even- and odd-numbered alkane homologs was identified in both leaf and peduncle waxes, with an internal methyl branch preferentially on C-11 and C-13 of homologs with even total carbon number and on C-12 of odd-numbered homologs. Biosynthetic pathways are suggested for all compounds, based on common structural features and matching chain length profiles with other wheat wax compound classes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Radu C. Racovita
- Department of Chemistry, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z1, Canada
| | - Reinhard Jetter
- Department of Chemistry, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z1, Canada
- Department of Botany, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4, Canada
- * E-mail:
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Identification of Polyketides in the Cuticular Waxes of Triticum aestivum cv. Bethlehem. Lipids 2016; 51:1407-1420. [PMID: 27796867 DOI: 10.1007/s11745-016-4208-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2016] [Accepted: 10/10/2016] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Cuticular waxes are complex mixtures consisting mostly of very-long-chain aliphatics with single, primary functional groups. However, the waxes of many plant species also include aliphatics with one or more functional groups residing on subterminal or mid-chain carbons. In the present work, the cuticular wax mixtures from flag leaf blades and peduncles of Triticum aestivum cv. Bethlehem were analyzed in a search for novel wax constituents with in-chain functionalities, potentially of polyketide origin. The structures of compounds belonging to six different compound classes were elucidated using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry of various derivatives. Among them, a series of 2,4-ketols was identified, with odd carbon numbers ranging from C25 to C37 and peaking at C33. The analogous C33 2,4-diketone was identified as well, together with a pair of co-eluting C31 mid-chain β-ketol isomers (16-hydroxyhentriacontan-14-one and 14-hydroxyhentriacontan-16-one), a pair of co-eluting C30 mid-chain α-ketol isomers (15-hydroxytriacontan-14-one and 14-hydroxytriacontan-15-one), the corresponding C30 14,15-diketone, and a pair of co-eluting C31 ketones (hentriacontan-14-one and hentriacontan-16-one). All newly discovered structures contain ketone functional groups, with similar C13H27 and C15H31 alkyl chains on either side of the functionalities, thus resembling the previously reported very-long-chain β-diketones dominating the wheat wax mixtures. Based on these structural characteristics, possible biosynthetic pathways leading to the newly identified polyketide-like compounds are proposed.
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Racovita RC, Jetter R. Composition of the epicuticular waxes coating the adaxial side of Phyllostachys aurea leaves: Identification of very-long-chain primary amides. PHYTOCHEMISTRY 2016; 130:252-261. [PMID: 27402630 DOI: 10.1016/j.phytochem.2016.06.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2016] [Revised: 06/05/2016] [Accepted: 06/13/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
The present study presents comprehensive chemical analyses of cuticular wax mixtures of the bamboo Phyllostachys aurea. The epicuticular and intracuticular waxes were sampled selectively from the adaxial side of leaves on young and old plants and investigated by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and flame ionization detection. The epi- and intracuticular layers on young and old leaves had wax loads ranging from 1.7 μg/cm(2) to 1.9 μg/cm(2). Typical very-long-chain aliphatic wax constituents were found with characteristic chain length patterns, including alkyl esters (primarily C48), alkanes (primarily C29), fatty acids (primarily C28 and C16), primary alcohols (primarily C28) and aldehydes (primarily C30). Alicyclic wax components were identified as tocopherols and triterpenoids, including substantial amounts of triterpenoid esters. Alkyl esters, alkanes, fatty acids and aldehydes were found in greater amounts in the epicuticular layer, while primary alcohols and most terpenoids accumulated more in the intracuticular wax. Alkyl esters occurred as mixtures of metamers, combining C20 alcohol with various acids into shorter ester homologs (C36C40), and a wide range of alcohols with C22 and C24 acids into longer esters (C42C52). Primary amides were identified, with a characteristic chain length profile peaking at C30. The amides were present exclusively in the epicuticular layer and thus at or near the surface, where they may affect plant-herbivore or plant-pathogen interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Radu C Racovita
- Department of Chemistry, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z1, Canada
| | - Reinhard Jetter
- Department of Chemistry, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z1, Canada; Department of Botany, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4, Canada.
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Busta L, Budke JM, Jetter R. The moss Funaria hygrometrica has cuticular wax similar to vascular plants, with distinct composition on leafy gametophyte, calyptra and sporophyte capsule surfaces. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2016; 118:511-22. [PMID: 27489161 PMCID: PMC4998987 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcw131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2016] [Revised: 03/29/2016] [Accepted: 05/16/2016] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Aerial surfaces of land plants are covered with a waxy cuticle to protect against water loss. The amount and composition of cuticular waxes on moss surfaces had rarely been investigated. Accordingly, the degree of similarity between moss and vascular plant waxes, and between maternal and offspring moss structure waxes is unknown. To resolve these issues, this study aimed at providing a comprehensive analysis of the waxes on the leafy gametophyte, gametophyte calyptra and sporophyte capsule of the moss Funaria hygrometrica METHODS Waxes were extracted from the surfaces of leafy gametophytes, gametophyte calyptrae and sporophyte capsules, separated by gas chromatography, identified qualitatively with mass spectrometry, and quantified with flame ionization detection. Diagnostic mass spectral peaks were used to determine the isomer composition of wax esters. KEY RESULTS The surfaces of the leafy gametophyte, calyptra and sporophyte capsule of F. hygrometrica were covered with 0·94, 2·0 and 0·44 μg cm(-2) wax, respectively. While each wax mixture was composed of mainly fatty acid alkyl esters, the waxes from maternal and offspring structures had unique compositional markers. β-Hydroxy fatty acid alkyl esters were limited to the leafy gametophyte and calyptra, while alkanes, aldehydes and diol esters were restricted to the sporophyte capsule. Ubiquitous fatty acids, alcohols, fatty acid alkyl esters, aldehydes and alkanes were all found on at least one surface. CONCLUSIONS This is the first study to determine wax coverage (μg cm(-2)) on a moss surface, enabling direct comparisons with vascular plants, which were shown to have an equal amount or more wax than F. hygrometrica Wax ester biosynthesis is of particular importance in this species, and the ester-forming enzyme(s) in different parts of the moss may have different substrate preferences. Furthermore, the alkane-forming wax biosynthesis pathway, found widely in vascular plants, is active in the sporophyte capsule, but not in the leafy gametophyte or calyptra. Overall, wax composition and coverage on F. hygrometrica were similar to those reported for some vascular plant species, suggesting that the underlying biosynthetic processes in plants of both lineages were inherited from a common ancestor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas Busta
- Department of Chemistry, University of British Columbia, 2036 Main Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z1, Canada
| | - Jessica M Budke
- Department of Plant Biology, University of California - Davis, One Shields Ave., Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Reinhard Jetter
- Department of Chemistry, University of British Columbia, 2036 Main Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z1, Canada Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, 6270 University Boulevard, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4, Canada
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Budke JM, Goffinet B. Comparative Cuticle Development Reveals Taller Sporophytes Are Covered by Thicker Calyptra Cuticles in Mosses. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2016; 7:832. [PMID: 27379125 PMCID: PMC4906049 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2016.00832] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2015] [Accepted: 05/27/2016] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
The calyptra is a maternal structure that protects the sporophyte offspring from dehydration, and positively impacts sporophyte survival and fitness in mosses. We explore the relationship between cuticle protection and sporophyte height as a proxy for dehydration stress in Funariaceae species with sporophytes across a range of sizes. Calyptrae and sporophytes from four species were collected from laboratory-grown populations at two developmental stages. Tissues were embedded, sectioned, and examined using transmission electron microscopy. Cuticle thickness was measured from three epidermal cells per organ for each individual and compared statistically. All four species have cuticles consisting of a cuticle proper and a cuticular layer on the calyptra and sporophyte at both developmental stages. Across species, shorter sporophytes are associated with smaller calyptra and thinner calyptra cuticles, whereas taller sporophytes are associated with larger calyptra and thicker calyptra cuticles. Independent of size, young sporophytes have a thin cuticle that thickens later during development, while calyptrae have a mature cuticle produced early during development that persists throughout development. This study adds to our knowledge of maternal effects influencing offspring survival in plants. Released from the pressures to invest in protection for their sporophyte offspring, maternal resources can be allocated to other processes that support sporophyte reproductive success. Using a comparative developmental framework enables us to broaden our understanding of cuticle development across species and provides structural evidence supporting the waterproofing role of the moss calyptra.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica M. Budke
- Department of Plant Biology, University of California, Davis, DavisCA, USA
| | - Bernard Goffinet
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Connecticut, StorrsCT, USA
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