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Precursor biosynthesis regulation of lignin, suberin and cutin

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Abstract

The extracellular matrix of plants can contain the hydrophobic biopolymers lignin, suberin and/or cutin, which provide mechanical strength and limit water loss and pathogen invasion. Due to their remarkable chemical resistance, these polymers have a high potential in various biotechnological applications and can replace petrol-based resources, for example, in the packing industry. However, despite the importance of these polymers, the regulation of their precursor biosynthesis is far from being fully understood. This is particularly true for suberin and cutin, which hinders efforts to engineer their formation in plants and produce customised biopolymers. This review brings attention to knowledge gaps in the current research and highlights some of the most recent findings on transcription factors that regulate lignin, suberin and cutin precursor biosynthesis. Finally, we also briefly discuss how some of the remaining knowledge gaps can be closed.

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Acknowledgements

We dedicate this paper to Prof. Ursula Lütz-Meindl whose outstanding research on cell wall biology truly inspired both senior and early career scientists to explore various aspects in this fascinating field—from Charophyte green algae to vascular plants.

Funding

This work was supported by the Villum Foundation project TIPorNOT (00023089) to KH.

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  1. Section for Plant Glycobiology, Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 1871, Frederiksberg, Denmark

    Anzhou Xin & Klaus Herburger

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  1. Anzhou Xin
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AX drafted the manuscript and KH edited it. Both authors approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Klaus Herburger.

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Xin, A., Herburger, K. Precursor biosynthesis regulation of lignin, suberin and cutin. Protoplasma 258, 1171–1178 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00709-021-01676-4

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