TY - JOUR
T1 - Cuticle characteristics and volatile emissions of petals in Antirrhinum majus
AU - Goodwin, S. Mark
AU - Kolosova, Natalia
AU - Kish, Christine M.
AU - Wood, Karl V.
AU - Dudareva, Natalia
AU - Jenks, Matthew A.
PY - 2003/3/1
Y1 - 2003/3/1
N2 - Floral volatiles, which are small and generally water-insoluble, must move from their intracellular sites of synthesis through the outermost cuticle membrane before release from the flower surface. To determine whether petal cuticle might influence volatile emissions, we performed the first analysis of petal cuticle development and its association with the emission of flower volatiles using Antirrhinum majus L. (snapdragon) as a model system. Petal cuticular wax amount and composition, cuticle thickness and nitrastructure, and the amounts of internal and emitted methylbenzoate (the major snapdragon floral scent compound) were examined during 12 days, from flower opening to senescence. Normal (n-) alkunes were found to be the major wax class of snapdragon petals (29.0% to 34.3%) throughout the 12 days examined. Besides n-alkanes, snapdragon petals possessed significant amounts of methyl branched alkanes (23.6-27.8%) and hydroxy esters (12.0-14.0%). Hydroxy esters have not been previously reported in plants. Changes in amount of methylbenzoate inside the petals followed closely with levels of methylbenzoate emission, suggesting that snapdragon petal cuticle may provide little diffusive resistance to volatile emissions. Moreover, clear associations did not exist between methylbenzoate emission and the cuticle properties examined during development. Nevertheless, the unique wax composition of snapdragon petal cuticles shows similarities with those of other highly permeable cuticles, suggesting an adaptation that could permit rapid volatile emission by scented flowers.
AB - Floral volatiles, which are small and generally water-insoluble, must move from their intracellular sites of synthesis through the outermost cuticle membrane before release from the flower surface. To determine whether petal cuticle might influence volatile emissions, we performed the first analysis of petal cuticle development and its association with the emission of flower volatiles using Antirrhinum majus L. (snapdragon) as a model system. Petal cuticular wax amount and composition, cuticle thickness and nitrastructure, and the amounts of internal and emitted methylbenzoate (the major snapdragon floral scent compound) were examined during 12 days, from flower opening to senescence. Normal (n-) alkunes were found to be the major wax class of snapdragon petals (29.0% to 34.3%) throughout the 12 days examined. Besides n-alkanes, snapdragon petals possessed significant amounts of methyl branched alkanes (23.6-27.8%) and hydroxy esters (12.0-14.0%). Hydroxy esters have not been previously reported in plants. Changes in amount of methylbenzoate inside the petals followed closely with levels of methylbenzoate emission, suggesting that snapdragon petal cuticle may provide little diffusive resistance to volatile emissions. Moreover, clear associations did not exist between methylbenzoate emission and the cuticle properties examined during development. Nevertheless, the unique wax composition of snapdragon petal cuticles shows similarities with those of other highly permeable cuticles, suggesting an adaptation that could permit rapid volatile emission by scented flowers.
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U2 - 10.1034/j.1399-3054.2003.00047.x
DO - 10.1034/j.1399-3054.2003.00047.x
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:0037947506
SN - 0031-9317
VL - 117
SP - 435
EP - 443
JO - Physiologia Plantarum
JF - Physiologia Plantarum
IS - 3
ER -