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Updated: Jan 10, 2026

Use of Arabidopsis eceriferum Mutants to Explore Plant Cuticle Biosynthesis
Published on: May 31, 2008
Transcriptional control of cuticle formation during development
Linsan Liu1, Chiara Campoli2, Sarah M McKim1
1Division of Plant Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK.
None:
The cuticle is a chemically complex, lipid-rich seal covering aerial tissues in land plants. Secreted by the outer epidermis, cuticles protect against desiccation, organ fusion, pathogen attack and UV radiation exposure. Cuticles also mediate key interactions during reproduction and play other roles depending on the tissue, stage, and species. Reflecting these diverse functions, cuticle composition and structure can vary widely. We review the transcriptional control important for cuticle formation, with special attention to broadly conserved transcription factors where selective regulation of downstream targets drive cuticle specialization. We also discuss how transcriptional control of the cuticle intersects with networks controlling plasticity and cell fate, and explore their translational potential for crop improvement.
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Transcription
Transcription is the process of synthesizing RNA from a DNA sequence by RNA polymerase. It is the first step in producing a protein from a gene sequence. Additionally, many other proteins and regulatory sequences are involved in the proper synthesis of messenger RNA (mRNA). Regulation of transcription is responsible for the differentiation of all the different types of cells and often for the proper cellular response to environmental signals.
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Transcription Can Produce Different Kinds of RNA Molecules
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The expression of more than 30,000 genes is controlled by approximately 2000-3000 transcription factors. This is possible because a single transcription factor can recognize more than one regulatory sequence. The specificity in gene...
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