Abstract
The plant lipid barriers cuticle and suberin represent one of the largest biological interfaces on the planet. They are comprised of an insoluble polymeric domain with associated organic solvent-soluble waxes. Suberin-associated and plant cuticular waxes contain mixtures of aliphatic components that may include alkyl hydroxycinnamates (AHCs). The canonical alkyl hydroxycinnamates are comprised of phenylpropanoids, typically coumaric, ferulic, or caffeic acids, esterified with long chain to very long chain fatty alcohols. However, many related structures are also present in the plant kingdom. Although their functions remain elusive, much progress has been made on understanding the distribution, biosynthesis, and deposition of AHCs. Herein a summary of the current state of knowledge on plant AHCs is provided.
Highlights
Alkyl hydroxycinnamates (AHCs), typically comprised of the phenylpropanoids coumaric, ferulic, or caffeic acids esterified with fatty alcohols (Figure 1, structures 1–3), have been described in many plant species
Arabidopsis FAR3 is involved in the formation of ≥C24 fatty alcohols, albeit it has been characterized in the context of cuticular wax biosynthesis [62]
In the past 50 years, numerous studies on suberized barriers have reported the presence of canonical AHCs in a vast array of plant species
Summary
Alkyl hydroxycinnamates (AHCs), typically comprised of the phenylpropanoids coumaric, ferulic, or caffeic acids esterified with fatty alcohols (Figure 1, structures 1–3), have been described in many plant species They are often found in association with plant cuticles and suberin. Homologous series of very long chain alkanes, primary alcohols, fatty acids, as well as mid-chain ketones and secondary alcohols are considered typical cuticular waxes Both suberin and cutin polymers are comprised of esterified long chain to very long chain mono, bi, and poly-functional lipids and glycerol. A number of less common AHC-related compounds have been identified including phenylpropanoids esterified to other hydroxyl-containing compounds like glycerol or hydroxycinnamyl alkanoates, among others They have been described for decades, AHCs have received more attention in recent years with the discovery and characterization of the first genes encoding enzymes that function in their biosynthesis.
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