Origins and Evolution of Cuticle Biosynthetic Machinery in Land Plants

The aerial epidermis of land plants is covered with a hydrophobic cuticle that protects the plant against environmental stresses. Although the mechanisms of cuticle biosynthesis have been extensively studied in model plants, particularly in seed plants, the origins and evolution of cuticle biosynthesis are not well understood. In this study, we performed a comparative genomic analysis of core components that mediate cuticle biosynthesis and characterized the chemical compositions and physiological parameters of cuticles from a broad set of embryophytes. Phylogenomic analysis revealed that the cuticle biosynthetic machinery originated in the last common ancestor of embryophytes. Coexpansion and coordinated expression are evident in core genes involved in the biosynthesis of two major cuticle components: the polymer cutin and cuticular waxes. Multispecies analyses of cuticle chemistry and physiology further revealed higher loads of both cutin and cuticular waxes in seed plants than in bryophytes as well as greater proportions of dihydroxy and trihydroxy acids, dicarboxylic acids, very-long-chain alkanes, and >C28 lipophilic compounds. This can be associated with land colonization and the formation of cuticles with enhanced hydrophobicity and moisture retention capacity. These findings provide insights into the evolution of plant cuticle biosynthetic mechanisms.