Periderm (Cork) Tissue Development in Plants

A special issue of Plants (ISSN 2223-7747). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant Development and Morphogenesis".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 March 2022) | Viewed by 63156

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Institute of Plant Sciences, Agricultural Research Organization, Volcani Center, Rishon LeZion 7505101, Israel
Interests: periderm development; potato physiology; russeting and cracking of fruits and vegetables

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Plant Sciences, Agricultural Research Organization, Volcani Center, Rishon LeZion 7505101, Israel
Interests: plant lipophilic barriers; suberin; cutin; lignin; epicuticular waxes; plant–pathogen interactions; skin reticulation of cucurbitaceous fruit

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Periderm is a protective tissue of secondary origin that replaces the epidermal cell layer when the latter is damaged. Structurally, the periderm is composed of three specialized cell types: phellem, phellogen, and phelloderm. The phellem, or cork, forms a series of cell layers at the outermost level of the periderm and is derived from the underlying meristematic phellogen layer (cork cambium). As phellem cells develop, they become suberized and then die, creating an external protective layer. The parenchyma-like phelloderm forms the innermost layers of the periderm and is similarly derived from the phellogen layer. Periderm formation is a common phenomenon in stems and roots of dicotyledons and gymnosperms, which increase in thickness by secondary growth, as well as in lenticels, abscission zone, and upon wounding.

Periderm tissue plays a key role in various fruits and vegetables. It constitutes the skin of potato tubers, sweet potato storage roots, and carrot and forms the reticulated structures decorating different species of melon and cucumber, as well as the cork of tree barks—all of which are desired agricultural traits. However, periderm development has negative outcomes, such as skin russeting in potato, apple, pear, and tomato. 

Despite its significant impact on plant physiology and agriculture, the developmental and regulatory processes that govern periderm formation and maturation are not fully understood. In the current Special Issue entitled “Periderm (Cork) Tissue Development in Plants”, we intend to provide a broad overview on periderm occurrence in plants, including its structural and chemical attributes across species, and highlight the current most fundamental issues in this topic.

Dr. Idit Ginzberg
Dr. Hagai Cohen
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • cork
  • periderm
  • phellem
  • phellogen (cork cambium)
  • russeting
  • suberization
  • wound periderm

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Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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11 pages, 2549 KiB  
Article
A Collection of Melon (Cucumis melo) Fruit Cultivars with Varied Skin Appearances Provide Insight to the Contribution of Suberin in Periderm Formation and Reticulation
by Ekaterina Manasherova and Hagai Cohen
Plants 2022, 11(10), 1336; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11101336 - 18 May 2022
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3724
Abstract
At times of fruit skin failure, reticulation made of a wound-periderm is formed below the cracked skin in order to seal the damaged tissue. Preceding investigations shed light on the mechanisms underlying the formation of fruit skin reticulation, demonstrating that the walls of [...] Read more.
At times of fruit skin failure, reticulation made of a wound-periderm is formed below the cracked skin in order to seal the damaged tissue. Preceding investigations shed light on the mechanisms underlying the formation of fruit skin reticulation, demonstrating that the walls of periderm cells are heavily suberized and lignified. However, the relative contribution of the suberin pathway to these processes, as well as the association between suberin contents in the periderm tissue and reticulation degree, are largely unknown. To strengthen our understanding on these important physiological and agricultural aspects, we comparatively profiled skin tissues of a collection of smooth- and reticulated-skin melon (Cucumis melo) cultivars for suberin monomer composition via gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). This metabolite profiling approach accompanied by statistical tools highlighted the fundamental chemical differences between the skin of smooth fruit made of a typical cuticle, to the skin of reticulated fruit made of large amounts of archetypal suberin building blocks including hydroxycinnamic acids, very long chain fatty acids, fatty alcohols, α-hydroxyacids, ω-hydroxyacids, and α,ω-diacids. Next, using image analysis we generated ‘reticulation maps’ and calculated the relative densities of reticulation. We then performed correlation assays in order to monitor suberin monomers that specifically correlate well with reticulation degree. Nonetheless, total suberin contents and most suberin building blocks did not show high correlations with reticulation degree, further suggesting that additional factors are likely to influence and regulate these processes. Altogether, the data provided vital information regarding the relative contribution of the suberin pathway to periderm formation and skin reticulation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Periderm (Cork) Tissue Development in Plants)
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21 pages, 2342 KiB  
Article
Chemical and Molecular Characterization of Wound-Induced Suberization in Poplar (Populus alba × P. tremula) Stem Bark
by Meghan K. Rains, Christine Caron, Sharon Regan and Isabel Molina
Plants 2022, 11(9), 1143; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11091143 - 22 Apr 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3236
Abstract
Upon mechanical damage, plants produce wound responses to protect internal tissues from infections and desiccation. Suberin, a heteropolymer found on the inner face of primary cell walls, is deposited in specific tissues under normal development, enhanced under abiotic stress conditions and synthesized by [...] Read more.
Upon mechanical damage, plants produce wound responses to protect internal tissues from infections and desiccation. Suberin, a heteropolymer found on the inner face of primary cell walls, is deposited in specific tissues under normal development, enhanced under abiotic stress conditions and synthesized by any tissue upon mechanical damage. Wound-healing suberization of tree bark has been investigated at the anatomical level but very little is known about the molecular mechanisms underlying this important stress response. Here, we investigated a time course of wound-induced suberization in poplar bark. Microscopic changes showed that polyphenolics accumulate 3 days post wounding, with aliphatic suberin deposition observed 5 days post wounding. A wound periderm was formed 9 days post wounding. Chemical analyses of the suberin polyester accumulated during the wound-healing response indicated that suberin monomers increased from 0.25 to 7.98 mg/g DW for days 0 to 28, respectively. Monomer proportions varied across the wound-healing process, with an overall ratio of 2:1 (monomers:glycerol) found across the first 14 days post wounding, with this ratio increasing to 7:2 by day 28. The expression of selected candidate genes of poplar suberin metabolism was investigated using qRT-PCR. Genes queried belonging to lipid polyester and phenylpropanoid metabolism appeared to have redundant functions in native and wound-induced suberization. Our data show that, anatomically, the wounding response in poplar bark is similar to that described in periderms of other species. It also provides novel insight into this process at the chemical and molecular levels, which have not been previously studied in trees. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Periderm (Cork) Tissue Development in Plants)
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23 pages, 4308 KiB  
Article
Morphology and Anatomy of Branch–Branch Junctions in Opuntia ficus-indica and Cylindropuntia bigelovii: A Comparative Study Supported by Mechanical Tissue Quantification
by Max D. Mylo, Linnea Hesse, Tom Masselter, Jochen Leupold, Kathrin Drozella, Thomas Speck and Olga Speck
Plants 2021, 10(11), 2313; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10112313 - 27 Oct 2021
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 5718
Abstract
The Opuntioideae include iconic cacti whose lateral branch–branch junctions are intriguing objects from a mechanical viewpoint. We have compared Opuntia ficus-indica, which has stable branch connections, with Cylindropuntia bigelovii, whose side branches abscise under slight mechanical stress. To determine the underlying [...] Read more.
The Opuntioideae include iconic cacti whose lateral branch–branch junctions are intriguing objects from a mechanical viewpoint. We have compared Opuntia ficus-indica, which has stable branch connections, with Cylindropuntia bigelovii, whose side branches abscise under slight mechanical stress. To determine the underlying structures and mechanical characteristics of these stable versus shedding cacti junctions, we conducted magnetic resonance imaging, morphometric and anatomical analyses of the branches and tensile tests of individual tissues. The comparison revealed differences in geometry, shape and material properties as follows: (i) a more pronounced tapering of the cross-sectional area towards the junctions supports the abscission of young branches of C. bigelovii. (ii) Older branches of O. ficus-indica form, initially around the branch–branch junctions, collar-shaped periderm tissue. This secondary coverage mechanically stiffens the dermal tissue, giving a threefold increase in strength and a tenfold increase in the elastic modulus compared with the epidermis. (iii) An approximately 200-fold higher elastic modulus of the vascular bundles of O. ficus-indica is a prerequisite for the stable junction of its young branches. Our results provide, for both biological and engineered materials systems, important insights into the geometric characteristics and mechanical properties of branching joints that are either stable or easily detachable. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Periderm (Cork) Tissue Development in Plants)
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Review

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11 pages, 2073 KiB  
Review
Potato Periderm Development and Tuber Skin Quality
by Pawan Kumar and Idit Ginzberg
Plants 2022, 11(16), 2099; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11162099 - 12 Aug 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3775
Abstract
The periderm is a corky tissue that replaces the epidermis when the latter is damaged, and is critical for preventing pathogen invasion and water loss. The periderm is formed through the meristematic activity of phellogen cells (cork cambium). The potato skin (phellem cells) [...] Read more.
The periderm is a corky tissue that replaces the epidermis when the latter is damaged, and is critical for preventing pathogen invasion and water loss. The periderm is formed through the meristematic activity of phellogen cells (cork cambium). The potato skin (phellem cells) composes the outer layers of the tuber periderm and is a model for studying cork development. Early in tuber development and following tuber expansion, the phellogen becomes active and produces the skin. New skin layers are continuously added by division of the phellogen cells until tuber maturation. Some physiological disorders of the potato tuber are related to abnormal development of the skin, including skinning injuries and russeting of smooth-skinned potatoes. Thus, characterizing the potato periderm contributes to modeling cork development in plants and helps to resolve critical agricultural problems. Here, we summarize the data available on potato periderm formation, highlighting tissue characteristics rather than the suberization processes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Periderm (Cork) Tissue Development in Plants)
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32 pages, 3143 KiB  
Review
Suberin Biosynthesis, Assembly, and Regulation
by Kathlyn N. Woolfson, Mina Esfandiari and Mark A. Bernards
Plants 2022, 11(4), 555; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11040555 - 19 Feb 2022
Cited by 55 | Viewed by 10932
Abstract
Suberin is a specialized cell wall modifying polymer comprising both phenolic-derived and fatty acid-derived monomers, which is deposited in below-ground dermal tissues (epidermis, endodermis, periderm) and above-ground periderm (i.e., bark). Suberized cells are largely impermeable to water and provide a critical protective layer [...] Read more.
Suberin is a specialized cell wall modifying polymer comprising both phenolic-derived and fatty acid-derived monomers, which is deposited in below-ground dermal tissues (epidermis, endodermis, periderm) and above-ground periderm (i.e., bark). Suberized cells are largely impermeable to water and provide a critical protective layer preventing water loss and pathogen infection. The deposition of suberin is part of the skin maturation process of important tuber crops such as potato and can affect storage longevity. Historically, the term “suberin” has been used to describe a polyester of largely aliphatic monomers (fatty acids, ω-hydroxy fatty acids, α,ω-dioic acids, 1-alkanols), hydroxycinnamic acids, and glycerol. However, exhaustive alkaline hydrolysis, which removes esterified aliphatics and phenolics from suberized tissue, reveals a core poly(phenolic) macromolecule, the depolymerization of which yields phenolics not found in the aliphatic polyester. Time course analysis of suberin deposition, at both the transcriptional and metabolite levels, supports a temporal regulation of suberin deposition, with phenolics being polymerized into a poly(phenolic) domain in advance of the bulk of the poly(aliphatics) that characterize suberized cells. In the present review, we summarize the literature describing suberin monomer biosynthesis and speculate on aspects of suberin assembly. In addition, we highlight recent advances in our understanding of how suberization may be regulated, including at the phytohormone, transcription factor, and protein scaffold levels. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Periderm (Cork) Tissue Development in Plants)
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13 pages, 12621 KiB  
Review
The Key Enzymes in the Suberin Biosynthetic Pathway in Plants: An Update
by Gal Nomberg, Ofir Marinov, Gulab Chand Arya, Ekaterina Manasherova and Hagai Cohen
Plants 2022, 11(3), 392; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11030392 - 30 Jan 2022
Cited by 24 | Viewed by 6368
Abstract
Suberin is a natural biopolymer found in a variety of specialized tissues, including seed coat integuments, root endodermis, tree bark, potato tuber skin and the russeted and reticulated skin of fruits. The suberin polymer consists of polyaliphatic and polyphenolic domains. The former is [...] Read more.
Suberin is a natural biopolymer found in a variety of specialized tissues, including seed coat integuments, root endodermis, tree bark, potato tuber skin and the russeted and reticulated skin of fruits. The suberin polymer consists of polyaliphatic and polyphenolic domains. The former is made of very long chain fatty acids, primary alcohols and a glycerol backbone, while the latter consists of p-hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives, which originate from the core phenylpropanoid pathway. In the current review, we survey the current knowledge on genes/enzymes associated with the suberin biosynthetic pathway in plants, reflecting the outcomes of considerable research efforts in the last two decades. We discuss the function of these genes/enzymes with respect to suberin aromatic and aliphatic monomer biosynthesis, suberin monomer transport, and suberin pathway regulation. We also delineate the consequences of the altered expression/accumulation of these genes/enzymes in transgenic plants. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Periderm (Cork) Tissue Development in Plants)
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