The CER3 wax biosynthetic gene from Arabidopsis thaliana is allelic to WAX2/YRE/FLP1

FEBS Lett. 2007 Jul 24;581(18):3538-44. doi: 10.1016/j.febslet.2007.06.065. Epub 2007 Jul 3.

Abstract

The cuticle coats the aerial organs of land plants and is composed of a cutin matrix embedded and overlayed with waxes. The Arabidopsis CER3 gene is important for cuticular wax biosynthesis and was reported to correspond to At5g02310 encoding an E3 ubiquitin ligase. Here, we demonstrate that CER3 is not At5g02310 and instead corresponds to WAX2/YRE/FLP1 (At5g57800), a gene of unknown function required for wax biosynthesis. CER3 protein has also been implicated in cutin production because strong cer3 alleles display organ fusions. Leaf cutin analysis of two cer3 alleles did not reveal significant differences in cutin load or composition, indicating that CER3 has no major role in leaf cutin formation.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Alleles
  • Arabidopsis / genetics
  • Arabidopsis / metabolism*
  • Arabidopsis Proteins / genetics*
  • Arabidopsis Proteins / metabolism*
  • Carbon-Carbon Lyases
  • Cloning, Molecular
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Plant
  • Membrane Lipids / biosynthesis
  • Mutation / genetics
  • Nuclear Proteins / genetics
  • Nuclear Proteins / metabolism*
  • Plant Leaves / genetics
  • Plant Leaves / metabolism
  • Transcription, Genetic / genetics
  • Waxes / metabolism*

Substances

  • Arabidopsis Proteins
  • Membrane Lipids
  • Nuclear Proteins
  • WAX2 protein, Arabidopsis
  • Waxes
  • cutin
  • CER3 protein, Arabidopsis
  • Carbon-Carbon Lyases