Suberin is a lipid and phenolic cell wall heteropolymer found in the roots and other organs of all vascular plants. Suberin plays a critical role in plant water relations and in protecting plants from biotic and abiotic stresses. Here we describe a transcription factor, AtMYB41 (At4g28110), that can activate the steps necessary for aliphatic suberin synthesis and deposition of cell wall-associated suberin-like lamellae in both Arabidopsis thaliana and Nicotiana benthamiana. Overexpression of AtMYB41 increased the abundance of suberin biosynthetic gene transcripts by orders of magnitude and resulted in the accumulation of up to 22 times more suberin-type than cutin-type aliphatic monomers in leaves. Overexpression of AtMYB41 also resulted in elevated amounts of monolignols in leaves and an increase in the accumulation of phenylpropanoid and lignin biosynthetic gene transcripts. Surprisingly, ultrastructural data indicated that overexpression led to the formation of suberin-like lamellae in both epidermal and mesophyll cells of leaves. We further implicate AtMYB41 in the production of aliphatic suberin under abiotic stress conditions. These results provide insight into the molecular-genetic mechanisms of the biosynthesis and deposition of a ubiquitous cell wall-associated plant structure and will serve as a basis for discovering the transcriptional network behind one of the most abundant lipid-based polymers in nature.

 
Dylan K Kosma, Jhadeswar Murmu, Fakhria M Razeq, Patricia Santos, Richard Bourgault, Isabel Molina, Owen Rowland 2014, AtMYB41 activates ectopic suberin synthesis and assembly in multiple plant species and cell types, The Plant Journal 80 (2): 216–229

Extension Associated Contacts

 

Also of Interest:

 
Clark County, Las Vegas, Nevada 4-H 2022-2023 Program Evaluation Report
In the 2022-2023 4-H program year, the Clark County Extension team reached 9,938 youth participants, the urban Extension team reached 7,552, and the core urban 4-H team reached 2,649. The core urban 4-H team delivered 123 programs with 1,964.5 contact hours. The remaining Extensi...
Solis-Leon, J; Luna, N; Christiansen, E. 2024, Extension, University of Nevada, Reno, 4-H Report
Clark County, Las Vegas, Nevada 4-H 2021-2022 Program Evaluation Report
In the 2021-2022 4-H program year, the Clark County Extension team reached 11,867 youth participants. This report is an overview of the evaluation.
Luna, N. and Solis-Leon J. 2023, Extension, University of Nevada, Reno, County Report
Clark County 4-H, 2020-2021 4-H Attendance and Evaluation Report Luna, Nora and Solis-Leon, Jesus 2021, Extension, University of Nevada, Reno, County Report
students sitting around library table
4-H 21st Century Community Learning Center Program at Valley High School, Evaluation Report 2023-2024
The University of Nevada Cooperative Extension implemented the 4-H 21st Century Community Learning Center (CCLC) Program at Valley High School in Las Vegas for its third year in 2023-2024. The Center for Program Evaluation (CPE) at the University of Nevada, Reno was the external ...
Christiansen, E; Saunders, S; Garcia-Aguilera, C.; Karandikar, S; Luna, N; Quan-Lopez, H. 2024, Extension, University of Nevada, Reno
Extension Master Gardener Annual Report (2024)
The full report for the 2024 Extension Master Gardener year.
Brinkerhoff, K. 2025, Extension, University of Nevada, Reno