The plant embryonic cuticle is a hydrophobic barrier deposited de novo by the embryo during seed development.At germination, it protects the seedling from water loss and is, thus, critical for survival.Embryonic cuticle formation is controlled by a signaling pathway involving the ABNORMAL LEAF SHAPE1 subtilase and the two GASSHO receptor-like kinases.
We show that a sulfated peptide, TWISTED SEED1 (TWS1), acts as a GASSHO ligand.Cuticle surveillance depends on the action of the subtilase, which, unlike the TWS1 precursor and the GASSHO receptors, is not produced in the embryo but in the neighboring endosperm.Subtilase-mediated processing of the embryo-derived TWS1 precursor releases the active peptide, triggering GASSHO-dependent cuticle reinforcement in the embryo.Thus, a bidirectional molecular dialogue between embryo and endosperm safeguards cuticle integrity before germination.
The plant embryonic cuticle is a hydrophobic barrier deposited de novo by the embryo during seed development.At germination, it protects the seedling from water loss and is, thus, critical for survival.Embryonic cuticle formation is controlled by a signaling pathway involving the ABNORMAL LEAF SHAPE1 subtilase and the two GASSHO receptor-like kinases.
We show that a sulfated peptide, TWISTED SEED1 (TWS1), acts as a GASSHO ligand.Cuticle surveillance depends on the action of the subtilase, which, unlike the TWS1 precursor and the GASSHO receptors, is not produced in the embryo but in the neighboring endosperm.Subtilase-mediated processing of the embryo-derived TWS1 precursor releases the active peptide, triggering GASSHO-dependent cuticle reinforcement in the embryo.Thus, a bidirectional molecular dialogue between embryo and endosperm safeguards cuticle integrity before germination.
