FIGURE 1.

The biosynthesis and transport of plant cuticular wax. In epidermal cells, C₁₆ and C₁₈ fatty acids are synthesized in the plastid, then C₁₆ and C₁₈ fatty acyl-CoAs are elongated to VLCFAs (C₂₆ to C₃₄) in the ER. VLCFAs are modified according to two distinct biosynthetic pathways to generate the aliphatic compounds of waxes. In the interaction of ABC transporter and LTP, wax mixture are mobilized from the ER to the PM, and then exported from the PM to the extracellular matrix. CW, cell wall; ER, endoplasmic reticulum; PM, plasma membrane; FAE, fatty acid elongase; ABC transporter, ATP binding cassette transporter; LTP, lipid transfer protein.