title: Compositional analysis of leaf cuticular membranes isolated from tea plants (Camellia sinensis L.).
abstract: Chemical constituents of cuticular membranes (CMs) isolated from three tea cultivars (Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze cvs. Yabukita, Samidori and Gokou) were compared. All CMs from the adaxial side of the leaves showed higher accumulation of wax, cutin and polysaccharide, while those from the abaxial side were abundant in cutan, showing the adaptation of the adaxial side to abiotic stresses, such as wind and rain, in contrast to the abaxial side, which provides defence against pathogens. Yabukita, a major tea cultivar in Japan, developed thick CMs while Samidori and Gokou, shade-cultivated tea cultivars, had lighter CMs, reflecting their thin and soft leaves. CMs rapidly accumulated 9,10-epoxy-18-hydroxyoctadecanoic acid at a very early stage of leaf development. Additionally, shade treatment did not influence cutin biosynthesis in CMs, reflecting high adaptation of tea leaves under low light levels.
authors.affiliation: Division of Environmental Science and Technology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan. stsubaki@kochi-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Shuntaro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tsubaki
authors.forename: Shunichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sakumoto
authors.forename: Norihiro
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Uemura
authors.forename: Jun-ichi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Azuma
mesh_terms: D028241:Camellia sinensis / Q000737:chemistry*; D008563:Membrane Lipids / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000737:chemistry*; D014885:Waxes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification
chemical_list: D008563:Membrane Lipids; D010936:Plant Extracts; D014885:Waxes; C000521:cutin