The fat of the land: cuticle formation in terrestrial plants

Abstract

News and Views: In a world surrounded by a vast expanse of gaseous air, water is constantly evaporating from aqueous sources to their surroundings. This is a major problem for microscopic cells containing water essential for life. The genetic and chemical components that help to prevent water loss by creating a waxy cuticle around cells and tissues have now been described for a wide range of plant lineages in results published in this issue of Plant Physiology.