Cuticle layer forms a reproductive barrier in the Brassicaceae

Cuticle layer forms a reproductive barrier in the Brassicaceae | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Biological Sciences - Article Cuticle layer forms a reproductive barrier in the Brassicaceae Sota Fujii, Yoshinobu Kato, Yuka Kimura, Hidemasa Teraoka, Tetsuya Hama, and 3 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-5955674/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Under Review Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Plant cuticle, a protective layer covering most aerial organs, was once thought to play a role in reproductive barriers, particularly in self-incompatibility, during the mid-20th century 1–3 . However, this idea faded as the molecular basis of self-incompatibility became clearer. In this study, we revisited the hypothesis by generating transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana with reduced stigmatic cutin, a major lipidic component of the cuticle. We found that self-incompatible pollen is still rejected on the stigmatic surface in these plants, indicating that cutin does not contribute to self-incompatibility. Instead, hetero-specific pollen rejection was significantly impaired, suggesting that cutin functions as an interspecific reproductive barrier. During pollination, compatible pollen can penetrate the cutin layer, while hetero-specific pollen cannot, further supporting cutin's role as a reproductive barrier. Notably, we found an interspecific diversity in cutin/wax ratio of stigmatic papillae, which may contribute to the formation of this interspecific barrier. Moreover, this cutin-based barrier functions independently of the previously known barrier formed by the STIGMATIC PRIVACY 1 protein, suggesting the presence of multiple independent mechanisms for interspecific pollen rejection. This may provide a potential advantage in rejecting various hetero-specific pollen. Our study uncovers a new role for the cuticle as an interspecific reproductive barrier. Biological sciences/Plant sciences/Plant reproduction/Pollination Biological sciences/Plant sciences/Plant physiology Full Text Additional Declarations There is NO Competing Interest. Supplementary Files SupplementaryTable.xlsx Supplementary Table 1, Supplementary Table 2 Cite Share Download PDF Status: Under Review Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-5955674","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Biological Sciences - Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":414281343,"identity":"8cbafdaf-ac4a-4e54-a5a1-bd7ddb464550","order_by":0,"name":"Sota 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However, this idea faded as the molecular basis of self-incompatibility became clearer. In this study, we revisited the hypothesis by generating transgenic \u003ci\u003eArabidopsis thaliana\u003c/i\u003e with reduced stigmatic cutin, a major lipidic component of the cuticle. We found that self-incompatible pollen is still rejected on the stigmatic surface in these plants, indicating that cutin does not contribute to self-incompatibility. Instead, hetero-specific pollen rejection was significantly impaired, suggesting that cutin functions as an interspecific reproductive barrier. During pollination, compatible pollen can penetrate the cutin layer, while hetero-specific pollen cannot, further supporting cutin's role as a reproductive barrier. Notably, we found an interspecific diversity in cutin/wax ratio of stigmatic papillae, which may contribute to the formation of this interspecific barrier. 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