Details
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 174 |
| Journal | Communications Biology |
| Volume | 8 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| Publication status | Published - 4 Feb 2025 |
Abstract
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Medicine(all)
- Medicine (miscellaneous)
- Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology(all)
- General Biochemistry,Genetics and Molecular Biology
- Agricultural and Biological Sciences(all)
- General Agricultural and Biological Sciences
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In: Communications Biology, Vol. 8, No. 1, 174, 04.02.2025.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer review
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Micromechanical behavior of the apple fruit cuticle investigated by Brillouin light scattering microscopy
AU - Landes, Timm
AU - Khanal, Bishnu Prasad
AU - Bethge, Hans Lukas
AU - Lehrich, Tina
AU - Kilic, Maximilian Seydi
AU - Renz, Franz
AU - Zabic, Miroslav
AU - Knoche, Moritz
AU - Heinemann, Dag
N1 - Publisher Copyright: © The Author(s) 2025.
PY - 2025/2/4
Y1 - 2025/2/4
N2 - The cuticle is a polymeric membrane covering all plant aerial organs of primary origin. It regulates water loss and defends against environmental stressors and pathogens. Despite its significance, understanding of the micro-mechanical properties of the cuticle (cuticular membrane; CM) remains limited. In this study, non-invasive Brillouin light scattering (BLS) spectroscopy was applied to probe the micro-mechanics of native CM, dewaxed CM (DCM), and isolated cutin matrix (CU) of mature apple fruit. The BLS signal arises from the photon interaction with thermally induced pressure waves and allows for imaging with mechanical contrast. The derived loss tangent showed significant differences with wax extraction from the CM and further with carbohydrate extraction from the DCM, consistent with tensile test results. Spatial heterogeneity between anticlinal and periclinal regions was observed by BLS microscopy of CM and DCM, but not in CU. The key conclusions are: (1) BLS is sensitive to micro-mechanical variations, particularly the strain-stiffening effect of the cutin framework, offering insights into the CM’s micro-mechanical behavior and underlying chemical structures; (2) CM and DCM exhibit spatial micro-mechanical heterogeneity between periclinal and anticlinal regions
AB - The cuticle is a polymeric membrane covering all plant aerial organs of primary origin. It regulates water loss and defends against environmental stressors and pathogens. Despite its significance, understanding of the micro-mechanical properties of the cuticle (cuticular membrane; CM) remains limited. In this study, non-invasive Brillouin light scattering (BLS) spectroscopy was applied to probe the micro-mechanics of native CM, dewaxed CM (DCM), and isolated cutin matrix (CU) of mature apple fruit. The BLS signal arises from the photon interaction with thermally induced pressure waves and allows for imaging with mechanical contrast. The derived loss tangent showed significant differences with wax extraction from the CM and further with carbohydrate extraction from the DCM, consistent with tensile test results. Spatial heterogeneity between anticlinal and periclinal regions was observed by BLS microscopy of CM and DCM, but not in CU. The key conclusions are: (1) BLS is sensitive to micro-mechanical variations, particularly the strain-stiffening effect of the cutin framework, offering insights into the CM’s micro-mechanical behavior and underlying chemical structures; (2) CM and DCM exhibit spatial micro-mechanical heterogeneity between periclinal and anticlinal regions
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85218060554&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1038/s42003-025-07555-5
DO - 10.1038/s42003-025-07555-5
M3 - Article
VL - 8
JO - Communications Biology
JF - Communications Biology
IS - 1
M1 - 174
ER -