Micromechanical behavior of the apple fruit cuticle investigated by Brillouin light scattering microscopy
Abstract 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) remai...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Nature Portfolio
2025-02-01
|
| Series: | Communications Biology |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-025-07555-5 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1823861706813603840 |
|---|---|
| author | Timm Landes Bishnu P. Khanal Hans Lukas Bethge Tina Lehrich Maximilian Seydi Kilic Franz Renz Miroslav Zabic Moritz Knoche Dag Heinemann |
| author_facet | Timm Landes Bishnu P. Khanal Hans Lukas Bethge Tina Lehrich Maximilian Seydi Kilic Franz Renz Miroslav Zabic Moritz Knoche Dag Heinemann |
| author_sort | Timm Landes |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract 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. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-28c8c09d821e4552af5e76d73fb2fe28 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2399-3642 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-02-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Communications Biology |
| spelling | doaj-art-28c8c09d821e4552af5e76d73fb2fe282025-02-09T12:50:24ZengNature PortfolioCommunications Biology2399-36422025-02-018111010.1038/s42003-025-07555-5Micromechanical behavior of the apple fruit cuticle investigated by Brillouin light scattering microscopyTimm Landes0Bishnu P. Khanal1Hans Lukas Bethge2Tina Lehrich3Maximilian Seydi Kilic4Franz Renz5Miroslav Zabic6Moritz Knoche7Dag Heinemann8Hannover Centre for Optical Technologies, Leibniz University HannoverHannover Centre for Optical Technologies, Leibniz University HannoverHannover Centre for Optical Technologies, Leibniz University HannoverInstitute of Cell Biology and Biophysics, Leibniz University HannoverInstitute of Inorganic Chemistry, Leibniz University HannoverInstitute of Inorganic Chemistry, Leibniz University HannoverHannover Centre for Optical Technologies, Leibniz University HannoverInstitute of Horticultural Production Systems, Leibniz University HannoverHannover Centre for Optical Technologies, Leibniz University HannoverAbstract 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.https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-025-07555-5 |
| spellingShingle | Timm Landes Bishnu P. Khanal Hans Lukas Bethge Tina Lehrich Maximilian Seydi Kilic Franz Renz Miroslav Zabic Moritz Knoche Dag Heinemann Micromechanical behavior of the apple fruit cuticle investigated by Brillouin light scattering microscopy Communications Biology |
| title | Micromechanical behavior of the apple fruit cuticle investigated by Brillouin light scattering microscopy |
| title_full | Micromechanical behavior of the apple fruit cuticle investigated by Brillouin light scattering microscopy |
| title_fullStr | Micromechanical behavior of the apple fruit cuticle investigated by Brillouin light scattering microscopy |
| title_full_unstemmed | Micromechanical behavior of the apple fruit cuticle investigated by Brillouin light scattering microscopy |
| title_short | Micromechanical behavior of the apple fruit cuticle investigated by Brillouin light scattering microscopy |
| title_sort | micromechanical behavior of the apple fruit cuticle investigated by brillouin light scattering microscopy |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-025-07555-5 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT timmlandes micromechanicalbehavioroftheapplefruitcuticleinvestigatedbybrillouinlightscatteringmicroscopy AT bishnupkhanal micromechanicalbehavioroftheapplefruitcuticleinvestigatedbybrillouinlightscatteringmicroscopy AT hanslukasbethge micromechanicalbehavioroftheapplefruitcuticleinvestigatedbybrillouinlightscatteringmicroscopy AT tinalehrich micromechanicalbehavioroftheapplefruitcuticleinvestigatedbybrillouinlightscatteringmicroscopy AT maximilianseydikilic micromechanicalbehavioroftheapplefruitcuticleinvestigatedbybrillouinlightscatteringmicroscopy AT franzrenz micromechanicalbehavioroftheapplefruitcuticleinvestigatedbybrillouinlightscatteringmicroscopy AT miroslavzabic micromechanicalbehavioroftheapplefruitcuticleinvestigatedbybrillouinlightscatteringmicroscopy AT moritzknoche micromechanicalbehavioroftheapplefruitcuticleinvestigatedbybrillouinlightscatteringmicroscopy AT dagheinemann micromechanicalbehavioroftheapplefruitcuticleinvestigatedbybrillouinlightscatteringmicroscopy |