Many plant-pathogen interactions begin at the cuticle, a hydrophobic layer covering the aerial surfaces of plants composed of a polyester matrix known as cutin, which is coated and/or embedded with long chain aliphatic compounds collectively called cuticular waxes. These waxes play vital roles in drought tolerance, and recently have been implicated in host-recognition processes in a variety of pathogenic fungi.
In this study, cuticular waxes from a range of economically important grain crops are isolated and used to develop synthetic wax-coated surfaces that mimic the chemistry, and not biology, of plant leaves. A variety of analytical techniques are employed to characterise the physicochemical properties of these surfaces. Fungal germination assays are also conducted to determine how differences in surface chemistry and other factors influence the growth and development of pathogenic microorganisms.
This work establishes a technical framework for investigating how specific parameters and properties of plant surfaces affect pathogen host-recognition processes. Identifying factors that disrupt these interactions will support the development of new technologies to reduce fungal disease incidence, thereby strengthening global food production.