CHANGES IN EPICUTICULAR WAXES ON WILDTYPE AND ECERIFERUM MUTANTS IN ARABIDOPSIS DURING DEVELOPMENT

We analysed the leaf epicuticular wax chemical constituents on wildtyp e and eceriferum (cer; cer1, cer3 and cer4) mutants of Arabidopsis tha liana at 7, 15, 25 and 40 days after germination. Changes during devel opment are described for the partitioning of epicuticular waxes into t he five major chemical classes; free carboxylic fatty acids, aldehydes , alkanes, primary alcohols and wax esters. Changes are described for cumulative total epicuticular wax loads per leaf area, percentages of total constituents in each of the five major chemical classes and chai n length distributions for the two major chemical classes: alkanes and primary alcohols. Stem epicuticular waxes on wildtype and cer mutants were analysed at 25 and 40 days and found to be similar.