Seeds have recycled a plant protection mechanism, the cuticle, to withstand terrestrial aggressions

Having emerged late during evolution, seeds have transformed many plants into miniature travelers, contributing greatly to their colonization of terrestrial habitats. Researchers at the University of Geneva (UNIGE), Switzerland, have just discovered one of the keys to this success: the cuticle. Present as a thick waxy layer in the seed coat and composed of cutin—a type of fatty acid —, the cuticle increases seeds' viability, their resistance to reactive oxygen species, and contributes to maintaining their dormant state. Seeds have thus recycled an ancient terrestrial plant protection mechanism that allows their leaves to be covered with an impermeable film preventing excessive transpiration.

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