Viburnum tinus Fruits Use Lipids to Produce Metallic Blue Structural Color
Viburnum tinus Fruits Use Lipids to Produce Metallic Blue Structural Color
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DOI：
10.1016/j.cub.2020.07.005
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发表时间：
2020-10-05
期刊：
影响因子：
9.2
通讯作者：
Vignolini, Silvia
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
Middleton, Rox;Sinnott-Armstrong, Miranda;Vignolini, Silvia
Viburnum tinus是一种万年青灌木，原产于地中海地区，但在欧洲和世界各地广泛种植。它在整个冬季都会产生成熟的金属蓝色水果[1]。尽管其肉质果肉有限[2]，但其高脂质含量[3]使其成为作为其种子传播者[5]的小型鸟类[4]的宝贵资源。在这里，我们发现，金属蓝色外观的水果是由球状脂质夹杂物排列在一个无序的多层结构。这种结构嵌在外果皮的细胞壁中，下面有一层深色的花青素色素。植物细胞壁中这种大的、有组织的脂质聚集体的存在代表了结构着色的新机制，并且可以作为营养含量的诚实信号。
Viburnum tinus is an evergreen shrub that is native to the Mediterranean region but cultivated widely in Europe and around the world. It produces ripe metallic blue fruits throughout winter [1]. Despite its limited fleshy pulp [2], its high lipid content [3] makes it a valuable resource to the small birds [4] that act as its seed-dispersers [5]. Here, we find that the metallic blue appearance of the fruits is produced by globular lipid inclusions arranged in a disordered multilayer structure. This structure is embedded in the cell walls of the epicarp and underlaid with a dark layer of anthocyanin pigments. The presence of such large, organized lipid aggregates in plant cell walls represents a new mechanism for structural coloration and may serve as an honest signal of nutritional content.