Professor Suh Mi-chung’s Research Team Publishes Paper in Nature Communications
How Do Plants Heal Their Own Wounds? – Uncovering New Secrets of Cuticle Formation
Although plants cannot speak or move, they possess an amazing self-defense system that responds intricately to external wounds. A research team led by Professor Suh Mi-chung of the Department of Life Science at Sogang University, in collaboration with a team led by Professor Lee Hyo-jun of Korea University, has demonstrated for the first time worldwide that the cuticle—the waterproof layer covering the plant surface—is not merely a physical barrier but a key structure that orchestrates the entire wound-healing process in plants. Their findings were published in the international journal Nature Communications. Kim Ga-yeon (Korea University) and Choi Jeong-ho (Ph.D. Student) served as first authors, while Professor Lee Hyo-jun (Korea University) and Professor Suh Mi-chung served as corresponding authors.
When a plant is wounded, reactive oxygen species (ROS) are produced explosively within the cells. While these ROS serve as important signals that induce cell regeneration and callus formation at the wound site, their uncontrolled spread can lead to the abnormal formation of callus even in undamaged tissues.
This study revealed that the FERONIA (FER) receptor kinase directly promotes cuticle development in the epidermis, and that the cuticle formed in this way acts as a “firewall” that physically and chemically blocks the spread of reactive oxygen species. In particular, the newly formed cuticle in mesophyll cells adjacent to the wound “inhibits the uncontrolled spread of reactive oxygen species,” “prevents disorderly callus formation in undamaged normal tissue,” and “induces programmed cell death (PCD) at the wound margin,” thereby ensuring clean wound healing.
▶ Paper Title: FERONIA defines intact tissue boundaries through cuticle development
▶ Journal: Nature Communications (IF 15.7)
▶ Paper Link: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-026-74179-6
[SEO Keyword]
Nature Communications plant research, plant wound healing mechanism, cuticle formation cell regeneration
Although plants cannot speak or move, they possess an amazing self-defense system that responds intricately to external wounds. A research team led by Professor Suh Mi-chung of the Department of Life Science at Sogang University, in collaboration with a team led by Professor Lee Hyo-jun of Korea University, has demonstrated for the first time worldwide that the cuticle—the waterproof layer covering the plant surface—is not merely a physical barrier but a key structure that orchestrates the entire wound-healing process in plants. Their findings were published in the international journal Nature Communications. Kim Ga-yeon (Korea University) and Choi Jeong-ho (Ph.D. Student) served as first authors, while Professor Lee Hyo-jun (Korea University) and Professor Suh Mi-chung served as corresponding authors.
When a plant is wounded, reactive oxygen species (ROS) are produced explosively within the cells. While these ROS serve as important signals that induce cell regeneration and callus formation at the wound site, their uncontrolled spread can lead to the abnormal formation of callus even in undamaged tissues.
This study revealed that the FERONIA (FER) receptor kinase directly promotes cuticle development in the epidermis, and that the cuticle formed in this way acts as a “firewall” that physically and chemically blocks the spread of reactive oxygen species. In particular, the newly formed cuticle in mesophyll cells adjacent to the wound “inhibits the uncontrolled spread of reactive oxygen species,” “prevents disorderly callus formation in undamaged normal tissue,” and “induces programmed cell death (PCD) at the wound margin,” thereby ensuring clean wound healing.
▶ Paper Title: FERONIA defines intact tissue boundaries through cuticle development
▶ Journal: Nature Communications (IF 15.7)
▶ Paper Link: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-026-74179-6
[SEO Keyword]
Nature Communications plant research, plant wound healing mechanism, cuticle formation cell regeneration