The Genetic and Regulatory Framework of Cuticular Wax Formation: Insights from Model Plants to Cereal Crops

Plant cuticular waxes form a critical hydrophobic barrier covering aerial organs, serving as the first line of defense against abiotic and biotic stresses and playing a vital role in reproductive development. However, regulatory networks that orchestrate cuticular wax deposition in response to environmental cues and developmental programs, particularly in cereal crops, remain elusive. This review integrates current knowledge by identifying genes implicated in wax formation in Arabidopsis and maj